Bermuda-based insurer Ironshore announced yesterday that it has recruited former Allied World Assurance Company executive John Murphy to be its worldwide head of property.

Mr. Murphy has more than 35 years of property underwriting experience in the insurance, reinsurance and surplus lines areas. Since November 2001, he had served as executive vice-president of Global Property Underwriting at Allied World where he was responsible for building the initial property operation for Allied's Bermuda headquarters and its subsequent expansion into the US.

Prior to Allied, John held the role of vice-president of the Property Division at Lexington Insurance Company. Before joining Lexington, he spent 11 years at Employers Reinsurance Corporation as vice-president and branch manager of its Boston office and another 11 years prior to that with American Re working as a property facultative underwriter.

The Ironshore group currently writes property catastrophe and non-catastrophe business primarily out of Bermuda with plans to expand early this year to the US and the UK.

In his role, Mr. Murphy will provide global strategic direction and consistency across all of Ironshore's platforms. Ironshore's property units are focused on broker-sourced specialty commercial business. Mr. Murphy is based in Boston and reports to Shaun Kelly, CEO of Ironshore's US Operations, and to Kevin Kelley, CEO of Ironshore.

Mr. Murphy is the latest in a string of executive appointments by Ironshore over the past month, during which four top managers have been lured from American International Group companies.

"We are very excited to have John lead our Global Property efforts. He has vast property experience and will be a real asset to Ironshore as we expand our property reach through our three main geographic platforms," said Shaun Kelly.