It’s time for another round up of senior hires and job moves in the insurance sector;
SEDGWICK
Sedgwick, a leading global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions, announced that Giles Fairmann has been named development director for its private clients division.
Fairmann’s appointment to this new development role reflects Sedgwick’s commitment to expanding its presence in the private clients market and further refining its propositions, including loss adjusting and third-party administration (TPA) services for this sector.
Fairmann will be responsible for delivering world-class loss adjusting and third-party administration (TPA) solutions for existing and new high-net-worth clients.
He brings to Sedgwick over 30 years of experience in the private clients market, having worked at some of the world’s largest specialist insurance groups in business development and partnership strategy. Previously, Fairmann spent five years running his own consultancy business focused on private clients. There, he was engaged in sales consultancy, project implementation for a leading insurance incubator and worked with a wide range of businesses in insurtech, art insurance and challenger thinking.
FCA
The FCA has appointed Ruairi O’Connell, OBE, as the new Director of International. Ruairi will join the FCA from the Home Office where he is Director, International. Ruairi has extensive experience in both the Home Office and the Foreign Office, including as British Ambassador to Kosovo.
He will be responsible for helping to shape the FCA’s international strategy as well as, overseeing our international engagement including matters arising from the UK withdrawal from the EU. Ruairi’s appointment follows the appointment of six new Directors in July as the FCA expands its headcount to meet its growing remit and the ambitious three year-strategy launched in April.
Nikhil Rathi, Chief Executive of the FCA, said:
“I am pleased to welcome Ruairi to the FCA’s new Senior Leadership Team to lead our international work, where he brings with him extensive experience of international affairs, security and strategy.”
CREDIT HIRE ORGANISATION
Insurance industry veteran Anthony Hughes (pictured) has been appointed chairman and chief executive of the Credit Hire Organisation (CHO), the trade body for the UK credit hire industry. Anthony replaces Peter Gomes, who has retired, and starts his new role on 1 August. Lucy Woods, the current chairman, will step back after completing her two years as chair, though she will still remain on the CHO strategic board.
Members of the CHO provide mobility to hundreds of thousands of customers each year following a road traffic accident. The industry achieves revenues of £1bn and employs circa 6,000 people. The majority of credit hire customers are referred to CHCs by insurer partners.
Lucy Woods, chairman of the CHO strategic board, said: “Anthony is a seasoned executive with extensive experience of the insurance industry.”
“He has the experience and all round knowledge to lead the CHO through the current challenging operating environment, ensuring that the interests of our members are fully represented at all levels, including in the media, government and among other industry stakeholders.”
GALLAGHER
Gallagher has appointed Huw Turner as a partner in its renewable energy team. Huw brings 25 years of energy sector experience and joins Gallagher from Price Forbes where he was a director with responsibility for Africa, Latin America and Europe.
Prior to joining Price Forbes in 2018, Huw developed an insurance backed mitigation product for geothermal downhole exploration risks. On the project development side, he worked on a variety of start-up, development and upstream ventures, primarily power and resource infrastructure projects in Sub-Saharan Africa. He has extensive knowledge of the power, environmental and associated regulatory sectors in the region and previously worked for Sandpiper Power, InfraCo Africa, CKRe and Agil. He also spent six years as an independent consultant offering business development, advisory and project management services in the renewable power sector.
HANOVER RE
The Supervisory Board of Hannover Rück SE has appointed Sharon Ooi as an additional member of the Group’s Executive Board effective January 2023. Hannover Re is thus strengthening its focus on Asia as a growth region. Ooi will oversee the further expansion of Hannover Re’s Property & Casualty reinsurance business in Asia-Pacific.
“With Sharon Ooi, we have been able to attract an internationally recognised expert for the growth region of Asia-Pacific to Hannover Re,” said Torsten Leue, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Hannover Re. “I look forward to working with her.”
“I’m delighted to welcome Sharon to Hannover Re’s Executive Board. She will play a crucial role in shaping Hannover Re’s further expansion in Asia-Pacific as the region is gradually evolving into the world’s largest insurance market,” said Jean-Jacques Henchoz, Chief Executive Officer of Hannover Re. “Sharon has proven her skills in various positions throughout the region and has an intimate knowledge of the markets.”
Sharon Ooi joins from Swiss Re and will be primarily based in Hong Kong. She joined Swiss Re in Asia in 2006 and most recently served as the Sydney-based Head of Australia and New Zealand. Before that, she held various positions at the reinsurer’s property and casualty business in Asia. She holds an Honours Degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from the National University of Singapore.
RECOGNISE BANK
Recognise Bank, the digital SME lender and savings bank, has appointed Jean Murphy as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Jean brings over 25 years of experience of banking and capital markets for several leading global institutions. She is also experienced in building businesses, both within financial institutions and having founded and managed a successful wealth management firm.
The appointment is subject to final approval by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA).
BEAZLEY
Beazley has restructured its Large Commercial Property along with its Canadian and E&S Property Teams to create a single North American Commercial Property Team, supported by four regional hubs to make access simpler for brokers and create a single risk appetite approach and philosophy.
Four new regional leaders have been appointed, with three internal appointments and Robert Sadlier (pictured)joins the firm as Central Regional Leader, based in Chicago. Sadlier joins Beazley from Ironshore, where he was an E&S Property Underwriting Officer.
Ashley Irwin becomes Northeast Regional Leader, based in New York, Reid Jaffe, Southeast Regional Leader, based in Atlanta and Tim Carlin Western Regional Leader, based in San Francisco. Each regional hub is supported by a locally based underwriting team.
Mike Cooper has been appointed to the new role of Property Product Leader to drive a consistent underwriting approach to products and business strategy in North America. All teams will report to Matt Westhoff, Head of North American Commercial Property.
Richard Montminy, Group Head of Property Risks at Beazley, commented: “These changes are the final piece in our property strategy to create a single commercial property team in North America. Most importantly, it simplifies our distribution and helps us to support our brokers where they are located, offering easier access, and consistent service, irrespective of the channel, based on a unified risk appetite and underwriting approach.
SIGMA7
Global specialty risk services company Sigma7 announced Jennifer Gold’s appointment as Chief Technology Officer. Ms. Gold will oversee all elements of Sigma7’s back office and client facing technologies and data strategies, assure Sigma7 maintains industry-leading cyber security, and inform the company’s cyber risk advisory and technology acquisition strategies. The addition of Ms. Gold to the rapidly scaling company will support Sigma7’s efforts to revolutionize the client experience and elevate overall risk management capabilities.
Sigma7 provides substantial technical, sector, and geographic risk expertise to over 350 clients in nine countries through its family of specialty brands, which includes Paragon Risk Engineering, RWH Myers, Strategia Worldwide, and Risk & Strategic Management, Corp.
LIBERTY
Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has appointed Kerry Hall to the newly created role of Head of Property and Casualty Binders. She takes up the role with immediate effect.
In her new role, Hall is responsible for managing LSM’s EIL, Casualty and Property binders portfolios and associated teams within Specialty Binders. She is based in London and reports to Lewis Edwards, Head of Specialty Binders and Corporate Pillar.
“By bringing these three lines together under Kerry’s direction will enable us to bring the best of the LSM proposition to our Coverholders and brokers, so that we can deliver high performance to support them through an ever-changing market and respond more effectively to their needs,” said Lewis Edwards.
Prior to her promotion she was Underwriting Manager – Property Binders. During this role she gained significant experience of working within the Delegated Authority market, notably in the US E&S market. Hall joined LSM in 2009 from PCM Risk Solutions, where she was a broker.
FUSION AMERICAS
Fusion Specialty, a leading Global M&A insurance specialist that is transforming the insurance experience for small to midmarket businesses, today announces the appointment of Richard Liu (pictured) who joins Fusion Americas as Partner following the businesses’ recently announced launch. Liu assumes his role with immediate effect and will report to Brian Hayes, Managing Partner.
Liu joins at a time of considerable growth for Fusion Americas, where he will play an integral role in cementing the MGA’s global capability and presence in North America. He brings significant expertise through which Fusion Americas will continue to provide tech-enabled solutions to the underserved lower and midmarket business sector.
Richard Liu brings legal, broking as well as underwriting experience to Fusion Americas, having primarily worked within the M&A market. He joins from AXA XL where he held the role of Vice President, M&A. Whilst there, Liu built considerable knowledge within the global M&A space, creating complex and tailored solutions while cultivating key industry contacts among law firms, regional brokers, and private equity firms. Prior to this, Liu was Vice President, at Atlantic Global Risk having previously worked at KPMG within its M&A Tax group. He holds both a US and Canadian JD and an LLM in Taxation from Georgetown.”
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