Time once again for a job moves and senior appointments round-up.
OPTIO
Optio Group, the specialty MGA, today announces the appointment of Steve Thompson as head of accident & health (A&H) with immediate effect. Based in London and reporting to Optio’s global head of A&H, Dr Ahmed Ramadan, Thompson will be responsible for the underwriting and development of A&H business primarily in the UK, Europe and APAC regions.
Thompson brings more than 22 years of experience underwriting global A&H business in both the Lloyd’s and composite markets. He joins from independent Lloyd’s broker and coverholder Shepherd Compello Limited, where he served as divisional director – A&H. During his career, Thompson has also held senior A&H roles at Nexus Underwriting, Aspen, AmTrust Europe, Advent Underwriting, Canopius and AIG.
ACADEMY INSURANCE
Multi-specialist broker Academy Insurance has appointed Sophie Amott senior property manager. This is a new role for the broker and reflects recent significant growth for Academy in the property sector.
She begins her new role on 1 November, reporting to James Gaywood, head of SME and Property. Sophie, who has worked for Academy for her entire career, is the second recent hire from within the business following the appointment of Mark Richardson to the executive team last month.
James Gaywood said: “Sophie will play a significant role in helping to create a new specialist property team and building a framework for the way we intend to grow our property business.”
VISION TRACK
VisionTrack, the leading AI video telematics and connected fleet data specialist, part of Markerstudy Group, has announced the appointment of Ben Pickard as Chief Executive Officer, replacing former CEO Simon Marsh who has left the business by mutual consent. This follows a restructure of VisionTrack to facilitate the increased demand of their digital platform.
Markerstudy Group CEO Kevin Spencer said, “We are really excited to endorse our commitment to developing this multi-award winning, cutting edge organisation. The new team and platform are well positioned to take the company to the next stage. I would like to congratulate Ben, and thank Simon for his commitment to the growth of the business and passion for road safety.
INARI
Inari has announced it has appointed Jonathan Pflieger as its new SVP of Insurance Products.
Based in Barcelona, Jonathan (above) will report into Veronique Gob, and will join inari’s Executive Team. He will be instrumental in driving inari’s product strategy and will work with the company’s commercial team to expand inari’s geographical footprint beyond its current markets.
“After focusing on building our product suite, 2023 has been a turning point for our company, strengthening our shareholder base and Executive Team,” said Veronique Gob, Chief Digital Officer at inari. “Our company is now more than ever better equipped to solidify our position as a top-tier solution for the (re)insurance industry.
Jonathan brings over 22 years experience in insurance underwriting and portfolio management with roles at Tokio Marine HCC, and AXA Corporate Solutions. Jonathan joins from Tokio Marine, after spending nearly 20 years of service. He was most recently Underwriting Manager – Financial Institutions, based in Spain.
“I am extremely proud and excited to join inari,” said Jonathan. “I look forward to contributing to this amazing team, delivering innovative solutions to existing as well as future clients, and ultimately growing the business.”
ASCOT GROUP
Ascot Group has announced the appointment of Salvatore Collura to Senior Vice President, Private and Non-Profit Management Liability, effective November 14. Sal is based in New York, reporting to Brian Chiolan, Head of Management and Professional Liability.
In this role, Sal will be responsible for executing the strategic plan for Ascot’s private and non-profit D&O business and driving the expansion and development of products and services in this space.
Sal is a seasoned underwriting leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He joins Ascot from Coaction Specialty Insurance Group, where he was responsible for starting up their Private and Not for Profit sub vertical. Prior to joining Coaction, Sal spent five years at Everest, where he established the company’s Private Company/ Not-For-Profit group and led a team of 20 underwriters across seven regions. Sal also spent significant time in D&O underwriting and management roles at both Chubb and AIG.
FUSION SPECIALTY
Fusion Specialty Americas (“Fusion”), announces the appointments of Natasha Richard, Renay Gosen and Michelle Yohe, effective immediately.
Richard (ABOVE) joins as senior partner, M&A, Gosen as senior associate, M&A and Yohe as senior associate, underwriting & legal operations support. Their appointments further strengthen Fusion’s representations and warranties (R&W) capabilities. All will report to Michael Federer, CEO, Fusion.
Richard, based in Los Angeles, brings an impressive track record with more than 25 years of insurance industry experience. Richard joins from Great American Insurance Company where she was divisional executive vice president. Prior to her time at Great American, Natasha spent eight years at RLI where she managed a team of M&A and tax underwriters and was responsible for proactive marketing and profitable growth for various liability products.
Gosen, (ABOVE) before joining Fusion, worked as a broker at Atlantic Global Risk, specialising in facilitating deal execution across various sectors, both nationally and internationally. Renay’s background includes valuable experience in M&A Tax at KPMG, providing clients with tax consulting on mergers and acquisitions and strategic tax planning. Gosen is based in New York City.
Yohe (ABOVE) brings nearly 20 years of legal experience, having previously worked across a range of industries with a focus on litigation, including claims management and M&A transactions. She joins from Alterra Mountain Company where she served as senior paralegal and contracts manager and before that she worked for Circle K as a legal affairs manager. Yohe’s hire further bolsters Fusion’s in-house claims handling team, as Michelle works hand-in-hand with Michael Mora, Fusion’s managing partner, M&A and head of claims. Yohe is based in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Federer said: “I am delighted to welcome Natasha, Renay and Michelle to Fusion. Their combined wealth of experience and expertise ensures top-tier service for our clients, which is of paramount importance. This marks an exciting phase for Fusion in North America, underscoring the success of our strategic positioning and dedication to pioneering solutions that bridge the M&A and specialty insurance risk gap protection for SMEs.
COALITION
Coalition has announced the appointment of Gareth Machin as its first Manchester-based underwriter in the UK. His appointment comes as part of Coalition’s drive to provide regional support for brokers in addition to its London headquarters.
Machin, formerly senior professional indemnity (PI) underwriter with Allianz, has joined Coalition U.K.’s growing team of regional risk engineers with specific responsibility for developing relationships with brokers based in Northwest England.
Machin commented: “I simply could not turn down the chance to work for such a forward-thinking and innovative company. I hope the combination of Coalition’s offering and my experience and relationships will make this a success. I look forward to supporting local brokers and helping businesses to better protect themselves against cyber risks.”
ZING365
Insurance training specialist Zing365 today announces the appointment of Andy Fairchild as Non-Executive Director. Fairchild joins Zing365 to help with its expansion plans in setting the standards for insurance and compliance training. Fairchild was formerly CEO of Broker Network and Applied Systems Europe. He joins the Zing365 board as Advisor and Non-Executive Director.
Zing365 CEO Fran Burgess said: “We are thrilled to welcome Andy to our team as we continue on this exciting journey of growth and transformation.”
ARDONAGH
Ardonagh Specialty has appointed Jonathan Marsh as Deputy CEO of Bermuda* and Global Head of Retro at Inver Re.Jonathan will be running Ardonagh Specialty’s Bermudian business operations alongside CEO Chris Bonard and building out Inver Re’s retro capabilities. He joins from Gallagher Re having most recently held the position of Chairman of their Bermuda office following the acquisition of Willis Re, where he’d previously spent 26 years in various roles including Chairman, CEO and Deputy CEO of the Global Specialty division.
CHUBB
Combined Insurance, a Chubb company and a leading North American provider of supplemental insurance sold to employees at the worksite and directly to individuals, announced recently that Michelle Bryer has been appointed Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, effective immediately. She has been serving as Senior Vice President, Claim Operations and will report to Richard L. Williams, Jr., President of Combined Insurance in her new role.
AND-E
AND-E, a leading provider of mobility insurance, has appointed motor insurance finance specialist, Jon Hermon, as Group Chief Finance Officer. Reporting to Michael Kainzbauer, AND-E Group CEO, Jon Hermon will lead the finance teams across Europe, building on the existing finance infrastructure to support the company’s strategic ambitions.
Jon Hermon has worked in the motor insurance sector for more than two decades in a variety of finance roles, including more than 15 years with Hastings Insurance Group as well as roles at Freedom Services Group and First Central Group. He was a key member of the Hastings Insurance management team that led the buyout in 2008 and which saw subsequent sales and a London Stock Exchange floatation. He, therefore, has considerable experience in building core finance capabilities to support business growth in the motor insurance market.
HSB
HSB (UK and Ireland) has announced the strengthening of its UK Business Development team following a trio of appointments.
Sarah Purnell, Michael Farrugia and Lydia White will be responsible for supporting HSB’s growth and strengthening its broker partner relationships across the UK. Sarah Purnell has been appointed Business Development Manager for the East and West Midlands and has previously worked for British Engineering Services, Zurich and Axa.
Based in East Anglia and the Home Counties, Michael Farrugia has amassed over 30 years’ experience in the insurance sector. He has previously held a variety of account management positions for DAS UK Group and Anchor Insurance Brokers.
Lydia White has been promoted to Business Development Manager for the North West region. Since joining HSB in 2017, Lydia has gained extensive knowledge and experience in HSB’s underwriting and client services areas in the Northern region.
Ian Fox, UK Head of Sales at HSB, said, “Relationships with our partners are crucial to us so we are pleased to add more quality to an already strong team. Sarah and Michael bring over 60 years’ of insurance experience to our business, meanwhile Lydia is an emerging talent and has flourished in various roles since joining HSB.”
ARGENTA
Argenta Syndicate Management Limited (“ASML”), a subsidiary of Argenta Holdings Limited, announces the promotion of Edward Davidson to the newly created role of energy transition technology underwriter, effective immediately. Based in London, Davidson will report to Heath Callan, divisional head of energy and marine.
Davidson’s appointment is indicative of Argenta’s commitment to supporting a net-zero carbon future. He will be supported by the wider energy team in London, including Sarah Warren who was recently appointed as head of energy having joined from Dale Underwriting Partners where she held the role of class underwriter, upstream energy.
MARSH
Marsh, the world’s leading insurance broker and risk advisor and a business of Marsh McLennan, recently announced the appointment of John Donnelly as Global Head of Placement, effective January 1, 2024. Mr. Donnelly will relocate to London from Sydney and report to Pat Donnelly, President, Marsh Specialty and Global Placement.
In this role, Mr. Donnelly will have global responsibility for Marsh’s retail and wholesale broking activities. He will work closely with Marsh’s regional placement leaders to advance its global placement strategy to meet the evolving needs of clients, and lead digital market engagement initiatives. Mr. Donnelly returned to Marsh in 2013 and is Head of Placement for Asia Pacific. He has over 40 years’ international experience in placement, risk, and insurance, and began his career with Marsh in 1983.
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