Transportation program administrator and wholesale broker Avant has hired Jim Arnold from Markel as COO and named Jenn Creamer as CUO.

Emerald Bay Risk Solutions founding CEO Dave Ingrey has stepped down from the role and is expected to take on a board position while head of business development Ken Ingrey is leaving the Bain Capital-backed fronting carrier, Program Manager can reveal.

Morningstar DBRS has changed Toronto-based Trisura Group's trend to positive from stable and confirmed all ratings in response to its recent performance, growth and "significant” risk management enhancements.

Specialty MGA Rokstone has strengthened its direct and facultative property team with the appointment of Henry Hogarth as senior underwriter.

BP Marsh-backed transactional risk MGA Devonshire Underwriting has continued its build-out with the hire of Kate Nolan as a tax associate, effective immediately.

Players Health, a Minneapolis-based provider of athlete safety and sports insurance solutions, has closed a $60mn Series C funding round that brings its total funding up to more than $100mn.

MGA Helix's recently launched commercial property excess facility on its US platform will write business on the A+ XV E&S paper of PartnerRe, Program Manager can reveal.

New York-based Roosevelt Road Specialty has promoted Nick Markgjonaj to CUO for RISE Habitational and Leroy Marshall to senior vice president for Tradesman Program Managers.

Specialty MGA Optio has continued its European expansion after securing regulatory approval for its strategic investment in Italian MGA Heca S.r.l.

The inevitable soft market will make it more challenging for E&S carriers to maintain profitability, but the trend toward increasing specialisation, customisation and risk segmentation means that the level of premiums in the segment is likely to drop off by less than in past cycles, according to Conning.