Marine Pollution Liability Insurance News

Harry Diamond, Vice President and Chief Claims Officer at WQIS, is celebrating 21 years with the company this year. Diamond is a graduate of LaSalle University with Bachelor of Arts degrees in social studies education and history; he also holds an Associate degree in Risk Management. He began his insurance career right out of college when he was hired by a brokerage firm whose main client was Keystone Shipping Company. Diamond continued with the firm for four years until he changed his career path because of “an itch that needed to be scratched” – his desire to be a teacher. For the next six years, Diamond taught eighth grade at St. Mary’s Interparochial School in the Society Hill area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Water Quality Insurance Syndicate said that Ryan Puttick joined the team as Assistant Vice President of Claims. He brings almost a decade of extensive marine insurance claims knowledge and experience to this industry pioneer. “We are extremely excited to have Ryan join us,” says WQIS President & CEO Richard Hobbie. Ryan Puttick came to WQIS from Charles Taylor P&I Management, Inc. Standard P&I Club where he was the Claims Director for the past 9 years. Puttick received his Juris Doctor from New York Law School in 2004 and was admitted to the Bar in the States of New York and New Jersey that same year. He graduated in 2000 from the United States Merchant Marine Academy with a Bachelors of Science in Marine Transportation.

WQIS has learned that even market leaders and pioneers need to stay dynamic and never get complacent. Shaking things up can break barriers for even the strongest organizations. By insuring some 35,000 vessels, across every major waterway in the US, WQIS says it has earned the backing of 16 of the largest insurance companies in the United States. For a company with these credentials, it would be easy to settle into a routine. “Just because we’re the market leader does not mean we can get comfortable in our position,” says WQIS CEO, Richard Hobbie. “We are always setting new goals for ourselves to be the ultimate resource for our clients. In the last few months, there has been an influx of talent to support the strength of WQIS, especially the underwriting and claims departments.

John Moy has joined the team at Water Quality Insurance Syndicate as Vice President of Underwriting. John will lead the WQIS underwriting department. John came to WQIS from Crum & Forster where he served as the Vice President of United States Fire Insurance Company for the past five years. Previous to his tenure there, he was the Regional Underwriting Manager at XL America, working in marine and offshore energy insurance. With a Bachelors of Science in Marine Transportation from Kings Point, Moy started his career as a naval architect before becoming a marine liability insurance underwriter. He also honorably served as a Lieutenant Commander in  the US Naval Reserve until 2012.

The U.S. has the most stringent, comprehensive marine pollution laws of any country on the planet. The last 30 years have marked an evolution from little legal enforcement to strict liability for marine pollution. One company, WQIS, a provider of marine pollution liability insurance in the U.S., celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. Two events proved pivotal in developing the United States' liability enforcement of marine pollution laws. In 1967, the Torrey Canyon spill off the Scilly Isles in England provided some of the most shocking images ever seen in marine pollution cleanup. Faced with an overwhelming spill and the inability to contain it, Royal Air Force fighter planes dropped napalm bombs in an effort to burn off the oil and sink the ship.