Sam Ignarski, founder of marine insurance newsletter Bow Wave and former Thomas Miller executive, has died aged 64.
Ignarski was a senior underwriter at the TT Club in the 1980s before becoming a director of the Thomas Miller-managed logistics mutual in 1989.
In the mid-1990s, he went on to become head of Thomas Miller Hong Kong.
He was a keen writer with a sharp wit who authored the “Underwriter’s Bedside Book”, a look at the world of marine underwriting including anecdotes and insights into the business.
However, he was more recently known for his company Wavyline and the popular publication Bow Wave, which took a mostly light-hearted look at the world of maritime law and insurance.
UK War Risk underwriter Nick Whitear, who worked closely with Ingarski at Thomas Miller, said: “Sam questioned everybody – and everything – but always with an infectious chuckle that made you think again without feeling foolish. He always encouraged you to do things differently rather than accept any conventional wisdom.”
Peter Owen, owner of public relations company Port Care, also worked with Ignarski.
He said: “I found him a larger-than-life character, always generous with his time. His sense of humour was engaging and his knowledge of the industry extensive and above all incisive.”
Friend Nick Sansom, of the Bermuda Ship Register, said: "Sam was a polymath. A wordsmith and perceptive journalist, he was also a lawyer - educated at Cambridge and Heidelberg - a linguist, an academic, an experienced underwriter, an inquiring and independent mind, an entrepreneur and excellent company."
He leaves his widow, Patricia Mary and daughters, Sophie and Marina.
