It’s time once again for the weekly round up of job moves and senior hires, so let’s get into it;
LUMERA
Lumera has appointed Kerstin Hessius to its Board of Directors. Kerstin Hessius is the former CEO of the Third Swedish National Pension Fund (AP3), a position she held for 18 years until the end of 2022. She is now committed to strategic advisory and directorships. She has previously held several leading positions in financial markets, including that as deputy Governor of the Swedish Central Bank (Riksbanken) and CEO of the Stockholm Stock Exchange (OMX).“Having Kerstin Hessius join our Board is a significant addition. Her insights from a central position in the Swedish pension system suggest that she will contribute from a customer perspective. We also recognize Kerstin’s talents for combining strategic insight with solid business acumen. I look much forward to discussing our most decisive issues with her,” says Mats Lillienberg, CEO, Lumera.
ALLIANZ -LV=
Allianz Holdings has announced that Steve Treloar, CEO for Allianz Personal, and Fernley Dyson, chief financial officer, are stepping down from their respective roles to pursue new opportunities.
Steve joined LV= as Managing Director in May 2016. Prior to this, he was managing director of Personal Lines at Aviva and held a number of other senior roles at Aviva and RBS Insurance.
He became CEO of LV= General Insurance in December 2017 and successfully led the joint venture with Allianz, right through to full Allianz ownership – including the acquisition of Legal & General’s general Insurance business at the end of 2019. In 2021, Steve was appointed CEO, Allianz Personal, which saw the Allianz UK personal brands all come together into one operating entity.
Fernley Dyson, chief financial officer for Allianz UK, has also decided to step down and his last day will be 30th May. Fernley joined Allianz UK in January 2019 having been CFO at Ageas and holding a number of senior roles at Aviva prior to this. He will be succeeded by Ulf Lange, currently head of business division for Global Lines and Anglo Markets, Allianz SE, who will join the business as chief financial officer on 30th May. Ulf joined Allianz in 2008 and has contributed a significant amount to the Allianz Group during his time with the company. Before his recent position in Global Lines and Anglo Markets, he was also CFO of Allianz Partners.
CARTAN TRADE
Cartan Trade, a new European player in credit insurance, announces the nomination of Alice de Brem as Director of Distribution and Marketing for all Group entities.
At the end of 2021, Alice de Brem created Cartan Trade with Eric Lenoir, who is its President. Alice de Brem plays a key role in the development of Cartan Trade as Vice-President and member of the Executive Committee. With 25 years of experience in the credit insurance sector, she was responsible of the launch of French operations. Cartan Trade aims to become the fourth credit insurance capacity in Europe through its different and innovative approach, and the support of major international investors.
ARGENTA
Argenta Syndicate Management Limited (“ASML”) announces the appointment of Hannah Wyatt as direct and facultative property underwriter, US & International. Based in London, Wyatt will take up her role later this year and will report to James Blackwell, head of property. She will be responsible for growing Argenta’s direct and facultative open-market property (D&F) business.
Having underwritten property at several Lloyd’s syndicates for more than a decade, Wyatt assumes her role with a wealth of knowledge and expertise. She joins Argenta from the property and specialty re/insurer, IQUW, where she held the position of senior property underwriter.
“We are pleased to welcome Hannah to the team as we continue to invest in our property book,” said Blackwell. “D&F is an area where market conditions are creating a strong demand for proactive and talented participants. Hannah’s extensive market knowledge will be a major asset as we continue to expand our open-market business in 2023 and beyond.”
ALLIANZ PARTNERS
Allianz Partners UK and Ireland has appointed Patricia Moon as new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Allianz Partners UK and Ireland. Patricia was most recently CEO of Allianz Partners Japan and succeeds Tim Tozer who stepped down from his role on 28th February 2023.
Tim has been CEO of Allianz Partners UK and Ireland since September 2018. From 1st March onwards, the UK and Ireland business will continue to benefit from his significant experience when he becomes non-Executive Chairman, replacing Mike Webb. Patricia brings a depth of knowledge and wealth of industry experience gained from 20 years with Allianz in four different countries, across different lines of business and functions.
Since 2019, Patricia was CEO of Allianz Partners Japan after leading operations in the country for three years. In her role as CEO, she grew the business in Japan, while fostering people engagement and building up product and digital capabilities for the long-term.
RUSSELL SCANLAN
Nottingham heritage brand and leading insurance broker, Russell Scanlan, has appointed Hilary Rockley as Training & Competence Manager to help expand the extensive internal training programme and ensure the company exceeds all Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) compliance regulations.
Hilary joins the firm, which is based at Wellington Circus in Nottingham City Centre, following more than 20 years in the insurance industry, working in roles in client administration for both financial services and insurance broking sectors. Her experience in managing client and staff relationships, positions her well for continuing to facilitate the professional and personal progression of the team.
On her appointment, Hilary said: “Over the course of my career, I have recognised the importance of continuous training to expand skillset and maintain consistency across a company. This is something that Russell Scanlan does very well, so I’m really looking forward to applying my knowledge to strengthen the team and drive the business forward.
KONSILEO
Chartered commercial insurance broker Konsileo today announces the appointment of Vicky Ferrier as its first Chief People and Commercial Officer. Vicky first joined Konsileo’s Board as a non-executive director in October 2022 and will now join the executive committee on full time basis to support Konsileo’s national expansion.
Konsileo has doubled in the last year to employ more than 120 people and place in excess of £40 million GWP on behalf of its clients on a run-rate basis. Vicky’s role brings together culture and talent acquisition, and she brings a breadth of experience from a number of sectors including as director of talent and capability at Very.co.uk, UK stores finance director at Boots, and head of investor relations and communications at Weir Group.
RIVERSTONE
RiverStone International today announces the appointments of Heather Thomas and Jose Vazquez as independent non-executive directors of its UK subsidiaries RiverStone Insurance (UK) Limited and Riverstone Managing Agency Limited.
Thomas brings to the role more than 20 years of executive board level experience gained in the financial services and insurance sectors. She is currently non-executive director of IQUW Syndicate Management and prior to this, she was non-executive director and chair of the risk management committee and member of the audit committee at CNA Insurance and Hardy Underwriting.
Vazquez brings a wealth of knowledge to RiverStone International. He has more than two decades of experience in the insurance sector, including 10 years as chief risk officer at Direct Line Group. Prior to this, Vazquez has held a variety of roles in the insurance industry including at HSBC Group and Zurich Insurance Group. He is also non-executive director at Allianz Holdings.
ALLIANZ COMMERCIAL
As part of its ‘Integrated Commercial’ strategy, Allianz has announced Managing Directors (MDs) to lead its Commercial insurance business in two key regions: in Iberia, Agustín de la Cuerda, and in Latin America, David Colmenares. Each Managing Director will represent the integrated Allianz Commercial insurance business across all countries in their region and bring to the market Allianz’s full set of solutions for specialty clients, large corporates and mid-sized companies, simplifying and enhancing the experience of clients and distribution partners.
Agustín de la Cuerda has many years of leadership and technical insurance experience across Iberia and Latin America, including as Chief Operating Officer of Allianz Seguros (Spain) and Allianz Portugal, and since 2021 as Deputy General Manager and Commercial Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) at Allianz Seguros (Spain). He will oversee Allianz Commercial’s business across Spain and Portugal, reporting to Veit Stutz, CEO of Allianz Spain in conjunction with Henning Haagen, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE (‘AGCS’) Board Member and Chief Regions & Markets Officer whose responsibility includes this region.
David Colmenares Spence has been CEO of Allianz Colombia since 2017, prior to which he worked as Chief Claims Officer and Chief Executive Officer in insurance companies such as AIG, ACE (Chubb), Zurich and brokers including Marsh in Latin America and Asia Pacific. He will continue as CEO of Allianz Colombia until further notice, pending the confirmation of his successor. Allianz services clients across Latin America through its businesses in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico and for multinational insurance programs through network partners in other countries. Colmenares will oversee Allianz Commercial’s business across this region, reporting to Javier Bernat, CEO Allianz Latin America in conjunction with Tracy Ryan, Board Member of AGCS and Chief Regions & Markets Officer for the Americas.
COWBELL
Cowbell, a provider of cyber insurance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), has announced it is bolstering its underwriting capabilities with new additions to its UK and US teams. Claud Bilbao joins as UK Director of Underwriting, reporting to Simon Hughes, General Manager for UK operations. Matt Byrne (above) joins as Vice President of Tech E&O Underwriting, reporting to Caroline Thompson, Senior Vice President of Underwriting.
“We are dedicated to closing the insurability gap and making cyber insurance accessible to small to medium-sized businesses around the world,” said Trent Cooksley, Co-founder, and Chief Operating Officer at Cowbell. “As seasoned underwriters with a wealth of experience across the cyber and technology insurance sector, Claud and Matt will help us deliver on this goal. They are valuable additions to our growing UK and US teams.”
Bilbao (above) most recently served as a Senior Underwriter at CNA, responsible for running the London Specialty Cyber and Technology portfolios on both their Company and Lloyd’s platforms. He played a vital role in the successful development and execution of CNA’s London strategy. Bilbao was previously a US technology and cyber underwriter at CFC Underwriting, where he was focused on US West Coast and Silicon Valley technology startups and SMEs.
Byrne is also a seasoned underwriter with over eight years of underwriting experience in Cyber and Professional Lines at traditional carriers and MGAs, supporting SMEs with up to multi-billion revenue risks. In addition to working on professional lines, Byrne has experience working on traditional P&C lines supporting larger programs. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and focused on retail and wholesale relationships across the US.
ACESO
Growing employee benefits provider Aceso Health and Group Risk has appointed a new business development specialist to its North West healthcare hub. Rafa Ben Slimane has joined the firm’s Blackpool offices, launched last year, as a business development account handler, after gaining insurance industry experience at Chorley-based ST&R and working as a recruitment consultant for Service Care Solutions in Preston.
Aceso, which is headquartered in Leeds, is part of the Attis Insurance Group, which now has six offices, employing more than 100 people across the north of England. Development director Gemma Field, who heads Aceso’s Blackpool operation, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Rafa to our team at a pivotal time for the growth of the business. We are focused on nurturing new talent and are building a forward-looking young team that reflects our fresh approach and innovative customer focused ethos. I’m sure Rafa will be an asset to the team.”
ASTA
Asta announces the appointments of Seema Bradbury as chief risk officer and Liz Catchpole as an independent non-executive director and chair of audit committee. These appointments follow a number of changes made to the board late last year in line with long term succession planning.
Having spent more than 20 years in the London market, Bradbury brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Asta. She joins from AXIS, where she was group risk director and chief risk officer of the managing agency. Prior to this, Bradbury has held a variety of roles in the Lloyd’s and London market including at Lloyd’s, Beazley, ArgoGlobal and Miller. Bradbury will be part of Asta’s executive team, leading the business and with specific responsibility for the leadership and development of the risk management function.
Catchpole was appointed to Asta’s board in January 2023 and, subject to regulatory approval, will be appointed chair of the audit committee. A certified chartered accountant, Catchpole brings to the role more than 20 years of executive board level experience gained primarily in the insurance, outsourcing and property sectors. She is also an independent non-executive director and audit chair at Investec Wealth and Investment; independent non-executive director, senior independent director, and audit chair of GBG plc; and independent chairman of TP Bennett. She was previously non-executive director and chair of audit at British Gas Insurance and British Gas Services. She will replace the current audit committee chair, Andrew Hubbard, who has held the role for 9 years.
BESPOKE INSTERNATIONAL
Outsourced Contact Centre Specialists, Bespoke International Group has made key appointments within sales, finance, and operations.Keith Shanks – Keith has joined as Sales Director, having been involved in customer management outsourcing since 1998. He brings a huge level of experience in business development, commercial structures, and client management. Over the past 24 years, Keith has won significant business across multiple verticals for international and UK-based providers.Mohammed Gafoor – Mohammed has been appointed to the role of CFO. A qualified Chartered Accountant (South Africa), he has overall responsibility for the financial reporting, and analysis for the company, Mohammed began his career as an auditor at one of the “Big 4” Auditing firms.. He went on to work for the largest asset manager in South Africa heading up their Life and Retirement Accounting teams and later heading up their Finance Analytics team where he gained robust data analytics experience.David Pall – David joins as Business Development Director with exceptional ability to source, and develop new business opportunities, managing them through to a successful conclusion. David has been instrumental in building the client base of several Tier 1 UK BPO’s, with projects that include UK nearshore and offshore delivery. Karen Munsami – Karen has been appointed as Quality Manager in Bespoke’s Retail Division. Karen has diverse experience in contact centres and customer service with vast skills and abilities developed over 15 years, Karen’s experience includes Telecommunications, Retail, FMCG and Financial Services. Karen holds a Six Sigma Black Belt with a passion for operational excellence.
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