AmTrust taps leaders for new E&S unit

AmTrust Financial Services announced Wednesday that former W.R. Berkley excess and surplus lines leader Curt Fletcher has been appointed senior vice president of a newly created E&S unit focused on complex casualty business.

E&S Premier, within the company’s excess and surplus division, is distributed through select wholesale brokers.

Mr. Fletcher, based in Seattle, will report to Erich Bublitz, head of AmTrust E&S.

Mr. Fletcher was previously president and CEO of Berkley E&S Solutions. Before that he held various leadership roles at Admiral Insurance Group, a Berkley company. Earlier in his career, he was a vice president at General Re.

Matt Thomas, formerly with Admiral Insurance, was appointed vice president of the new unit, reporting to Mr. Fletcher.

Mr. Thomas, also based in Seattle, was previously national vice president of professional liability underwriting strategy and analytics at Admiral Insurance. He joined Admiral in 2010 from CNA.