Markel, the insurance operation within Markel Group Inc, has appointed Andrew Umphress as the head of terrorism for North America.

The company said the appointment signalled Markel’s commitment to broadening the scope of its offering to clients across North America as geopolitical risks escalate worldwide.

Mr Umphress will be based at Markel’s New York office and report to Ed Winter, director of terrorism, in London.

The company said he would be responsible for managing Markel’s terrorism portfolio in the region, as well as continuing to grow the Active Assailant product.

Mr Umphress joins Markel from Munich Re Specialty, where he was vice-president and senior public entity property underwriter.

Previously, he was the head of US terrorism at Ambridge Group and has also served as the associate vice-president war and terrorism and head of wholesale at Validus.

Mr Winter said: “Heightened geopolitical tensions and an increasingly unpredictable threat landscape have brought the need for terrorism and political violence coverage into sharper focus as our clients navigate the complex effects of global conflict.

“Andrew’s arrival on our team will see him play a central role in enhancing our proposition to meet this challenge across geographies.”