Profile
“I like to build meaningful and sustainable companies that offer profitability to its shareholders and an opportunity for the staff to grow and make an impact”
Jack Kuhn,
Westfield Specialty
After college, Jack Kuhn was accepted into an underwriting trainee position at Chubb in their professional lines area; the role provided him with a lot of great opportunities for development.
“One of the more formative moments of my career was leaving the safe haven of Chubb to set up a professional lines business for Kemper Insurance,” explains Kuhn. “Our business was performing very well but Kemper had a lot of legacy liabilities from decades earlier now having a negative impact on its financial position.
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Jack Kuhn
President
Westfield Specialty
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
Profile
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
Read on
Special Report
Home
Bio
Milestones
“When you boil it down, in this business we do not make a tangible product outside of actual capital. The real capital is our talent and our relationships – so, you have to get that right”
Jack Kuhn,
Westfield Specialty
1986–2003
2003–2012
2012–2021
Present
2018–2021
1986–1999: Held various management positions at Chubb
1999: Chief Underwriting Officer/Executive Risk at Chubb
2000–2003: President of Financial Insurance Solutions at Kemper
1986–
2003
2003–2007: Executive Vice President, Professional Lines Division at Axis Insurance
2003–2009: Board Member at PLUS
2007–2010: Chief Executive Officer, Professional Lines Division at Axis Insurance
2010–2011: Chief Executive Officer, North America Insurance at Axis Insurance
2011–2012: Chief Underwriting Officer at Axis Insurance
2003–
2012
2012–2017: Chief Executive Officer, Global Insurance at Endurance
2017–2019: Chief Executive Officer, Global Insurance at Sompo International
2020–2021: Chief Executive Officer of Insurance at Vantage Group
2012–
2021
President at Westfield Specialty since 2021
Present
Business Development Director – Asia-Pacific at 360Globalnet
2018–
2021
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
Aug 2022
Milestones
Sept 2021
Feb 2022
Apr 2022
Jul 2022
Aug
2022
Suncorp Bank introduces Solar Home Bonus offer for customers who are choosing renewable energy for their homes
Sept 2021
Month-on-month market share growth commences
Feb 2022
Suncorp Bank wins the Canstar award for most outstanding value in investment loans
Apr 2022
Suncorp Bank wins Money Magazine’s Bank of the Year and Business Bank of the Year awards for the fifth year in a row
Jul 2022
Suncorp Bank’s turnaround times are the lowest they have ever been. The lender becomes Australia’s first certified carbon neutral bank for both its operation and transaction services
Aug 2022
Milestones
“As a result of Kemper’s deteriorating financial condition, I had another formative moment in my career and that was being part of a renewal rights deal and becoming part of AXIS. I started by building the professional lines group and ultimately became global chief underwriting officer of insurance. From there I accepted a role at Endurance as CEO of insurance and rebuilt their global insurance platform.
“All these moments led me to the role that I am in now. I like to build meaningful and sustainable companies that offer profitability to its shareholders and an opportunity for the staff to grow and make an impact.”
Not surprising, Kuhn enjoys challenge – and for him that means not becoming complacent or distracted.
“In the summer of 2021, I wanted to find an opportunity that allowed me to secure the best talent and move quickly to make a statement in the market,” he adds. “When a few of us started Westfield Specialty, we had the goal to start writing business in 45 days, and we accomplished that. Fast forward 19 months and we have written more than $400 million of business, we have five US lines of business and will soon add a sixth. We also acquired Lloyd’s Syndicate 1200 from Argo in in February of 2023. We expect to write over $1.1 billion in 2023.”
Kuhn’s biggest achievement is creating Westfield Specialty, which he says enables him to utilize all his skill sets and relationships to foster fast growth. And his strongest professional quality, he says, is maintaining an appreciation for talent and relationships.
“When you boil it down, in this business we do not make a tangible product outside of actual capital,” he says. “The real capital is our talent and our relationships – so, you have to get that right.”