Bermuda-incorporated specialty insurer Ascot Group has marked the start of its year-long 25th-anniversary celebration, involving a journey that began at Lloyd’s in 2001 in the wake of the September 11 attacks.

The tragedy that emerged from the 9/11 terrorist attack brought forward the founders’ planned January 2002 launch to October, said Jonathan Zaffino, Ascot Group CEO and president.

He said company founders, in a period of uncertainty, saw a need and accelerated the plan to provide critical capacity to an exceptionally tentative market.

In an online message to “the valued Ascot community”, he said: “This spirit of agility and purpose has guided Ascot ever since, allowing us to grow and adapt while remaining true to our founding vision: Ascot is a company that is steadfast in the storm, seeing clear through chaos and standing by our clients and the market when they need us most.

“While our beginnings at Lloyd’s parallel the industry’s own inception, today Ascot operates across three thriving platforms in the US, Bermuda and London, forming a ‘golden triangle’ of global specialty insurance.

“From property and marine to casualty, specialty and financial lines, we have launched more than 200 products to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving risk landscape, navigated through more than 250 CAT events, and paid over $12 billion in claims since inception.

“And we’re not done. In a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world, we are always ready to respond when new needs arise — whether that be through traditional markets [we added 16 new capabilities to our global suite in 2025] or alternative risk solutions [like our recently expanded captives and parametric capabilities].

“Our 1,100+ global colleagues know that the world will never be perfect, but the Ascot team sets out to be a perfect partner to our clients each day by helping to solve problems, large and small, through innovation, entrepreneurship and a fierce commitment to client service.”