Gert van Middelkoop is the Chief Underwriting Officer Europe of Ryan Specialty Netherlands (most recently Chief Underwriting Officer of Castel Europe), joining the group as part of the Castel acquisition in May 2024. Gert is a seasoned professional with over 30 years industry experience.

Gert joined Castel Underwriting Agencies in Rotterdam on 1st June 2020 and was promoted to CUO Europe in October 2021. Previously, Gert established Navigators in the Netherlands as Head of Marine Europe in 2014 and was promoted in 2016 to Head of Marine International Division, overseeing all European, Asian, Latin American, and UK P&I operations. Prior to Navigators, he worked with AIG in marine underwriting before helping establish CV Starr in the Netherlands and four other European countries in 2008 as Head of Marine Europe. Following a move to Torus in 2012, he was promoted to Head of Marine Europe and deputy COO.

Gert graduated in 1989 from the Nautical Academy with an initial fourteen years’ experience as a marine surveyor/loss adjuster, with the last seven years being spent as a managing partner.