Hyperion Insurance Group’s managing general agent, DUAL has announced it will deploy group underwriting capital alongside its existing capacity providers. Additionally, the firm has announced the appointment of Alan Telford as chief underwriting officer, effective 1 November 2020.

Telford will report to Richard Clapham, who currently holds both the CEO and CUO roles at DUAL.

DUAL states, the addition of Telford brings further bench strength to the DUAL leadership team and the appointment will allow Clapham, who currently holds both roles, to focus on DUAL’s strategic priorities as the business enters its next phase of development.

David Howden said: “This is a game-changing moment for DUAL. Now, by providing capital to DUAL, we move to the next stage of our underwriting journey at an exciting time for the Group when we have also welcomed a new investor. I am thrilled that with this announcement DUAL takes the lead in defining what the underwriting business of the future looks like.”

Richard Clapham said: “Over the last four years we have made significant investments in our actuarial and analytical capabilities, as well as our service infrastructure and technology, to build out an agile and scaleable underwriting platform with efficiency and performance centre stage. This has been critical on our path to continually dialling up the provision of innovative and expert underwriting and dialling down the frictional costs of insurance.

DUAL’s long-term partnerships with its capacity providers, some of which stretch back over two decades, have been critical to its success. The Group’s commitment to providing capital to DUAL is the next step in the bonding of these long-term relationships.

I am delighted to welcome Alan as Chief Underwriting Officer. He brings not only his wealth of experience but also his deep understanding of DUAL from his previous role as CUO, Commercial at Liberty Specialty Markets, one of DUAL’s long-term capacity providers. He could not join us at a more exciting time.”