Executive Changes
Liberty Rebrands, Appoints President of Ironshore Bermuda

Liberty Specialty Markets, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, said it will integrate its Ironshore Bermuda businesses and brands into a single business called Liberty Specialty Markets Bermuda. Steve Horton will serve as president of the new business.

Liberty acquired Ironshore, a Bermuda-based specialty property/casualty writer, from Fosun in 2017. Mark Wheeler, president of international markets for Liberty Specialty Markets, said bringing the Bermuda businesses under one brand will give the company “a unified regional approach to Bermuda.”

Historically, Ironshore in Bermuda had two businesses. Ironshore Bermuda opened in 2007, writing property, energy and specialty reinsurance, while Iron-Starr Excess Agency Ltd. began in 2009, writing excess casualty, financial lines and health care within Iron-Starr Excess Agency.

The new business will use the managing general agency structure, previously Iron-Starr Excess Agency, across its product lines, the company said. This will enable each business to provide Liberty capacity as well as access to third-party capacity.

“Combining these businesses gives us a unified regional approach to Bermuda,” Wheeler said in a statement. “This has major advantages for both our clients and Liberty itself. We will be able to offer clients our full suite of products and experience while making it easier to build stronger and deeper long-term client relationships. We will also be able to provide our Bermuda-based clients with new products currently offered from other parts of Liberty, most notably specialty reinsurance from Liberty Mutual Re. Finally, the integration will put us in a stronger position for growth and business development in the region.”

The group will be led by Horton, whose appointment is subject to approval by the Bermuda Department of Immigration. Horton, who will report to Wheeler, joined the Ironshore group in 2008 and currently serves as chief executive of Iron-Starr Excess Agency.

Also, LSM appointed Florence Bidard as head of liabilities in France.

—Kate Smith

AIG Life Appoints UK Chief Executive Officer

AIG Life Ltd. (U.K.) has named Philip Willcock chief executive officer, effective March 1 and subject to regulatory approval.

He will be based in London and will report to Adam Winslow, CEO, international, life &retirement, at American International Group Inc.

Willcock is replacing Winslow as head of AIG Life (U.K.), who in June, 2018, was appointed to his current position. At that time, Winslow assumed responsibility for Laya Healthcare in Ireland while continuing to lead AIG Life (U.K.) and supporting potential further international expansion,

Willcock spent more than 20 years with Aviva in various senior positions in U.K. health and life businesses, most recently as CEO and president of Aviva's joint venture in Indonesia and CEO of Aviva Italy. He joins AIG from RPMI, where he was CEO responsible for the RailPen pension program.

Lockton Names Chief Information Officer

Lockton Inc. has named Byron Clymer chief information officer.

He will oversee strategic information technology initiatives to meet the future needs of associates and clients, and will report to Said Taiym, chief digital officer.

Clymer will lead the IT department, located in Kansas City, Mo. Lockton said Clymer has 25 years of technology, leadership and management experience. In 2016, Clymer started Approach Logic consulting services.

Broker Network Names New CEO

Broker Network Ltd. has appointed Des O'Connor the next chief executive officer as the U.K. insurance brokerage group also announced the departure of Andy Fairchild as CEO after four-and-a-half years leading the network.

O'Connor was named CEO with immediate effect. He joined Broker Network in March 2016 as chief commercial officer and has led the Broker Network Partners division.

Prior to joining Broker Network, O'Connor was chief commercial officer of Brightside Insurance. Before that he was at Arthur J. Gallagher, most recently as managing director of Gallagher Insurance Solutions.

PartnerRe Appoints Head of US Health

Kelly Munger was named head of U.S. health for PartnerRe Ltd.

Munger has experience in the health reinsurance industry, where she specialized in the U.S. group life, accident and health business for much of her 30-year reinsurance career.

As head of the U.S. health business unit, she will be based in PartnerRe's Maple Grove, Minnesota, office, reporting to Charles Goldie, chief executive officer, property/casualty.

Munger was most recently senior vice president, group reinsurance at reinsurer Scor S.E. She joined Scor in 2014 and was responsible for growth and development of the U.S. group life, accident and health business lines, overseeing business development, underwriting, operations and medical management.

Axis Capital Adds Underwriter to Growing Cyber Team

Andrew Maher has been named as a senior cyber underwriter at Axis Insurance, the insurance segment of Axis Capital Holdings Ltd., as the company expands its cyber practice.

He will be based in London and will report to Dan Trueman, global head of cyber and technology.

Maher joins Axis from Markel, where he spent two years as a senior cyber underwriter. He began his career at Beazley, where he held several underwriting roles.

Everest Insurance Canada Names Chief Underwriting Officer

Kevin Pinto has been named chief underwriting officer of Everest Insurance Company of Canada, an affiliate of Everest Re Group.

Pinto will be responsible for overseeing the strategy for the underwriting units of Everest Insurance Canada (EvCan), and for implementing and promoting best practices throughout the organization while developing and refining product offerings.

He will be based in Toronto and will report to Darin Scanzano, chief executive officer of EvCan.

Pinto was most recently CUO for Travelers Canada. Before that, he held leadership positions at both Zurich and Gerling Canada General Insurance. He has more than 30 years of experience in the Canadian insurance market.

Royal London’s CEO, Chairman to Depart

Royal London Group said Phil Loney will step down as group chief executive officer by the end of 2019.

Also, Rupert Pennant-Rea was to leave the U.K. life insurer at the end of 2018. Pennant-Rea has been chairman of the board for more than five years and was to be succeeded by Kevin Parry on Jan. 1, 2019, subject to regulatory approval.

Loney is leaving as CEO “to concentrate on his long-standing charitable interests in the international development sector and supporting people with learning difficulties,” Royal London said. He was appointed to the board in October 2011, coinciding with his appointment as group CEO.

Pennant-Rea is also chairman of PGI Group and an independent national director of Times Newspapers. Pennant-Rea was appointed to the board in December 2012 and was appointed chairman after the annual general meeting in 2013.

Swiss Re Names L&H Products Head; Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Names Executives

Paul Murray was named head of life and health products for Swiss Re.

Murray succeeds Russell Higginbotham, who became Swiss Re's chief executive officer of reinsurance, Europe, Middle East and Africa, in September.

Murray has more than 20 years of reinsurance and insurance experience. In addition to his most recent role as chief pricing officer, he has been head of the global L&H Products Centre. Murray has been with Swiss Re since 2003 and has led teams in Asia, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Africa and worldwide, Swiss Re said. Before joining Swiss Re, he worked for an actuarial consultancy.

Earlier, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions Ltd. announced two executive appointments—Daniel Vetter as head of excess and surplus North America and Philippe Aerni as global head of casualty, financial and professional lines.

Both appointments were effective Jan. 1.

In his newly created role, Vetter will be responsible for the strategy and growth of SRCS's excess and surplus property/casualty business and will establish financial and professional lines within the unit. He will be based in New York.

In an expanded role, Aerni will be responsible for products and global markets for casualty and financial and professional lines, said SRCS. He will be based in Zurich and will take over the global casualty role from Vetter.

Vetter has more than 20 years of insurance experience. He joined Swiss Re in 2000 and most recently, was head of casualty.

Aerni has more than 17 years of insurance experience, mainly in financial and professional lines. Since joining Swiss Re in 2003, he held various positions within executive risks in underwriting and sales and later as the global head of this unit. Most recently, as head of financial and professional lines, Aerni was responsible for the global management of the segment.

AIG Names New Chief Financial Officer

American International Group Inc. has named Mark D. Lyons as its next chief financial officer as the group continues to revamp its executive team.

Lyons succeeds Sid Sankaran, who will remain at AIG “in an advisory capacity through the year-end reporting process for fiscal year 2018,” AIG said.

AIG said Lyons will be also be an executive vice president and a member of the AIG executive leadership team and will report directly to Brian Duperreault, president and CEO. Lyons will remain chief actuary, general insurance, until a successor is named.

Lyons joined AIG in 2018 from Arch Capital Group Ltd., where he was executive vice president, CFO and treasurer since 2012. He joined Arch in 2002 and held various roles within Arch Insurance's U.S. operations and rose to chairman and CEO of Arch Worldwide Insurance Group. Before joining Arch, Lyons held various positions at Zurich U.S., Berkshire Hathaway and AIG.

Allianz Global Names Browne UK CEO

Sinéad Browne has been named U.K. chief executive officer of Allianz Global Corporate &Specialty SE, the specialist corporate insurer of Allianz Group.

Browne will also continue in her role as the group's chief regions and markets officer. Her appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Browne will succeed Brian Kirwan, who was to leave the group at the end of 2018.

Tracey Hunt, currently regional head of energy, has been appointed deputy CEO for AGCS UK. Both appointments were in effect Jan. 1.

Browne, who has been with Allianz Group since 1993, has served in a number of senior management roles. She became chief operating officer for AGCS in 2012 and assumed her current role last year.

Hunt, who joined AGCS in 2012, served initially as head of growth markets, energy. She will be responsible for broker relationships and have authority over a wide range of activities. She will continue with her regional energy role.

Hiscox Names Claims Director to Succeed Retiring Veteran

Hiscox said Jeremy Pinchin will retire at the end of February as group claims director but will remain as chairman of two Hiscox units as the specialty underwriter named Grace Hanson to succeed him in the claims role.

Pinchin will remain with the group as chairman of Hiscox Special Risks and of Hiscox Pension Trustees.

Pinchin joined Hiscox in 2005 as the group's first claims director and held a number of other roles in his 13 years with the group.

After his appointment as the first CEO of Hiscox's global reinsurance business in 2013 Pinchin led the creation of Kiskadee Investment Managers, Hiscox's specialist insurance-linked securities manager.

Before joining Hiscox, Pinchin worked for Lloyd's, where he was the first head of claims following the creation of the Lloyd's franchise team.

Hanson joined American International Group in 2001 and moved to Bermuda. She joined AIG sponsored start-up Allied World, where she led their global claims function. She then joined insurtech business Homesite as their corporate counsel in 2009 and then as chief claims officer.

W.R. Berkley Appoints CEO Of Accident and Health Unit

Berkley Accident and Health, a unit of W.R. Berkley Corp., has named Brad N. Nieland president and chief executive officer.

Nieland succeeds Christopher C. Brown, who has been named chairman of Berkley Accident and Health.

Brown has led Berkley Accident and Health for nearly a decade, Nieland joins Berkley Accident and Health with more than 15 years of experience in the health care and accident and health insurance sectors. Before joining Berkley, he held various positions focusing on underwriting and product management, actuarial, risk management and client relations.

He was most recently vice president of stop loss at “another leading U.S. provider of accident and health insurance,” the company said.

Brown joined Berkley as president of Berkley Accident and Health in 2009 and will remain an adviser to Nieland in his role as chairman.

Among Strategic Leadership Changes, Arch Insurance Names International CEO

Arch Insurance named Hugh Sturgess as chief executive officer of its international unit as the company also made two executive appointments in Canada. Arch Insurance International includes Arch's insurance operations in Europe, Bermuda and Australia.

Sturgess will be based in London. He succeeds Matt Shulman, who was recently named CEO of Arch Insurance North America. Shulman was named to his newly created role as the insurance arm of Arch Capital Group Ltd. reorganizes its primary insurance structure.

Sturgess has been with Arch Insurance since 2005 and is currently president and CEO of Arch Insurance Canada Ltd.

In conjunction with Sturgess' appointment, Arch Insurance announced two appointments at Arch Insurance Canada Ltd.

Gale Lockbaum will become president and chief operating officer of Arch Insurance Canada. She has been with Arch Insurance Canada since 2011 and is currently chief financial officer.

Jean-Pierre Galipeault will become Arch Insurance Canada's chief regional executive. He has been with Arch Insurance Canada since 2013 and has managed its lenders business unit.

Longtime Cumberland Insurance CEO and Chairman Leo Thomas Hogan Dies at Age 89

Leo Thomas Hogan, CEO and board chairman of Cumberland Insurance Group of Bridgeton, New Jersey, died Dec. 4, 2018 from injuries sustained in a fall on the previous day. He was 89 and had been an employee of The Cumberland Group for 47 years and CEO for more than 13 years.

Raised in New York, Hogan was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War. After his discharge in 1952, Hogan began his career in the insurance industry. He held successive positions at Crum and Foster–Manhattan Insurance, Safeco, and Central Mutual Insurance Co. before starting with Cumberland Insurance in 1970 as a marketing representative. He was named as a member of its board of directors in 1989. In 1996 he became president and the following year was appointed CEO and chairman of the board. Hogan retired in 2008, but continued as the board chairman of Cumberland Insurance Group.