Broker brief · Aug 20, 2026, 4:40 PM

Sam Russell, WTW

Sam Russell at WTW: identity and practice group unconfirmed, treat as a discovery call with a national brokerage where Shepherd is already appointed.

Research could not verify a Sam Russell at WTW in a construction or energy broking role. A LinkedIn entry for a Samuel Russell at WTW exists with no title, office, or bio, and every other match in search was a different person at a different firm. What is verified is WTW itself: an appointed national brokerage with a deep construction and casualty practice, a Bermuda excess casualty construction facility launched February 2024, an Architects and Engineers center of excellence, and a renewable and clean energy industry group. Open the call by confirming his seat, then use the practice-level context to steer toward risk classes Shepherd writes.

Confidence low0 sources262sThe individual could not be verified: no confirmed title, office, tenure, book, placements, posts or press for a Sam Russell at WTW. Search tool limits ended the pass early, so this is partial. Everything in the fit and talking points sections is inferred from verified WTW practice-level facts (Bermuda excess construction facility, A&E center of excellence, clean energy practice) and should be re-anchored once he confirms his seat on the call.

Profile

Role: Unknown. Not verified in research.
Office: Unknown
Background: Not found. No confirmed title, tenure, prior firms, team, or specialty. A LinkedIn listing for Samuel Russell at WTW surfaced but contained no bio content. Other Sam or Samuel Russells found in search were at Alliant, a real estate firm, and an Arizona construction company, none tied to WTW construction or energy. Search tool limits cut the pass short, so this is partial rather than exhaustive.

Likely book

Unknown until confirmed on the call
If he sits in WTW's North American construction practice: GC and trade contractor primary and excess casualty, wrap-ups
If A&E center of excellence: design professional and contractor-adjacent construction exposures
If natural resources or clean energy: solar, wind, BESS and energy transition casualty

Notable

No placements, posts, panels, or awards found for this individual.
Firm level only: WTW launched a Bermuda Excess Casualty Construction Facility in February 2024, $25M to $50M excess attaching at $10M per occurrence, with a simplified slip for faster issuance (Jim Dunlap, Chris Heinicke quoted).
Firm level: WTW runs an Architects and Engineers Center of Excellence with in-house underwriting and claims.
Firm level: WTW maintains a renewable and clean energy industry practice, including energy transition and SMR focus.

Where Shepherd fits

Primary Casualty (GL, auto, WC; admitted or E&S, OCIP/CCIP). WTW construction teams build tailored programs and place wrap-ups. Shepherd writes primary with OCIP and CCIP support on Intact A+ paper as of July 1 2026.
Excess Casualty, $5M to $12.5M, lead umbrella and follow-form. WTW's Bermuda facility attaches at $10M excess. Shepherd sits underneath it in the $5M to $12.5M layer that has to be built domestically before Bermuda triggers.
Builder's Risk, TIV to $75M, quota share above $150M. Natural cross-sell where he is already placing project casualty.
Renewable Energy and Power casualty. If he touches WTW's clean energy practice, Shepherd writes solar, onshore wind, BESS and microgrid casualty, launched January 2026.

Lead with these risk classes

General contractors and construction managers
Specialty trade contractors
Wrap-up projects (OCIP/CCIP)
Solar, onshore wind and BESS developers and EPCs
Infrastructure

Shepherd Savings angle

WTW's larger contractor and developer clients are almost all on Procore or Autodesk Construction Cloud already, often with OpenSpace, DroneDeploy or Samsara layered on. Shepherd Savings turns that spend into up to 25% premium credit for verified use. Shepherd claims data shows tenured Procore users run about 65% fewer claims, and a July 2026 DroneDeploy study showed 44% fewer claims and a 48% lower loss rate. Ask which platforms his accounts run and pull the loss cost discount into the indication.

Talking points

01
Indication in 24 hours on average, priced off jobsite technology data, not just class code and loss runs.
Legacy markets take 10 to 14 days. That gap gives him time with Shepherd before Travelers, Chubb or CNA respond, and the Shepherd Savings credit means the number that arrives first can also be the better number.
02
Shepherd fills the $5M to $12.5M layer beneath WTW's Bermuda construction facility.
His firm publicly built a facility attaching at $10M. Someone has to build the tower under it. That is a concrete, firm-specific reason to send a submission rather than a generic capacity pitch.
03
Intact Financial delegated US primary and excess casualty authority to Shepherd effective July 1 2026, on A+ admitted and non-admitted paper.
WTW brokers will not move a real account onto unproven paper. This answers the security question before he asks it and reframes Shepherd as underwriter-led capacity, not a startup.

The objection to pre-empt

“MGA paper and track record. A WTW broker placing large construction casualty will ask who is actually behind the pen and whether Shepherd will still be here at renewal.”

Be direct. Shepherd is an MGA, founded 2021, and the paper is Intact Financial, A+ rated, admitted and non-admitted, with delegated authority for US primary and excess casualty across construction, renewables and infrastructure effective July 1 2026. Intact Private Capital led the $42M Series B in March 2026, so the carrier has equity in the outcome. The closest analog is Coalition in cyber, where Allianz delegated its entire cyber practice in May 2026. Offer to walk him through the Procore and DroneDeploy loss studies so the pricing story is data, not narrative.

Open with

“Before we get into it, tell me where you sit at WTW and what your book looks like, are you construction casualty, A and E, or energy, and what layer are you usually placing?”