Rokstone’s Newest Recruits in US Marine Insurance Expansion

We are proud to welcome two seasoned professionals into the Rokstone family. Alex Berisha joins us as Head of Cargo - North America while Derek Vandermyde joins us as Underwriting Manager - Marine, North America. Both roles are based in New York.
Meet Alex Berisha
After clocking up an impressive 17 years at Liberty, where he was Vice President US Marine Cargo Manager, Alex is here to captain our US Marine Cargo ship.
Incredibly experienced and well known across the market, Alex joins Mike Nukk who also previously spent 20 years at Liberty and was himself appointed as Head of Marine - North America at Rokstone earlier in November 2023.
Meet Derek Vandermyde
In an additional appointment to the fast growing North America Marine team, Derek joins Rokstone from Starr Insurance where he was Senior Underwriter for Inland Marine.
Before that, he spent five years at Lexington Insurance as a Senior Underwriter. He is a specialist in both retail and wholesale transportation.
To The Future
The plan is to expand the Rokstone Marine portfolio in North America up to USD 100m within five years, focussing on middle market, North American business.
James Potter, Rokstone CEO, said, “It’s great to see the dynamic duo brought together again. Mike and Alex worked together for many years at Liberty - it’s a tried and tested partnership. Mike, Alex and Derek together make an incredibly strong team and we are excited about the future.”
As Rokstone is quickly building one of the most experienced and dynamic Marine teams in the market, Mike Nukk is confident in Rokstone’s reputation for creating market-shifting technology and streamlining the underwriting process.
Mike said, “The ability to be agile, digest risks quickly and provide solutions fast, combined with the team’s collective experience will be a refreshing proposition.”
With Alex and Derek at the wheel, Rokstone is ready for success in the US Marine insurance landscape. Get ready to witness a new era of innovation.
Latest news
We never stand still, and are constantly looking for new ways to grow and improve how we do business. Read the latest about what we are doing here.
Discover more-
Article
20.10.2025
Bearman’s Battle in the Lone Star State
The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, once again welcomed F1, with its high-speed twists and elevation changes challenging the drivers through a weekend of scorching heat and chaos.
Read more -
Article
17.10.2025
Rokstone Waste and Recycling Expands into Canada
Rokstone is taking another big step in its global growth journey with the launch of our Waste and Recycling product in Canada, bringing one of our longest-standing, most successful specialist lines to a market that is underserved and ready for expert solutions.
Read more -
Article
06.10.2025
Rokstone Expands into Asia Pacific with Marine Veteran
Rokstone has taken its first step into Asia Pacific with the launch of a new hub in Singapore, and at the centre is one of the most respected names in global marine insurance.
Read more