Industry veteran brings more than 30 years of E&S underwriting and brokerage expertise to XPT’s West Coast team
April 8, 2026 — XPT Specialty, a leading wholesale broker for commercial and personal insurance, today announced that Dina Dryden has joined the firm as Vice President – Commercial Underwriter/Broker, based out of its Woodland Hills, California office. With more than 30 years of experience in commercial property and casualty underwriting across excess and surplus lines, Dryden brings deep expertise in contract authority binding, brokerage, and specialty risk placement to XPT’s growing West Coast operations.
In her role at XPT Specialty, Dryden will work directly with retail agents to deliver solutions across a broad range of commercial P&C risks, with a particular focus on complex and hard-to-place submissions. Her background spanning binding authority and brokerage markets gives her the flexibility to approach challenging risks with both creativity and precision, from initial submission through final placement.
Dryden brings a career defined by E&S specialization to XPT. Most recently, she served as a property & casualty broker at R.E. Chaix & Associates Insurance Brokers, where she spent five years underwriting and placing small to mid-size commercial accounts across admitted and non-admitted markets. Prior to that, she held an assistant vice president – binding authority underwriter role at RT Specialty for nearly seven years, focused on underwriting and pricing both small and large commercial accounts. Earlier in her career, Dryden held a series of underwriting and brokerage roles across E&S wholesale firms in the San Diego market, building her foundation in specialty commercial lines from the ground up starting in 1994.
“XPT gives me access to a deeper bench of markets and the tools to back it up, and that makes a real difference for agents who need more than a standard solution,” said Dryden. “I’ve spent my career finding ways to make difficult placements work, and I’m excited to bring that approach to the agents I’ll be partnering with here. If you’ve got something challenging on your desk, I want to be your first call.”
“Dina is exactly the kind of experienced, solutions-oriented underwriter that retail agents in this market deserve access to,” said Mark Kaufman, Executive Partner, XPT Specialty. “Her breadth across E&S lines, binding authority, brokerage, and specialty classes means she can engage with almost any submission an agent brings her way. We’re thrilled to have her as part of the West Coast team.”
For more information about XPT’s commercial P&C offerings, visit https://xptspecialty.com/.
About XPT Specialty
XPT Specialty is a wholesale brokerage and binding firm that connects insurance professionals with specialized solutions across multiple industries. Through strong market relationships and a client-first approach, XPT helps agents find the right coverage for their insureds. For more information, visit www.xptspecialty.com.
Media Contact:
Caroline Traylor – 104 West on behalf of XPT Specialty
caroline.traylor@104west.com