Clearwater Underwriting Enters Upstream Energy Market with Hire of Richard Hooks

London, 24 August 2026 – Clearwater Underwriting (“Clearwater”), the leading specialty underwriting business focused on marine risks, has appointed Richard Hooks as Managing Director, Upstream Energy, as it continues to expand its specialist underwriting platform into new lines of business.

Richard will lead the establishment and growth of Clearwater’s Upstream Energy offering, building a dedicated proposition for brokers and clients and supporting the business’s strategy to expand across a broader range of specialty and niche classes.

He joins Clearwater from Tokio Marine Kiln, where he spent more than 20 years, most recently as Departmental Head of Marine & Energy. He brings extensive technical underwriting expertise across energy and marine, as well as deep relationships across the international specialty market.

Richard will be responsible for developing the Upstream Energy portfolio, with a focus on combining technical underwriting expertise with the agility and responsiveness of the MGA model. The business will seek to provide brokers with a specialist alternative in a highly technical class, supported by Clearwater’s underwriting capabilities, technology and strong capacity partnerships.