Contact:

+ 44 (0) 7824 348 328 (m) +44 (0) 208 301 8403 (o)

Lawrence A. Lea MBA, MSc, MICE

Client Services Consultant

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Profile:

Lawrence is a Chartered Engineer with some 8 years experience in that industry working in the UK and South Africa. This was followed by some 27 years experience as an Engineering Underwriter with SCOR, Swiss Re, Royal Re, HSB and most recently FM Global as a Senior Account Manager and Assistant Vice President.

At FM Global, underwriting a profitable Power Generation, and a Mining Account, he managed a team to deliver a Risk Management and Risk Transfer Package to each client with an underlying focus on risk identification and risk improvement. This was a client facing role which entailed development of new business opportunities and management of the existing portfolio via regular visits to clients in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, delivering presentations and conducting renewal negotiations and training sessions.

Summary of Relevant Experience:

2003 to 2010 F M Global, Windsor
Senior Account Manager / Assistant Vice President

  • Reporting to the Client Services Manager
  • Underwriting a profitable £10M power generation and mining account
  • Managing a team to deliver the risk management and risk transfer package
  • Underlying focus on risk identification and risk improvement
  • Client facing role implementing client service plan for current portfolio
  • Regular visits to clients in South Africa, Hong Kong, Qatar and Iberia
  • Presentations
  • Training sessions
  • Renewal negotiations
  • Development of new business opportunities
  • Mentoring of younger team members
  • Representing company at industry seminars and trade shows

2000 – 2003 Axco Insurance Information Services London Content Manager

  • Responsible for putting together the 50-state US database including revising data-gathering format, collating reports, managing content quality and completeness and coordinating publishing process with writers, checkers, editors and IT staff. Reports provide underwriting data for insurers and brokers and include details of natural hazards exposures, regulatory environment and legislation as well as commentary on all major property and casualty lines of business.

1992 - 2000 HSB Engineering Insurance Limited, London
Underwriting Manager

  • Reporting to the managing director appointed to recruit a team of four underwriters and four assistants
  • Drew up and maintained u/w standards and guidelines (SI authority USD 100mn, PML authority USD 20mn)
  • Advised parent company on policy wording issues and differences between US and European coverage’s
  • Built up account from USD 6mn to USD 55mn in the first 2.5 years
  • Contributed to the company’s annual budgeting process
  • Carried out performance assessments and salary / bonus recommendations for staff payroll circa USD 250k
  • Responsible for regional underwriting in Africa, Indian subcontinent, North East Asia, and Australasia
  • Presented at local seminars in China and India on CAR & EAR underwriting and the risks associated with construction and erection projects

1987 – 1992 Royal Re, London
Development Underwriter (treaty) / Engineering Underwriter (facultative)

  • Visited current and prospective clients to obtain market and client information, assess ongoing viability of treaty portfolios, analyse business opportunities & prepare development plans for the assigned territories, including USA and Middle East
  • Underwrote facultative account as well as risks referred under treaty arrangements (EML authority GBP 12mn). Range of risks underwritten included civil engineering (roads, bridges, pipelines, dams, tunnels), office buildings, EAR (power plants, paper mills, chemical plants)
  • Negotiated treaty renewals and monitored year-end provisions for unearned premium and outstanding loss reserves
  • Presented at in-house engineering and reinsurance training seminars

1981 – 1987 Swiss ReJohannesburg, RSA
Manager Non-Life Treaty Department / Senior U/W Engineering Department

  • Member of 8-strong senior management, with staff of 175
  • Prepared marketing & manpower plans and budgets for engineering and non-life treaty departments
  • Negotiated treaty renewal terms and conditions for ZAR 60 million account
  • Visited Zurich head office to report performance
  • Visited cedants in South Africa, Zimbabwe & Malawi
  • Underwrote EAR / CAR risks including several 3,600MW coalfired power stations, roads, bridges, office buildings

1976 – 1980 SCOR London
Engineering Underwriter (facultative)

  • In charge of SCOR’s London engineering account which was predominantly CAR and EAR
  • Technical engineering assessment of each prospective risk.
  • Determined business policy vis-à-vis brokers and competitors
  • Built up book of business from nominal figure to £ 3M premium in CAR, EAR and other engineering classes

1975 – 1976 Costain International, London
Contracts Planner

  • Analysed alternative construction methods and prepared recommendations on cost-effectiveness and resources required

1975 – 1975 P.E Consulting, Surrey
Assistant Consultant, Capital Projects Division

  • Member of small team on various assignments including corporate study of local building contractor, site visits, interviews, reports
  • Conducted interviews on behalf of consulting engineers to recruit personnel for construction posts in the Middle East

1971 – 1973 Jeffares & GreenNorthern Cape Province, RSA
Project Design Engineer / Assistant Supervising Resident Engineer

  • Design and supervision of desert road construction
  • Personally responsible for supervision of bridge and drainage structures ensuring completion of works according to specification, detailed auditing of payment certificates on work completed and monitoring of construction materials quality

1968 – 1971 Scott Wilson, Kirkpatrick, London
Design Engineer

  • Computer programming for structural analysis. Building survey & report. Structural steel and concrete design. Detailed drawing.

1963 – 1964 Mott, Hay & Anderson, Croydon
Draughtsman

  • Preparation of contract drawings, bills of quantities & specifications.

Education and Qualifications

1974 – 1974 : MBA II – 2 Cape Town University
1967 – 1968 : MSc – King’s College, London
1964 - 1967 : BSc (Eng) II - 2 King’s College, London
1955 - 1963 : 4 A & 13 O levels St Lawrence College, Kent

Professional Memberships

Chartered Engineer - Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers

Ex MENSA member

Languages

Good Level of written and spoken French