Exclusive: Beazley cyber exec Sawdey dismissed after Instagram post cites inappropriate behaviour

By James Thaler, Isha Marathe

Feb 24 - (The Insurer) - Global specialist insurance group Beazley dismissed its U.S. strategic growth leader for cyber, Kyle Sawdey, earlier this month, after accusations of inappropriate behaviour against him and senior industry executives at other firms were posted on an anonymous Instagram account, five sources have told The Insurer.

Sawdey, who worked at Beazley for nearly a decade, did not respond when approached for comment by text message and through LinkedIn. His account on the professional online platform has since been deactivated.

A spokesperson for Beazley declined to comment on the complaints about Sawdey or the circumstances of his dismissal.

A company profile on Beazley’s website, which has since been taken down, described Sawdey as an “experienced underwriter within the middle market to large commercial space related to errors and omissions and cyber insurance.”

Sawdey’s name - along with those of dozens of other industry executives - was cited in a series of posts on the “Insurance Women” Instagram account, which is listed as having more than 14,000 followers.

The account provides a forum for largely female insurance professionals to discuss industry matters such as parental leave policies and experiences of perceived gender imbalances in the workplace with colleagues at their firms and among trading partners.

A former colleague of Sawdey’s at Beazley told The Insurer they had witnessed and been told by others of several instances of unwelcome behavior by the executive, including inappropriate comments to colleagues at cocktail hours.

The Insurer could not independently verify the accuracy of the posts on the Insurance Women account, or the descriptions provided by Sawdey’s former colleagues.

In addition, The Insurer could not ascertain if other firms took any measures following the posts related to their employees.

Three sources told The Insurer that Beazley employees had brought the complaints against Sawdey to the attention of its management, which undertook an investigation into his conduct after multiple employees came forward and shared their stories.

The post referencing Sawdey’s behavior was originally published by the Instagram account on January 31.

Beazley decided to dismiss Sawdey late in the second week of February, the sources said, adding that the issue had been raised at board level.

In messaging to staff around the time of Sawdey’s departure, Beazley said that sexual harassment and unwelcome advances would not be tolerated, according to two sources who saw the communication. The Insurer could not establish the precise wording of the release or if any individuals were named.

Before taking on his most recent role, Sawdey oversaw the Northeast region within Beazley’s cyber and tech team.