Artisan Underwriting has expanded with the opening of offices in Auckland.

The agency, which launched in Australia last year, receives capacity from Liberty Specialty Markets under a three-year binding agreement to be a delegated underwriting authority.

It specialises in financial lines and casualty coverage for start-ups, microbusinesses and SMEs.  

MD and founder Lewis Patton says the New Zealand move follows strong growth in Australia, including nearly 6000 broker submissions in the first year.

“Our mission is to give brokers and their SME clients broad cover, sharp pricing and lightning-fast service – all backed by the same top-tier security that supports some of the world’s largest clients,” he said. 

“We’re proud to now extend that capability and commitment across the Tasman.”  

Artisan previously collaborated with Mecon New Zealand to offer design and construct professional indemnity insurance.  

Now, it will also offer professional indemnity, broadform liability (with errors and omissions, recall, employer and statutory liability options), multimedia liability/tech errors and omissions, allied health professionals cover, and management liability/directors and officers. Premiums start at $300.

Artisan is looking for underwriters and operations professionals to join its team in New Zealand. 

“We know how competitive the local market is, but as we’ve shown in Australia, when brokers know and trust the cover, everything else should follow,” national financial lines and casualty underwriter Max Hall said. “We’re positioned for speed, simplicity and transparency, and our New Zealand brokers will have trust in what they’re getting.”