Round-up of the weekly news and developments from the global (re)insurance market with stories from Liberty Specialty Markets, LIIBA, Chubb and more.
Lesley Harding joins Liberty Specialty Markets as global head of energy
Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has named Lesley Harding as global head of energy, effective immediately.
Based in London, she will report to Michael Gosselin, chief underwriting officer, specialty. In her new role, she will be responsible for LSM’s global energy portfolio which includes onshore, offshore, power and renewables sectors including global risk consultancy. She will lead the growth and performance of the business and assist LSM’s clients in managing the transition to cleaner technologies.
Harding brings over three decades of insurance experience and joins the firm from BP where she was VP, head of insurance risk management for seven years. Prior to that she was CEO for Willis Captive Practice and served as president of the M200 organisation as well as holding a number of board positions including ARIMIC.
Gosselin, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Lesley to the team. She brings a wealth of experience as a key buyer of insurance combined with an extensive knowledge of the changing dynamics of the insurance market. Her expertise in knowing what our customers need from a stable insurance partner will be particularly valuable to drive the growth and high performance of our business.”
McGill and Partners joins LIIBA
The London and International Insurance Brokers’ Association (LIIBA) has announced that start-up specialist (re)insurance broker McGill and Partners has joined the association.
McGill and Partners entered the UK insurance market in 2019 which is led by CEO Steve McGill. The firm also operates in the USA via its New York office and recently formed a unit in Dublin.
Chris Croft, LIIBA’s chief executive said: “We are delighted that McGill and Partners has decided to join LIIBA. Growing a new business is challenging in any circumstances, but the issues facing all businesses today are particularly complex.
“Our role is to do the heavy lifting on the issues that our members face collectively, saving them time and effort. With Brexit, the pandemic, increased international regulatory challenges and issues specific to London such as Blueprint Two, we believe that LIIBA will deliver real value to Steve and his team.”
Chubb names Jeremiah Konz as chief reinsurance officer
Property and casualty insurer Chubb has announced the appointment of Jeremiah Konz as chief reinsurance officer, succeeding Michael Kessler, who has been appointed division president of the company’s global cyber risk insurance business, effective immediately.
Konz is currently executive vice president, reinsurance officer for Chubb Overseas General. In his new role, he will report to John Keogh, president and chief operating officer of Chubb, and have management responsibility for the design and purchase of reinsurance programs for Chubb and its business units globally, managing the company's reinsurance recoverable asset and overseeing relationships with its reinsurers and reinsurance brokers.
Konz will also serve as chairman of Chubb's Reinsurance Security Committee and as a member of its Global Credit Committee.
Konz brings more than 20 years of insurance industry experience to the role. He joined Chubb in 2012 as senior vice president, Ceded Reinsurance for Chubb’s North American operations. In 2018, Konz was appointed reinsurance officer for Chubb Overseas General. Prior to Chubb, he spent 13 years as an executive at Aon Benfield.
Keogh said: “Reinsurance plays a critical role in how we manage risk, and we are pleased to welcome Jeremiah to this important leadership role for our company.
“Jeremiah brings strong analytical and technical skills, and a deep understanding of insurance and reinsurance markets globally. Over nearly a decade at Chubb, he has held important reinsurance roles in both our U.S. and international businesses. I am confident that Jeremiah will be a strong partner to our company’s insurance businesses while helping us to further develop, implement and manage our reinsurance strategy.”
GRP appoints Jane Dale as non-executive director and chair
Global Risk Partners has welcomed Jane Dale as non-executive director and chair of the governance and audit committee of the board of its operating company.
Dale took up her new role at the beginning of January. Her appointment marks the second non-executive director position for GRP, following digital leader Mark Hepsworth’s appointment as non-executive director in December.
Andy Homer OpCo Board chairman said: “I am delighted to secure someone of Jane’s calibre for this important position within the Group. Her skill set and industry knowledge makes her a valuable addition to our highly experienced team of non-executive independent directors on GRP’s board.”
Dale commented: “GRP is already a leading player in UK broking and I am looking forward immensely to playing my part in supporting the management team steer the business towards ever greater success.”
Tysers hires new chief operating officer
Lloyd’s broker Tysers Insurance Brokers has appointed Martin Elton as its news chief operating officer, subject to regulatory approval.
In his new role, he will work closely with newly appointed CEO, Clive Buesnel and Tysers Executive team to deliver strategic and operational leadership.
Elton has multiple years of industry experience with a focus on operations transformation and change. Elton joins the business having led the outsourced ops and IT setup for Convex. His career has also included various positions at Xchanging and COO and EMEA MD at ActiveOps. He has also held senior roles at Accenture and Virgin.
Buesnel comments: “It’s fantastic to welcome Martin to Tysers at what is both a challenging and exciting time in the insurance industry. His expertise in delivering ambitious digital and operations transformation and change programmes and driving growth will be invaluable as we continue to consolidate, modernise and grow the business.”
Martin adds: “It’s a great opportunity to join a firm which has a fantastic heritage and a very exciting future. Tysers is a scale independent broker and is putting data, technology and digital at the heart of their modernisation and growth agenda to drive efficiency, insight and enhanced customer experience. I am very excited to be part of the executive team to drive this transformation while continuing to deliver superior client service.”
MS Amlin Insurance SE adds Herbert Baeten as chief underwriting officer for P&C
MS Amlin Insurance SE (MS AISE) has announced the appointment of Herbert Baeten as Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO) for its Property and Casualty business lines, effective 1 February 2021.
The appointment follows the retirement of Rudy Benmeridja at the end of 2020.
Baeten will report to Ludovic Sénécaut, CEO of MS AISE.
Additionally, the country manager position for Belgium is taken up in the interim by Véronique Perottino from 1 January, in parallel with her country management responsibilities for France.
Baeten brings over two decades of industry experience to the business and most recently served as chief broking officer and managing director for Specialty lines for Belgium and Luxembourg at Aon. He has also held a number of broad and advancing positions at Ethias Insurance, AIG and Zurich Insurance, including head of specialty EMEA and CUO for France.
Sénécaut commented: “I am delighted to welcome Herbert to MS AISE as Chief Underwriting Officer for Property and Casualty. His insurance expertise combined with his experience and market knowledge will be critical for the delivery of our new strategic plan ‘MS AISE 2025: Advancing together’.
“I am confident he will prove an invaluable addition to the MS AISE leadership team. And I would like to take this opportunity to thank Rudy very much for the contribution and leadership he has shown throughout his time at MS Amlin.”