Westfield Specialty (SM) continues its growth momentum with the addition of a market-leading environmental underwriting team and its sixth line of business.
Dennis Willette, Senior Vice President Environmental, leads the Westfield Specialty Environmental team. Dennis has more than 15 years of experience across both the environmental consulting and insurance industries, which provides a level of unmatched underwriting expertise to clients with environmental exposures.
“Westfield Specialty has given our team a fantastic opportunity to use our industry experience and expertise to deliver creative and innovative solutions to our clients,” says Willette. “Our best-in-class environmental underwriters understand the nuances of this industry, the operational and service risks, as well as the financial impact facing clients each time a new project commences, or a contractor-related professional liability exposure exists.”
Westfield Specialty’s Environmental Contractors’ Pollution and Professional Liability (CPPL) policy is available on a non-admitted basis for accounts with an effective date June 1 or later. The coverage is available on a standalone basis for contractors’ pollution liability (CPL) or combined basis for CPL and professional liability (CPL/PL) basis. Westfield Specialty Environmental has a broad appetite supporting construction and environmental contractors of all sizes. Policies are written on non-admitted paper with a group rating of “A” (Excellent) by AM Best and are available in all states.
The team will quickly continue to expand its environmental liability product offerings. An Owner’s Protective Pollution and Professional Indemnity (O3PI) policy is expected to be available later this year.
Jack Kuhn, President of Westfield Specialty, comments: “We are excited to add environmental insurance, our sixth product line, and thrilled to have Dennis leading the team. Dennis offers unique underwriting expertise due to his experience in environmental consulting and the insurance industry. I am confident Dennis, and his team will continue to make a difference for our clients by utilizing their industry expertise to deliver superior service and customized solutions.”
Westfield Specialty launched in July 2021 and is currently underwriting in six lines of business: E&S property, E&S excess casualty, professional lines, financial institutions, management liability, and now environmental. Westfield Specialty is opportunistic and will continue to add new lines of business to provide specialty insurance solutions to help business partners and the industry. In 2022, Westfield Specialty wrote $1 billion in gross written premium.
About Westfield
Westfield was founded in 1848 by a small group of hard-working farmers who believed in the promise of the future and the power of the individual. Today, 175 years later, as a leading U.S.-based property and casualty insurance company with $8.5 billion in GAAP assets, Westfield underwrites commercial, personal, surety, and specialty lines of coverage through a network of over 1,000 leading independent agents and brokers. Westfield recently acquired Lloyd’s of London Syndicate 1200, establishing the company as a global franchise. Learn more at www.westfieldinsurance.com.
