Built from the water up: Steve Gordon on technical excellence and broker value
With a career that began at just 17 in a family-run marine insurance brokerage, Steve Gordon has seen – and shaped – every corner of the marine insurance landscape.
Now a key figure at Geo, Steve brings deep technical expertise and a sharp understanding of what brokers need most: speed, clarity, and value. In this article, Steve shares his journey, industry insights, and why Geo is perfectly positioned to support brokers in a changing market.
Can you tell us a bit about your career to date – how did you get into Marine insurance?
I started at the tender age of 17 in the family business, which was a retail marine insurance broker. I built the wholesale business onto it after it was acquired by a national firm. Later, I headed up technical excellence for marine at a large independent broker, did some consulting overseas, and ultimately ended up back with the original retail business and a wholesale rebuild – eventually selling that to Geo in 2021.
My background is largely in hull, cargo, cargo liabilities, and subsea underwriting and claims.
You’ve got a wealth of experience in Marine – what are the biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry during your career?
It’s hard not to say COVID – it changed the market and accessibility, especially in London. Decile 10 was also significant, causing rate rises and sector-wide reverberations. But I think the most profound change has been the broking landscape – the sheer velocity of M&A and the placement consolidation has been fascinating.
What we’ve learned at Geo is that there’s a place for a forward-thinking, high-service, high-value MGA. The brokers that love us, love us because we add tremendous value quickly and work hard to remove friction.
What are your key predictions for Marine Trade over the next 12–18 months?
I think we’ll see another small correction. There’s probably been a bit of pricing exuberance, especially with an aggressive market entrant, but claims inflation and the need for rate will likely weigh things down a bit.
We’re planning to take advantage of some of the tightening in appetite we’re seeing and drop capacity into areas where we know we can add real value to brokers. The more brokers find value in our product, the more obvious our model becomes – so we’re laser-focused on delivering that.
As for the combined Geo and Navigators & General business – I think we’re going to surprise a few people, shock some others, and help lots deliver on their strategic and tactical objectives, especially after a quieter period recently.
Why should brokers trade with Geo for their Marine needs?
As I’ve said, we add value, add speed, and remove friction. But at our core, we’re a technically solid underwriting agency. We’re actively refining our underwriting footprint so brokers know exactly what we’re good at across both Geo and N&G.
We’ll also expand the types of risks we write – Geo will focus hard on more complex and industrial marine trades, while N&G aims to dominate the boat club space. We’re a super friendly bunch, with strong technical knowledge and a huge market presence. We punch below our weight at the moment – but not for long…
Get in touch today
Want to work with a marine team that delivers speed, clarity, and real value? Contact us at sales@geounderwriting.com