Markel International launches new chemical, oil & gas related energy property offering for small to midsize US-domiciled businesses

LONDON, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Markel Insurance, the insurance operation within Markel Group Inc. (NYSE:MKL), has announced the launch of its Chemical, Oil & Gas related Energy Property (CORE) offering, and the appointment of Candice Walker to Head of First-Party Energy and Michael McClain as Senior Underwriter – Energy.

The launch strengthens Markel's US First-Party Energy proposition, providing a dedicated property solution for small to midsize US-domiciled businesses across the chemical, oil, gas and broader energy sectors, including industrial organic chemicals, petrochemicals, natural gas transmission and storage, terminals, gas processing, and midstream and downstream operations.

Designed for a diverse range of onshore energy and energy-adjacent engineered risks, the new offering provides tailored cover for property damage, business interruption and, on selected risks, equipment breakdown. Clients will also benefit from protection against natural catastrophe exposures, including flood, windstorm and earthquake, with limits of up to US$50 million on both a primary and excess-of-loss basis.

Walker will lead the development of the new offering, working closely with MarkelInternational's existing Midstream and Downstream underwriting teams to deliver a dedicated solution for US-domiciled risks. Her team will assess, price and underwrite a broad range of businesses, from smaller operations to complex US onshore businesses, while maintaining strong underwriting discipline and service levels.

Walker has more than 20 years of experience in the property insurance sector and has been with Markel since 2015. She joined the organisation's US Environmental & Casualty team as a Senior Underwriter before progressing to Director, Property & Marine and later, Senior Director, First Party – West Region. During that time, she partnered with product leaders and underwriting teams to develop tailored insurance solutions and implement technical underwriting strategies for clients across the United States.

Walker commented: "Energy businesses are navigating a complex risk landscape, driven by increasing natural catastrophe events, operational disruptions and a challenging economic environment. Our new product offering provides US-based brokers and clients with a tailored solution, designed around their evolving risk exposures, while offering greater access to Markel's specialist underwriting, claims and engineering expertise through a long-term, committed partner."

Based in Texas, McClain will report to Walker as Senior Underwriter – Energy. In his new position, he will support the continued development and evolution of the CORE offering. Guiding the direction of Markel's Midstream and Downstream US portfolios, McClain will help strengthen broker and client relationships within the businesses' First-Party Energy portfolio.

Most recently, McClain served as Manager of Technical Operations at Tomorrow RNG, a subsidiary gas group of EnbridgeInc, where he led the organisation's Technical Operations team and worked within the Senior Leadership team to establish and implement corporate standards and processes. Prior to this, McClain held various senior roles at Aethon Energy, LLC, a privately held gas producer and midstream group, across facilities, construction and production. In these positions, he executed multimillion-dollar oil and gas infrastructure projects and was responsible for asset planning and development in Aethon's largest East Texas premises.

On McClain's appointment, Walker said: "We're delighted to welcome Michael to our First-Party Energy team here in the US. With his impressive engineering background, operations experience and strong track record in managing multimillion energy infrastructure projects, he'll bring valuable technical insight to our underwriting."

She added: "I look forward to working closely with Michael so that we can continue providing an unrivalled service for our brokers, clients and trading partners, while we position ourselves for long-term profitable growth."

About Markel Insurance
We are Markel Insurance, a leading global specialty insurer with a truly people-first approach. As the insurance operations within the Markel Group Inc. (NYSE: MKL), we leverage a broad array of capabilities and expertise to create intelligent solutions for the most complex specialty insurance needs. However, it is our people – and the deep, valued relationships they develop with colleagues, brokers and clients – that differentiates us worldwide.