Building Underwriting Businesses That Last with Mark Fellows

In this episode of Beyond the Desk: Underwriting Edition, Sanjeev Vegad sits down with Mark Fellows, Divisional Director, Financial Lines, International at Westfield Specialty, to explore a career that spans claims, underwriting, leadership, and multiple successful business builds across the London insurance market.

Mark shares how he accidentally fell into insurance after university, why a move to Swiss Re completely changed the trajectory of his career, and what he has learned from building underwriting platforms from scratch. He also offers a candid view on the current financial lines market, the rise of broker facilities, and the opportunities and risks that AI presents for the next generation of underwriters.

This episode is packed with practical leadership advice, insights into market cycles, and a reminder that deep expertise, curiosity, and strong relationships remain the foundations of great underwriting.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How Mark went from claims into underwriting almost by accident
• Why he believes leadership is about responsibility, not hierarchy
• What he looks for when hiring underwriters and building high-performing teams
• The realities of launching and growing an underwriting business from zero
• How Westfield Specialty has positioned itself in a highly competitive market
• His perspective on the current soft market and the impact of broker facilities
• Why AI will transform insurance—but shouldn't replace human judgement
• The biggest mistake young underwriters can make in their early careers
• Why reading, asking questions, and being in the office still matter
• The career advice he wishes he had taken himself

Key takeaways

• Build deep expertise before chasing seniority.
• Great underwriting teams are built around culture, trust, and collaboration.
• Differentiation comes from people, service, and execution.
• AI should enhance underwriting, not replace relationships and judgement.
• The best opportunities often come from being willing to build something new.

Whether you're an underwriting assistant, an experienced underwriter, or a leader looking to build the next successful platform, this conversation offers a thoughtful and practical look at what long-term success in insurance really looks like.