Markel Insurance, the insurance operations within Markel Group, has promoted Mr Grant Smith to the role of Director of Marine Transportation at Markel International.
In his new role, Mr Smith will lead the development of the new marine transportation business, bringing together Markel International’s hull and hull War, MECO (a specialist marine MGA Markel acquired), marine and energy liabilities and transport and logistics classes under a single leadership structure.
He will also be responsible for shaping strategy across multiple classes and geographies while leading initiatives to strengthen underwriting capabilities, improve processes and support the delivery of tailored solutions for brokers and insureds.
Mr Smith will serve as a senior point of contact for brokers, clients and industry bodies, working closely with claims and actuarial teams to strengthen underwriting discipline and risk selection as risk exposures continue to evolve, as well.
Mr Smith joined Markel in 2024 as Director – Marine and Energy Liabilities, before assuming responsibility for transport and logistics in 2025. He has more than 17 years of experience across marine specialty lines and underwriting leadership roles.
Markel Insurance has also appointed Mr Sjoerd Blomsma as Marine Risk Engineer, a newly created role. He will be based in Singapore.
In his new role, Mr Blomsma will work with Markel’s global risk engineering teams across marine, energy and construction to develop a scalable risk assessment and reporting framework, strengthening the company’s integrated approach to risk.
He will also support underwriters in evaluating evolving technologies, understanding exposure and identifying loss trends, while also collaborating with claims teams on complex cases.
Mr Blomsma is qualified as both a Marine Engineer and Deck Officer, with a maritime career spanning seagoing and shore-based roles. He has served as Chief Officer on heavy-lift vessels and as a Master Mariner on worldwide ship delivery voyages across a range of vessel types.
More recently, he held senior consultancy roles with Solis Marine Consultants, including as Master Mariner Marine Consultant and Head of Marine Warranty Services, advising on complex heavy-lift and oversized cargo transportation projects. His experience includes vessel and barge suitability surveys, as well as casualty investigations involving navigation, cargo and machinery incidents on behalf of shipowners, charterers and insurers.