Bart Mertens named Chief Underwriting Officer at West

The West of England P&I Club, an insurance provider to the global maritime and offshore industries, has announced the appointment of Bart Mertens as its new Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO), effective early 2025.

Bart Mertens, who brings over 30 years of experience in the marine insurance sector, will be succeeding Simon Parrott in this role.

He joins West from another International Group Club, where he has been a key member of the senior underwriting management team for the past 14 years, overseeing various regions and product lines.

Mertens holds a Master’s Degree in Law, Maritime Science, and Business Law. He began his career as a claims executive at a P&I correspondents in Antwerp and subsequently moved to a leading insurance broking house’s management board. In 2010, he transitioned to underwriting.

Mertens, commented: “As I look back with gratitude to the past 14 years, I am delighted to join West as the Club’s new Chief Underwriting Officer and become part of their journey. West has taken bold and positive steps in recent years, strengthening the Club’s capital position, developing new and exciting product lines as well as growing their regional presence in key maritime hubs across the world including, more recently, the UAE.

“This strategy aligns with my own, and I feel privileged to have this opportunity to contribute to the positive progress of the Club and look forward to joining the underwriting team and working with Tom and the rest of the West Management as we look to deliver on our business objectives.”

Mertens will join West in January 2025 and will collaborate closely with Parrott throughout the upcoming renewal cycle and into the 2025/26 policy year.

Parrott’s retirement plans were announced in April 2024. Since then, West has conducted a comprehensive search to find his successor as CUO, ensuring a smooth and efficient transition for this key position at the Club. Parrott will stay in his role until his official retirement and will continue to serve as a Director of West during this time.

Tom Bowsher, Group CEO of West, added: “We are extremely pleased to announce that Bart Mertens will be taking on the role of CUO at West, following Simon Parrott’s retirement in 2025. Simon has made a significant contribution to our success during his time with West, and we are delighted that he will remain part of the Club’s management team to enable a seamless transition ahead of next summer.

“For West to attract someone of Bart’s experience and calibre, further demonstrates the positive progress we continue to make as a Club, and I am very much looking forward to working closely with Bart in his new position as we continue to strengthen our service delivery across our global underwriting function.”

He continued: “With his extensive background in maritime insurance, Bart brings a broad knowledge and understanding of the market, ideally positioning him to contribute to the Club’s objectives, including our commitment to diversification.”

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