Spotlight

Liberty Specialty Markets

Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM) offers specialty and commercial insurance products across the UK, European, Middle East, US, Bermuda, Asia Pacific & Latin America markets. It provides brokers and insurers with a broad product range through both the company and Lloyd’s markets, and has over 2,000 employees in approximately 50 offices.

Great brands are defined by great people and LSM is no exception. The company has a strong focus on inclusivity and has already exceeded the Lloyd’s 35% women in leadership target. Their underwriters are known for their technical knowledge and collaborative approach and their claims team is consistently one of the top service performers in the Market.

Play

LSM is committed to continuity and building a great global brand. In 2018, the company hired Paula Wilson as Head of Marketing, who pivoted its value proposition to focus on its mutual structure and delivering shared success, summed up today in the phrase ‘For Mutual Advantage’.

In 2022, Phil Hobbs became President & Managing Director and has set out his down-to-earth style of leadership, focused on transformation, listening to the customer and always doing that bit more, “the final 5%” in his words.

  1. Over 35 different LSM underwriters received nominations in Gracechurch’s 2023 London’s Leading Underwriter Report, across 12 classes of business. Brokers highly rate LSM’s underwriters, describing them as having “wide specialty knowledge” and being “Pleasant to deal with and intellectually advanced.”
  2. LSM ranks in the Top 10 for Gracechurch’s London’s Female Brench Strength Leader and boasts an array of senior female underwriting talent, with a female Active Underwriter, three female CUOs and many female Underwriting Managers.
  3. LSM has been awarded the Gracechurch Service Quality Marque for Claims service excellence every year for 7 years running.
  4. According to brokers, LSM leads the market for its collaborative approach.
  5. LSM is ranked as a Top 5 employer brand in the Gracechurch’s Employer Brand Index 2022.

People

Philip Hobbs
President & Managing Director

Phil Hobbs is President and Managing Director of LSM, a global specialty insurer with a presence in 20 countries and over 2,000 employees.

He has been with LSM since 2006 and previously held the position of Deputy Managing Director with the responsibility for underwriting, enterprise risk management (ERM), and actuarial. Throughout his career, he has also held positions at Deloitte and Bacon & Woodrow.

He is a board member of the International Underwriting Association.

Jane Warren
Active Underwriter

Jane is LSM’s Active Underwriter and is also UK Legal Entities Managing Director.

Mel O’Neill
CUO

Mel has over 30 years’ experience and is responsible for all London underwriting divisions.

Luis Prato
President, LSM London

Luis is responsible for setting, owning, and executing the strategy for our London insurance business.

Sarah Howell
London Head of First Party Claims

Sarah is responsible for providing technical leadership and management across the London first party claims team.

Zara Ismail
Head of Business Development – Claims

Zara is responsible for identifying, developing and communicating strategies on how the claims function adds value to LSM’s clients, brokers and across the wider Lloyd‘s and London Market

Andrew Jackson
Head of Business Development & Market Management

Andrew is responsible for developing and managing the execution of the global distribution strategy, alongside strengthening existing broker relationships, and developing new ones.