Underwriters

Raoul Carlos

Chief Underwriting Officer, UK

Raoul has extensive experience in driving strategy and cycle management for highly volatile property lines of business. His insurance career has spanned underwriting in Zurich, Dubai and London with Swiss Re and Arch Insurance, underwriting global Onshore Energy and Mining business, with the latter half as Arch’s Head of Worldwide Onshore Energy.

Raoul joined Castel in January 2020 to oversee underwriting performance and work with underwriters to steer portfolio optimisation, underwriting strategy and execution.

In his spare time, Raoul enjoys music, sports, travel and spending time with his wife and two young children.

Peter Wallace

Underwriter – Inherent Defects

Peter started underwriting Construction all risks and Erection all risks projects in 2010, and expanded this to include Inherent Defects Insurance (IDI), as well as participating in and developing several owner and contractor facilities and annual accounts. Prior to commencing his insurance career in 2010, Peter had already gained substantial construction and risk management experience in a number of roles and locations covering the construction, project controls, safety and contract administration disciplines on multiple infrastructure mega-projects globally – including High Speed 1, New Doha International Airport, Cross Sydney Tunnel and Autostrada Transylvania.

Peter graduated with MEng (Hons) in 2003, and became a Chartered Engineer in 2010, before moving to insurance, first in Switzerland and then with Munich Re in London, before moving to Castel in 2017.

In his spare time Peter enjoys cooking, cycling, and singing along to 80’s power rock ballads.

Lynesh Halai

Underwriter – Inherent Defects

Lynesh started his insurance career in 2010, underwriting engineering and renewable energy risks for five years, before moving into Inherent Defects Insurance at Aviva, where he was the Senior Underwriter within the team. Lynesh’s primary role was to underwrite large commercial IDI risks in the UK and Europe. Lynesh focuses on underwriting IDI and building the commercial book.

Lynesh graduated with a BSc (Hons) Economics degree in 2009 and is a Chartered Insurer having completed his ACII in 2016.

In his spare time, Lynesh enjoys travelling, playing/watching football and cricket.

Paul Atkinson

Underwriter – Accident & Health

Paul’s insurance career began in 1985 with Sun Alliance. Following a general underwriting training programme, Paul elected to specialise in Accident and Health Insurances.

With over 30 years in insurance, Paul is still enjoying the challenges that underwriting this diverse class of business has to offer.

Outside of insurance Paul follows Kent County Cricket Club and tends his bonsai trees.

Henry Hogarth

Underwriter- Facultative Property

Henry is a Property Reinsurance expert with extensive experience and network across Facultative Property and Non-Life Treaty. He leads Castel’s Facultative business.

Henry’s ten year plus (Re)insurance career has been split between London and Munich. In Germany he was Head of Africa Non-Life Treaty for Allianz Reinsurance. In London he worked as an International Property Underwriter at Lloyd’s, most recently for AXA XL, with a particular focus on Heavy Industry risks.

Before entering the industry he worked in International Development including spending time in Liberia working on post-conflict reintegration programmes for the United Nations.

Outside of work Henry enjoys (watching) rugby, cycling and reading.

Tara Woodward

Underwriter – Bloodstock

Tara has had 18 years+ experience in the insurance industry. Tara is a Bloodstock Underwriter within Castel Specialty, focusing on morality of breeding and racing thoroughbreds, high value sports horses and fertility of new thoroughbred stallion prospects. Tara has been writing bloodstock for 10 years previously having been based at Novae Plc.

Prior to working at Novae, Tara was an Account Executive at Lockton (previously Alexander Forbes) within the Professional Indemnity department.

Other interests include horse riding, hockey and skiing.

Stuart Dickinson

Underwriter

Stuart began his career in insurance with the Guardian Royal Exchange in Croydon in 1985. Since then he has worked in a variety of underwriting roles, both in the company market and at Lloyd’s. Prior to working with Castel, Stuart was Head of Commercial at Chaucer Insurance. Stuart is a Chartered Insurer and Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Outside of work, Stuart enjoys cycling, walking and any other excuse to get outdoors.

Keely Ide

Assistant Underwriter

Keely started at Castel as Assistant Underwriter joining the Square Pegs Team in September 2019. She began her career handling Liability risks working at Royal Sun Alliance followed by Chaucer Insurance for 11 years.

Keely’s hobbies and interests outside work are walking her dogs, visiting English Heritage Sites and other places of interest around the UK and paddleboarding.

Amy Walentowicz

Assistant Underwriter

Amy joined Castel as Assistant Underwriter within Square Pegs in February 2021 and brings fifteen years of experience in the insurance industry.

She began her career at Marsh, handling small personal lines claims before moving into underwriting with Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Amy spent seven years as Global Property Underwriter and gained her ACII qualification whilst at the firm. More recently Amy assisted the Centralised Change team at Gallagher, working predominantly on their Brexit strategy project.

Outside of work, Amy enjoys travelling in the Far East, boxing, cycling and music festivals.

Eve Dickinson

Assistant Underwriter

Eve joined Square Pegs in March 2020, and is enjoying the challenge of her first role in the insurance industry and since she has bought up her children. Eve’s responsibilities consist of providing support to our network of brokers, as well as assisting in the day to day running of Square Pegs.

Outside of work Eve enjoys spending time with her family on both sided of the Irish Sea, hiking, golfing and yoga. To relax she loves to have her nose in a good book.

Colin Rose

Head of Construction & Engineering

Colin has written worldwide construction and engineering classes for 32 years and has been based on London, Germany and the USA during his career. He joined Castel in April 2019 from Beazley where he was Global Head of Construction & Engineering for 15 years leading four platforms writing business in London, USA, Singapore and Latin America. He began his career at St Paul Companies, and from there spent time with Cologne Re in Germany and Cigna/ACE and GE Frankona in London.

Colin has a background in all types of construction and engineering insurances, including over the years contractors all risk, engineering all risks, advanced loss of profits/delay in start-up, machinery breakdown/business interruption, power generation, contractors equipment and all associated classes, and all writes on both an annually renewable and single project basis.

Colin graduated from Kingston University in 1986 with an honours degree in Economics, Politics and German.

In his spare time he enjoys all sport, playing and listening to music, walking, and hard work in the garden.

Kyrie Allen

Underwriter

Kyrie joined the Construction & Engineering team at Castel as Assistant Underwriter in October 2019.

She entered the London Insurance market in 2014 as a cross-line underwriting assistant at Antares syndicate after completing the International Baccalaureate. From there she joined Beazley’s Construction & Engineering team having responsibility for the team’s underwriting support across other offices and progressed in underwriting to be promoted to Assistant Underwriter.

Kyrie’s focus since 2017 has been on UK Construction, Canadian Course of Construction, US Builders’ risk and small contractor’s annuals whilst also supporting underwriting of more complex CAR and EAR risks with senior underwriters.

Kyrie has completed DipCII and is working towards ACII.

Outside of work Kyrie enjoys music, playing cricket for her local club, keeping fit and travelling.

Georgie Collings

Senior Underwriter

Georgie joined Castel in October 2019 as an Underwriter in the Construction & Engineering team. He underwrites all types of construction business including single project business and annual contractor and developer covers. He has experience with various types of construction projects including buildings, oil & gas, mining, power, metals and civil engineering across a wide variety of territories.

Prior to joining Castel he completed the Lloyd’s Graduate Training Scheme in 2012 and subsequently joined Beazley’s Construction & Engineering team where he progressed to Underwriter, writing insurance and reinsurance for related classes of business.

Georgie graduated from University College London in 2009 with an honours degree in English and is also fully ACII qualified.

Outside of work he enjoys travelling, reading and cooking.

Paul Kissane

Underwriter – Contractors’ Plant and Equipment

Paul has been in the insurance industry for nearly 19 years having first trained as a financial accountant with British Airways in the late 1990s. In 2007 he was integral in the planning and establishment of the inaugural E&C team at WRB and was involved in the direction and success of the division during his time there. In 2014, Paul and a colleague set up a Mobile Plant team at Pioneer Underwriting backed by several Lloyds syndicates and in 2018 became head of the division reporting to the CUO. Paul’s main area of interest is contractors’ plant and equipment.

Paul lives in Sussex with his wife and young daughter but returns to his native London at weekends to watch Queens Park Rangers. He also enjoys baking, learning to play the piano and listening to the Cure!