Before, Hiscox's focus stateside was on the large Fortune 500 accounts. "The smaller accounts came over to London via cover holders that Hiscox may support," he noted. Mr. Donnelly described his target markets as those posting between $5,000 and $150,000 in premium, "which is the vast majority of business in America."

The carrier will work exclusively through wholesale surplus lines brokers throughout the country for certain product lines. "For other product lines we will deal with specialized retailers," he added.

Hiscox will soon get into the business of fine arts coverage here in the United States, which must be done through specialty retailers, he said.

Professional liability business is done exclusively through wholesale brokers, whereas terrorism coverage will be offered through specialized brokers because it is a type of property insurance, he added.

Hiscox said that professional liability business will be distributed through U.S. regional brokers. "Each product line drives the distribution," Mr. Donnelly explained.

He cited Hiscox's unique and innovative underwriting as the added value the company brings to the table. "They truly are underwriters. They are not just order-takers," he said.

The London and Lloyd's background of the company makes it flush with creativity, Mr. Donnelly added. "Just because an account is just $20,000 in premium and it is different, does not mean we will not take a look at it," he said.

Tailoring a policy to the exposure through the use of endorsements plays a critical role in the Hiscox culture. "Just this morning I was on the phone with a pretty decent-size computer risk discussing the exposure they have in Russia, and the premium was $60,000," he said. "Typically, to get that kind of service you would have to have a much larger-size account. With us that is not the case."

A staff of 23--about half of them underwriters--will serve the U.S. market, "and we are rapidly expanding," he noted.

Mr. Donnelly's 22 years spent dealing with wholesale brokers are paying off now that he is the head of his own operation. "I know about wholesale brokers in the U.S., and we have already signed up and licensed over 200 wholesale brokers," he said.

Submission flow has been "fantastic" for the professional liability lines, he said, noting that soon the company will launch its technology, media and telecom products. "This is a large product for Hiscox overseas, which we can bring to the [United] States."

But it is in fine arts that the carrier plans on making a unique mark here, he said. "It is part of the Hiscox culture. The company has been doing fine arts since 1901, and everywhere but in the U.S. Hiscox has been known as a leader. It just makes sense for us to do this because this has been our signature product," Mr. Donnelly added.

This is one of the carrier's rare ventures into personal lines, which also includes relatively exotic coverages such as thoroughbred bloodstock and classic cars.

But in the end, fine arts underwriting does not differ all that much from other lines. "Hiscox has a saying, which is: 'It is all about who you insure,'" he said.

Since high-profile fine arts pieces generally make challenging items to steal and sell, security is not as paramount as ensuring customers know how to preserve their work.

"It is the whole bailiwick," he said. "There is the security aspect; how they have been as clients in years past and how they are to deal with. But basically it is not about whether somebody is going to walk away with it, but how they take care of it."