Ageas Insurance has announced the appointment of Cathy Taylor to the position of head of commercial underwriting and operations.

Taylor joined Ageas on 1 September and has over 25 years of commercial broker market experience gained at a number of insurers including Aviva, Ecclesiastical and Direct Line Group.

She will report to underwriting director, Adam Clarke and will be responsible for managing the performance and development of Ageas’s commercial lines account. The firm is looking to grow in this sector whilst continuing to improve its combined operating ratio.

Taylor will be based in the company’s commercial lines centre in Gloucester and will also spend much of her time with Ageas’s commercial underwriters in Manchester and London. She will be taking over the role from Roy Watkinson who retires from the business at the end of this year after more than three years at Ageas.

Clarke said: “Cathy will be instrumental in shaping the future of our Commercial lines business. Our results in this market are good and we are now in a position to continue to grow profitably in areas where we know we can make our expertise count including e-traded business, commercial motor and schemes.

“Her experience in front-line underwriting, relationship management and underwriting strategy is really going to bring a new and exciting focus to the team.

“We will be sorry to say goodbye to Roy, who has built a great team in our commercial division, but Cathy will certainly benefit from being able to spend some months with Roy before he leaves. We wish Roy a long and happy retirement.”

Taylor said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to take the experience I have built over my career and use it to direct a key part of Ageas’s business. I’m looking forward to working with the teams, to engage with brokers, showing them what we can provide for their SME clients. I’m keen to make a start and to contribute to Ageas’s success.”