People in the News
Sompo International appoints new P&C chief underwriting officer
Sompo International Holdings, the specialty provider of property and casualty insurance and reinsurance, has appointed John Kuhn to the new role of chief underwriting officer (CUO) for Sompo International’s property & casualty (P&C) business.
Mr Kuhn joined Endurance Specialty Holdings, the predecessor company to Sompo International Holdings, in November 2012 from AXIS Capital, where his most recent role was chief underwriting officer, Axis Insurance.
Mr Kuhn will take this responsibility in addition to his current role as CEO global insurance.
In the new CUO role, he will provide leadership across the company’s insurance and reinsurance underwriting operations as Sompo International continues to build the overseas platform of its parent company, Sompo Holdings. Stephen Young, CEO global reinsurance, will report to Mr Kuhn and will continue as a member of Sompo International’s P&C executive team.
Lloyd’s starts hiring for Brussels Brexit subsidiary
Lloyd’s has started hiring staff for its Brussels subsidiary which will involve positions in finance, operations, compliance, HR, and underwriting.
Lloyd’s has decided to create an insurance company in Brussels to ensure it can continue to serve the European Economic Area (EEA) after the UK leaves the European Union.
Lloyd’s Brussels will be able to write all non-life risks from the EEA to ensure our partners can continue to have seamless access to the specialist policies of the Lloyd’s market.
“I am pleased with this next step in the setting up of our operations in Brussels,” said Vincent Vandendael, Lloyd’s chief commercial officer. “Since the outcome of the UK Brexit referendum, Lloyd’s has been working hard to ensure that whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, our partners across the EEA will continue to have access to our specialist, innovative policies, and benefit from the security of the Lloyd’s market. Being at the heart of Europe will deliver many different advantages for our customers and provide an opportunity for us to continue to grow our business in the continent”.
Lloyd’s Brussels will have 19 branches throughout Europe, including the UK, and it will be authorised and regulated by the National Bank of Belgium, and capitalised according to Solvency II rules.
Alesco poaches Willis broker to chair construction unit
Specialist broker Alesco Risk Management Services has hired Willis’ Martin Hiller as chairman of its UK construction team.
Mr Hiller was most recently at Willis Towers Watson where he was head of international construction within its corporate risk and broking unit. He spent ten years at JLT as head of specialty and prior to that was a founder and managing director of JLT’s construction division.
Mr Hiller will join Alesco later this year and will report to John Thompson, managing director of construction.
Sedgwick unveils new UK leadership following Cunningham takeover
Technology-driven risk solutions provider Sedgwick has appointed Ian Muress, Stewart Steel and Paul White to leadership roles for its combined business operations in the UK.
The announcement follows the completion of Sedgwick’s acquisition of management and loss adjusting firm Cunningham Lindsey.
Based in London, as CEO of Sedgwick international, Mr Muress will provide executive oversight for all business operations outside the US and Canada. Prior to joining Sedgwick, he served as CEO of international operations for a large global adjusting firm, where, over the course of his extended tenure, he ascended the company’s ranks to global executive leader.
Miller taps Marsh and RKH execs for credit and political risks
Re/insurance broker Miller has expanded its credit and political risks unit with the hiring of Marsh and RKH Specialty executives, Oscar Moseley and Rosie Denee, in London.
Beazley hires Fricke to head its treaty reinsurance team in Munich
Beazley has named Martin Fricke as its new head of treaty in the company’s Munich office, succeeding Andreas Bergler who has been appointed Beazley’s head of broker relations for continental Europe.
In his role, Mr Fricke will report to Patrick Hartigan, team leader of treaty business.
Mr Fricke began his career at Aon Benfield before moving to Beazley in 2010 where, as treaty underwriter for continental Europe, he has been responsible for building relationships with ceding companies in Germany, Austria and central and east European markets. Beazley has had a treaty team in Munich since 2008. It underwrites European reinsurance business, with a focus on property catastrophe, property risk and casualty clash lines.
CNA Names AIG’s James as Senior VP for Global Reinsurance
CNA reports that Mark James will join the company as senior vice president for Global Reinsurance. He will be responsible for CNA’s reinsurance strategies and purchasing around the globe.
Mr James has more than 15 years of experience in the reinsurance space. He joins CNA from American International Group, where he has served as the deputy chief officer for ceded reinsurance since September 2016. Prior to that role, he was with Chubb, where he spent 14 years, most recently responsible for global reinsurance placements, cat bond issuance, collateralised reinsurance and risk management.
At CNA, he will report to Doug Worman, executive vice president and chief underwriting officer.