Validus Specialty Underwriting Services Inc., part of Validus Holdings Ltd., has appointed Bob Eells as senior vice president and COO of Validus Specialty, Western World and Crop Risk Services.

Eells joins Validus from XL Catlin and will be based in the Parsippany, N.J. office.

Validus Specialty operates on behalf of Western World Insurance Group Inc. and Talbot Underwriting Ltd., through Syndicate 1183.