It’s been a while since IE checked out the latest senior hires and job moves, so here’s a round-up;
DUCK CREEK
Duck Creek Technologies (Nasdaq: DCT) is pleased to announce today the appointment of Shreyas Vasanthkumar as Managing Director, Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). Shreyas will be responsible for driving profitable growth across Duck Creek Technologies’ EMEA operations, as well as investment in key global accounts headquartered regionally. He joins Duck Creek from Hexaware Technologies where he was most recently responsible for managing all sales and business development activities for Hexaware EMEA. Shreyas has been an integral part of the Hexaware growth story throughout his 19-year tenure, including developing successful businesses in India, the United States and Europe.
WILLIS TOWERS WATSON
WTW (Willis Towers Watson, NASDAQ: WTW), a leading global advisory, broking and solutions company, has today announced the appointment of Tammy Richardson as Europe Regional Leader for its Insurance Consulting and Technology (ICT) business. Richardson most recently served as UK & Ireland Leader for the same business.
In her new role, Richardson will lead a highly successful team of over 500 colleagues with responsibility for P&L management and strategy. In addition to becoming the newest member of WTW’s global ICT leadership team, Richardson is already a member of its GB Inclusion and Diversity Council and Executive Sponsor of the Young Professionals Network.
Richardson has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry with a diversified background in finance, risk, strategy, sales and business development, leadership and P&L management. Prior to joining WTW in 2012, Richardson held executive and board-level roles at Genworth Financial and GE Capital. In recognition of her achievements and work within the insurance industry, Richardson was selected as one of the 2019 Business Insurance Women to Watch. The following year she was given the Freedom of the City of London and made a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.
Alice Underwood, Global Leader, Insurance Consulting and Technology at WTW, said: “I’m delighted for Tammy to be taking on this key leadership role. Her industry expertise, deep knowledge of our leading-edge advice and solutions, and strategic vision will ensure we continue to unlock value and drive winning outcomes for our clients in Europe and around the globe.”
Tammy Richardson said: “We have an amazing team at WTW, with great capabilities and an innovative mindset. We are transforming the insurance industry with our unique combination of domain specific technology and insurance industry expertise bringing significant value to our clients by connecting across one WTW.”
SEEDBLINK
The European investment platform for tech startups SeedBlink has opened an office in Sofia, Bulgaria, to complement the company’s expansion plans and continue its accelerated growth.
After supporting startups to raise 45 million euros in the first two years of its launch, SeedBlink aims to accelerate its expansion into Europe in 2022. Led by Angel Hadjiev, the newly appointed Country Manager, the recently opened Sofia office will offer a range of investment instruments and tech startup opportunities and market access solutions to local investors, startups, and partners.
Angel Hadjiev, the newly appointed Bulgarian Country Manager, has more than 15 years of international experience in the financial services industry with a focus on M&A, capital raising, and restructuring. Before joining SeedBlink, he was an Assistant Director in Deloitte’s Corporate Finance Department and a Fund Manager at Capital Investments Fund.
SOLLERS
To support its continued growth, Sollers opened an office in the US in March. The new US office is headed by Justin Hall (above). In parallel, Douglas Shumway (pictured below) has joined the new Sollers office in Tokyo as the new Country Manager Japan.
Sollers Consulting is strengthening its activities in North America and Japan. To better support its clients in the US and Canada, the business and IT consultancy has opened an office in Richmond, Virginia. Sollers has been active in the USA since 2017. In current projects, the business and IT consultancy’s experts are supporting four Guidewire users in different areas of their value chain. Ongoing and future projects in the U.S. are managed by Justin Hall, who has 16 years of experience at Guidewire Software. He now acts as vice president, North America, for Sollers.
“Sollers has a strong commitment to the U.S. and Canada, and our new office underscores our plans for the future. This calendar year, we will expand relationships with our existing customers and begin working with a handful of new insurers in the U.S. In the months and years ahead, Sollers will continue to build its technical and business expertise in the U.S.,” says Justin Hall.
In parallel, Sollers announced that Douglas Shumway has been appointed as the new Country Manager for its Japan subsidiary, Sollers Consulting K.K. Shumway joined Sollers from KPMG. Previously, he worked for various insurers and financial organizations in Japan. As Country Manager Japan, Shumway is responsible for Sollers’ ongoing projects and business expansion in Japan.
HDI GLOBAL
HDI Global SE – UK & Ireland (HDI) is pleased to announce several new appointments in its regional and Irish teams to support its 2022-2025 growth ambitions.
In Ireland, Barry Woods has been promoted to the role of Property Manager and will be responsible for growing and steering the portfolio in the country. Woods will report to Niall Carberry, Head of Underwriting, Ireland, who joined the company in January.
In the UK, Dave Hall has been promoted to the role of Head of Liability, UK Regions and will assume responsibility for the regional Liability portfolio and team. Similarly, Carley Clifton has been promoted to the role of Property Manager, UK Regions and will assume responsibility for the regional Property portfolio and team. Both Hall and Clifton will continue to report to Head of Underwriting, UK Regions Paul Williams.
HDI’s Director of Underwriting & Distribution, Stephanie Ogden commented: “I am delighted that all of these appointments have been made from talent already in our business and this is testament to the quality of our underwriting division and pedigree. These changes have been made to ensure that our teams are set up in the best way possible to contribute to the UK and Ireland’s ongoing strategic growth initiatives. Our new structure now complements the structure of many of our key broker partners and will assist in deepening those relationships further.”
CRAGIN & PIKE
Cragin & Pike, Nevada’s largest independent insurance agency, has announced numerous C-Level promotions, including the agency’s first woman/first Hispanic shareholder partner, Dulcinea Rongavilla who is also named executive vice president. Scott Kerestesi becomes chief executive officer, replacing Greg McKinley who remains with the firm handling clients and new business opportunities while stepping away from day-to-day management of the firm; Tom Burns remains as president; Todd Morse is promoted to chief operations officer; and Chris Campbell remains executive vice president of the Health and Benefits division.
Rongavilla is the first woman and first Hispanic to hold a shareholder/partner position with the 113-year-old agency founded in 1909. As one of five partners, Rongavilla works with her colleagues to provide short- and long-term strategic direction, new business growth, financial oversight and leadership development.
“I’m extremely proud to be entrusted to help lead this great agency’s incredibly talented professionals. Cragin & Pike’s century-old legacy is built on our strong collaborative and inclusive culture – among our staff, our clients, and in our Las Vegas community. I am honored to have this opportunity to continue that legacy.”
SWISS RE
Swiss Re announces that Ivan Gonzalez has been appointed CEO Reinsurance China and China Country President with effect from 1 July 2022. He will relocate from New York to Beijing. Katie McGrath will succeed Ivan as Regional CEO for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in North America. She will be based in New York. Both appointments are subject to regulatory approvals.
Ivan will have composite responsibilities for all Reinsurance operations in China and serve as Swiss Re’s president in the country. He was most recently the CEO North America for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, a role he held since 2016, offering innovative, high-quality insurance capacity and customised risk transfer solutions to corporations in the United States and Canada. Ivan began his career in 2001 as a financial analyst with Swiss Re Capital Partners in New York and assisted in several corporate development initiatives, including the acquisition of GE Insurance Solutions. In 2006, he moved to Swiss Re Group Strategy in Zurich and was subsequently appointed as CEO Latin America for Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2011 out of Sao Paulo.
Katie has more than 25 years of experience across multiple roles in commercial insurance. Since joining Swiss Re Corporate Solutions in 2019, she has been responsible for its Accident & Health portfolio in North America. A seasoned leader with expertise in underwriting, revenue and profit growth, integration and change management, product development and strategy, Katie has also been an integral member of Swiss Re Corporate Solutions’ management team in North America. Prior to joining Swiss Re, she has worked in several senior roles in AIG in New York.
WOODGATE AND CLARK
Loss adjuster Woodgate & Clark has appointed experienced adjuster Kevin Dinsdale to its major and complex loss team. Dinsdale, who joins the business from Crawford, has a dual reporting line to [name] the Director of Major Loss, for technical guidance, and Operations Director Graeme Fitzpatrick for overall service and delivery. He will handle a mixed portfolio of major and complex material damage and business interruption claims.
Commenting on his new role, Kevin Dinsdale said: “Woodgate & Clark has a great reputation for investing in and nurturing its loss adjusters, and I was also attracted by their commitment to individual client servicing so that clients feel they are in the hands of experienced people who really understand each claim.”
“Working for a specialist business is highly attractive, and I was impressed by Woodgate & Clarks commitment to fostering a family culture throughout all levels, including a long-standing focus on training and development. Being part of a smaller team will enable me to make a visible contribution to the overall success of the business.”
MARKEL
Markel UK, a leading insurance, tax and legal services provider, has announced the appointment of Mark Plews as director of underwriting in a move that supports the delivery of its ambitious five-year growth strategy. Plews joins from Hiscox where he was head of schemes and partnerships. His Hiscox career spanned 16 years in commercial and financial lines underwriting. Before Hiscox he worked at AIG in Glasgow for a number of years.
Plews will assume full responsibility for Markel UK’s underwriting strategy and lead one of the most knowledgeable underwriting teams in the market. He replaces Simon Fell who is retiring, but remains as a consultant to support the transition process. About joining Markel UK, Plews said: “I am very excited to be joining a company experiencing such tremendous growth and with an impeccable track record and reputation in the market. The ambition within the business stands out and strength of culture is clearly evident.”
Neil Galjaard, divisional managing director of Markel UK, said: “This is a key role for Markel as we continue to deliver on our growth ambition. The transition period leading up to Simon’s retirement has allowed us the time to explore the best talent in the market and we are delighted to appoint someone with Mark’s credentials and experience to shape our underwriting strategy. As the business moves onto its next phase of expansion, Mark will play a pivotal role in our continued development of market-leading solutions to support our customers.”
Mark will join Markel UK on 28 March 2022 and will be a member of the UK Executive team. He will based in the firm’s Leeds office.
CARBON UNDERWRITING
Carbon Underwriting Limited (Carbon), the specialist, independent managing general underwriter (MGU) and Lloyd’s syndicate, is pleased to announce the appointment of Claire Turner as a Property Underwriter. Claire joins Carbon from Chubb, where she worked for over 25 years – most recently underwriting international property binders. In her new role, Claire will focus on helping to expand Carbon’s existing Property book of business as well as new business development.
Claire’s appointment is the latest in a series for new hires for Carbon as it looks to continue transforming the international coverholder market by bringing in exceptional new talent to the business while embracing cutting-edge technology – centred around its bespoke insurtech ecosystem, Graphene – to deliver superior underwriting outcomes for its business partners.
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