Job Moves and Senior Appointments Round Up 06.01.2025 -

It’s time to welcome 2025 with a Job Moves round-up, apologies for the missed announcements from late December, tried to include several of them here. Let’s crack on.

DAVIES

Davies, the leading specialist professional services and technology company serving insurance and highly regulated markets, today announced the appointment of Matt Button as Deputy Group Chief Executive Officer.

In his new role, effective 1 January 2025, Matt will assume day-to-day leadership of Davies’ three go-to-market business units, including across operations, sales, and marketing. Reporting to Group CEO, Dan Saulter, Matt will be responsible for driving organic growth and service on a global basis. Matt joined Davies in 2015, and has served as Group M&A Director, and latterly as CEO of Davies North America, now Davies’ largest business unit, following its launch in 2019.

Over the past ten years Davies has consistently delivered high single digit annual organic growth, coupled with a strategic M&A program that has been the business increase revenues more than 25-fold since 2015. In addition, Davies has invested heavily in research & development, innovation & artificial intelligence (“AI”), platform integration & underlying business systems, colleague development, and client service.

VOLT UNDERWRITING

Volt Underwriting, the MGA formed in October to support clients active in the energy transition sector, is pleased to welcome Louis Scott as
Senior Underwriter, Power and Renewable Energy, effective immediately. Louis joins from Travelers Syndicate Management, where he was Managing Senior Underwriter and Head of Power & Utilities. In the 2024 Gracechurch Survey of London’s Leading Underwriters, Louis was ranked second in the “Energy Underwriter” category, voted for by his fellow underwriters and by London market brokers. Prior to his 12 years
at Travelers, Louis spent more than 20 in the Marine and Energy department at Aon.

“We’re delighted to welcome an underwriter of Louis’ profile to the team” said Volt Chief Underwriting Officer Andrew Tokley. “He’s a widely respected London-market lead Underwriter who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. His appointment will significantly strengthen our Underwriting team, and elevate our standing in the Power and Renewable Energy Insurance sector.

ALPS

Alps, a leading MGA provider of insurance add-on policies, legal expenses, and claims solutions for intermediaries, today announces the appointment of Michelle O’Reilly as Managing Director.

Michelle, a seasoned industry veteran, has been instrumental in shaping Alps’ success. She qualified as a solicitor in 2010 and played a pivotal role in establishing Alps Legal in 2014. She has served as Operations Director for Alps for the last 10 years.

Michelle O’Reilly comments: “I’m proud and excited take the helm as Managing Director at Alps, to lead the team and continue to deliver innovative solutions to our broker partners. We are committed to providing exceptional service and ensuring that our customers are protected.   Alps has a 25-year heritage and outstanding reputation for ‘doing the right thing’ in a market that has been plagued by bad apples.  We’ve played the long game, stood by our values and now we’re reaping the benefits of that commitment. Our next phase of growth will see us double in size and we have a clear strategic path for achieving those aims through both organic growth and complementary M&A deals.”

Julian Tomlinson, Chairman at Alps, comments: “Michelle’s dedication, expertise, and leadership qualities make her the ideal candidate to lead Alps into the future. From the moment Michelle joined us it was clear that she had huge potential and was a rising star. We spotted and nurtured that potential. She has achieved so much in the last decade as Operations Director and we’re thrilled to see her ascend to the role of Managing Director, where she’ll undoubtedly excel. We are confident that under her guidance, Alps will continue to thrive and achieve new heights.”

ACRISURE

Acrisure, a global fintech leader that operates a top-10 global insurance broker, announces the appointment of Martin Reith. He will be based in London, working with senior leadership across several areas of the business. Reith will report into Matt Schweinzger and Grahame Millwater, Acrisure’s Executives whose responsibilities include Acrisure Re, their London based and International based businesses, as well as all global MGAs and Programs.

Effective immediately, Reith will become Executive Chairman of Volante, a Lloyd’s business with extensive MGA operations, where he will work closely with the CEO Talbir Bains and the Executive team. Alongside his role as Executive Chairman of Volante, Reith will also be advising Ben Canagaretna, Managing Director of Acrisure Re Corporate Advisory and Solutions (“ARCAS”), and reviewing and advising on Acrisure’s interest in accessing third-party capital to take advantage of the significant number of opportunities ahead.

VOLANTE GLOBAL

Volante Global, a multi-class, multi-territory international Lloyd’s Syndicate (Syndicate 1699 managed by Asta Managing Agency Ltd) and Managing General Agent (MGA), is pleased to announce the appointment of Martin Reith as its new Executive Chairman, effective immediately. This appointment represents Volante Global’s ongoing commitment to strengthening its leadership team and promoting profitable strategic growth. Volante’s Syndicate 1699 is managed by its third-party Managing Agency, Asta Managing Agency Ltd.

Martin Reith, a seasoned leader with over 40 years of experience in the re/insurance industry, will focus on reinforcing Volante Global’s underwriting strategy, ensuring alignment with the company’s long-term goals and market opportunities. As Executive Chairman, Reith’s role will provide strategic support and advice to the Board and executive team on sustainable growth opportunities.

Commercial property insurer FM recently announced the appointment of Laurel Rudnick and Danielle Harrison to new leadership roles.

Rudnick will be senior vice president, chief underwriting officer, and Harrison will be senior vice president, division manager for FM Affiliated, FM’s middle-market insurance division. Both roles will be effective on Jan. 1, 2025.

In her new role, Rudnick will manage FM’s underwriting and reinsurance functions. She will report to Lyndon Broad, who was recently named executive vice president, staff insurance operations at FM. Rudnick most recently served as senior vice president, division manager for FM Affiliated.

Danielle Harrison

As division manager for FM Affiliated, Harrison will lead a global business that provides tailored underwriting expertise and property loss control engineering through a select international network of broker partners. She will report to Ziad Alex S. Tadmoury, executive vice president, EMEA, Asia Pacific, Canada and Specialty Industries, and FM Affiliated.

Since joining FM as an underwriter in 2001, Harrison has held numerous client service-related roles, including account manager, assistant client service manager, FM Affiliated area manager, branch client service manager and most recently, operations senior vice president, operations manager for Washington, D.C.

AUGMENT RISK

Augment Risk, the reinsurance and risk capital solutions broker, today announces the appointment of Steve McElhiney as partner of newly created captive and alternative risk transfer solutions offering. McElhiney will focus on driving growth in market segments where traditional solutions fall short, allowing Augment Risk to bring innovative strategies to under-penetrated areas, supporting the firm’s development across North America.

Based in Dallas, Steve will develop Augment Risk’s efforts in creating legacy solutions within the captive space, identifying opportunities to repurpose micro captives and explore roll-up initiatives with various capital providers. He will extend captive capabilities to MGAs, positioning Augment Risk to deliver unique solutions across diverse client bases.

Throughout his career McElhiney has held executive roles in reinsurance underwriting and corporate finance across global carriers, reinsurers, intermediaries and captives. Most recently, he was a senior vice president and global director of reinsurance for Artex Risk Solutions. His expertise will be instrumental in developing bespoke captive solutions, including single parent captives and segregated cells.

HIVE

HIVE Underwriters Limited (HIVE) is delighted to announce the appointment of Henning Haagen to the executive team as Chief Development Officer and Board member, effective 1 January 2025.

Haagen joins HIVE following a distinguished career in insurance and reinsurance, most recently at Allianz Commercial, where he held several executive leadership roles globally and built an exceptional reputation for driving growth and innovation in commercial insurance and specialty lines.

Haagen will work closely with HIVE Chief Executive Officer Bruce Carman and the HIVE executive team to further develop the company’s specialty underwriting portfolio and strengthen its market position.

CANOPIUS

Canopius Group, a leading international specialty and P&C (re)insurer, a leading global specialty (re)insurer, today announces the appointment of Olivia Brindle as Head of Sustainability. Olivia joins Canopius with immediate effect and will report to Lindsay Astor, Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy.

As Head of Sustainability, Olivia will be responsible for Canopius’ internal and external sustainability initiatives, ensuring all practices form a coherent strategy that advances the business’ role in driving greater environmental and social resilience.

Olivia will also be tasked with establishing and maintaining Canopius’ robust guidelines for sustainable underwriting and promoting new products. This will enable the business to meaningfully progress its own sustainability goals, as well as to build its influence across the insurance sector and society more broadly.