A former professional American football player and professional rugby player, who later became a top executive with Enstar, has been appointed to head United Risk Global, the international property and casualty insurance underwriting and distribution platform rolled out of Applied Underwriters.

Chairman Jamie Sahara announced today that Hayden Smith had been promoted to chief executive of United Risk worldwide.

Mr Smith previously served as vice-president of merger and acquisitions at Enstar Group and earlier as head of ceded reinsurance for StarStone, a global specialty carrier jointly owned by Enstar and Stone Point Capital.

Before entering the world of insurance, he enjoyed a successful professional athletic career in both Rugby (English Premiership, Saracens) and American football (the National Football League’s New York Jets). He holds a bachelor of science in finance and a masters of business administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Mr Sahara made the announcement as he disclosed that underwriting premium volume now places United Risk among the top five managing general agents in the world.

He was presenting the company's current results as the company passed the two-year mark since its formation in 2023.

When it was pulled out of Applied Underwriters, the newly independent company immediately became one of the largest MGAs.

It remains affiliated with Applied and its related companies and has grown dramatically since its unveiling in November 2023 and provides a global property and casualty underwriting platform comprised of 28 different MGA and managing general underwriter programmes, spanning more than 30 offices around the world.

The Bermuda office, first announced in April, is part of the global network the company is putting together, although it is slated for an official opening on January 1.

Mr Sahara noted the growth in the company’s total underwritten premium and that the company was now operating with 25 property and casualty underwriting programmes and a staff of nearly 600 worldwide.

Mr Sahara reported: “We are now on the ground in nine countries across four continents, with major offices in key insurance centres including New York, Bermuda, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.

“Each has been a source of our dramatic growth as we have continued to strengthen our relationships with the more than 30 insurers we represent, further enabling our experienced underwriting team to command a loyal and productive broker base.”

He indicated that two dynamic new programmes would be announced by year-end and detailed key leadership promotions: “Andrew Lucas has been appointed general counsel; Gregg Holtmeier has been appointed chief commercial officer; and Patrick Watson has been appointed chief operating officer.

“We have again added to our C-suite, completing our leadership team,” Mr Sahara said. “With the addition of Andrew Lucas, Gregg Holtmeier and Patrick Watson, we've built one of the strongest management teams in the business,” he added.

“Our insurance entrepreneurs have the supporting infrastructure to readily capture market share, standing upon our financial, operational, and philosophically forward-looking corporate culture, and taking part in growing a multibillion-dollar, multinational insurance operation.”