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Executive Changes
StarStone Names Former Validus
CEO as Chairman

Also: Nationwide’s Rasmussen to retire, Maryland commissioner confirmed for another term, and a new head of reinsurance for Tokio Marine Kiln.

Ed Noonan

Ed Noonan

Ed Noonan, former chief executive officer of Validus Holdings, has returned to the Bermuda specialty market as chairman of StarStone Group as the company announces several management changes.

Dick Sanford is joining the specialty underwriter as president, StarStone said in a statement. He will oversee StarStone's global underwriting and reinsurance strategy.

Chris Rash is being promoted to CEO of StarStone International and deputy group CEO.

StarStone said it underwrites business across the property, specialty and casualty risk classes from operations in London, Continental Europe and the United States. It is owned by Enstar Group Ltd., Trident V funds managed by Stone Point Capital LLC and Dowling Capital Partners I L.P.

Noonan has more than 30 years of industry experience, said StarStone. He was most recently chairman and CEO of Validus Group, a position he held from 2005 to 2018.

Under Noonan's leadership, Validus “experienced significant success and growth” and was acquired by American International Group in 2018.

Sanford was previously chairman and president of PartnerRe US and head of property/casualty North America.

He has 35 years of insurance market experience, having begun his career as a casualty underwriter at AIG in 1984, said StarStone. He has since held a succession of senior roles, including executive vice president, TIG Re/Odyssey America Reinsurance and vice president, Cologne Reinsurance Company of America, before joining PartnerRe in 2000.

Rash, who joined StarStone in August 2018, will lead StarStone's international business, and operational strategy at group level, the company said. He has more than 20 years of industry experience, having held financial and operational leadership positions, including 15 years at RSA, and as group chief financial officer at MS Amlin.

—David Pilla


Cheryl Kingsfield Neal

Cheryl Kingsfield Neal

Kemper Appoints Life Segment President

Kemper Corp. has appointed Cheryl Kingsfield Neal as president of Kemper Life. She succeeds Michael Plazony, who is no longer with the company.

Most recently, Neal was North American life and annuity division president and global chief strategy and marketing officer at Foresters Financial. Earlier, she was an executive at Liberty Mutual.


Will Curran

Will Curran

Tokio Marine Kiln Names Head of Reinsurance

Will Curran has been named as the new head of reinsurance for Tokio Marine Kiln.

He succeeds David Huckstepp who is leaving the company “on a planned break from the sector,” Tokio Marine Kiln said.

Curran began his career at Lloyd's in 1996 and after stints with Beazley, Wellington and Catlin, he joined Tokio Marine Kiln in 2008 and has since been the deputy underwriter of the company's reinsurance team.


Rebecca Scott

Rebecca Scott

Hyperion Fills Newly Created
Chief Operating Officer Role

Hyperion Insurance Group has named Rebecca Scott group chief operating officer.

She will report to David Howden, the London-based broker's chief executive officer, and has joined the group executive committee.

Scott's role is a newly created position and is global in scope. She joined the broking and underwriting agency group in 2014 as head of internal audit and became chief risk officer in 2015. She was most recently appointed COO of Howden Broking Group in 2017. Before joining Hyperion, Scott was CRO at a Lloyd's managing agency and a partner at chartered accountancy firm Mazars, Hyperion said.


PartnerRe Names Americas
Property/Casualty Chief Executive Officer

Jonathan Colello has been appointed chief executive officer, property/casualty, Americas, and president of Partner Reinsurance Company of the U.S. He will join the company July 1.

In his new role, Colello will have executive responsibility for leading PartnerRe's property/casualty business in the United States, Canada and Latin America, and for the company's health business in the United States.

Colello has spent the majority of his 20-year career in the industry. Most recently he was president of North America for Axis Re, where he was responsible for all underwriting platforms in Bermuda, Canada and the United States.

He was previously president and chief underwriting officer, United States, for Axis Re.


Steve Rasmussen

Steve Rasmussen

Nationwide Chief Executive
Officer to Retire in October

Steve Rasmussen said he plans to retire from Nationwide effective Oct. 1.

Rasmussen's career with Nationwide spanned 45 years. Before becoming CEO in February 2009, he was president and chief operating officer of the company's property/casualty insurance division from 2003 to 2009. He joined Nationwide in 1998 as a result of a merger with Allied Insurance, where he was president and chief operating officer. He joined Allied in 1974.


Al Redmer Jr.

Al Redmer Jr.

Maryland Insurance Commissioner
Confirmed for Another Term

The Maryland state Senate has confirmed Al Redmer Jr. for another term as Maryland's insurance commissioner.

Redmer, whose term expires June 30, must be sworn in, and his next term runs through May 31, 2022. Redmer previously served as commissioner from June 2003 until October 2005 and again since January 2015.

He also is a member of the governor's subcabinet on International Affairs and sits on the board of directors of the Maryland Health Benefit Exchange.


Richard Porter

Richard Porter

Chubb Names Execs in Bermuda,
United Kingdom and Ireland

Richard Porter has been named senior vice president and head of financial lines at Chubb Bermuda.

Porter is based in Bermuda and succeeds Joe Casey, who has left the company.

Porter has more than two decades of U.S. and international industry experience. Before this appointment, he was general counsel for Chubb Bermuda.

Also, Chubb Ltd. appointed Jonathan Kennett as head of financial institutions for the United Kingdom and Ireland and Chubb Global Markets.

Kennett was previously financial institutions manager for the United Kingdom and Ireland. He joined Chubb in 2017 and before that held a number of senior leadership roles at several insurers and reinsurers including American International Group, Munich Re and Zurich.


Andy Hottinger

Andy Hottinger

Axis Re Names President of EMEA
And Latin America Divisions

Axis Re, the reinsurance arm of Axis Capital Holdings, has appointed Andy Hottinger president of its Europe, Middle East and Africa and Latin America division.

Hottinger succeeds Jan Ekberg, who will retire in July following a 45-year career in the insurance industry, including 15 years at Axis.

Hottinger has held a number of underwriting managerial roles at Axis Re, most recently serving as head of property EMEA and, before that, head of engineering and property risk.


Angelina M. Bocanegra

Angelina M. Bocanegra

SterlingRisk Insurance Names
Alternative Market Program Director

SterlingRisk Insurance, an independently owned insurance brokerage in Woodbury, New York, has named Angelina M. Bocanegra alternative market program director.

She joins SterlingRisk from JLNY Group LLC, in Woodbury, where she was small-business commercial underwriter and personal lines manager before becoming marketing manager, business development. Before joining JLNY Group, she was a wholesale service manager and team leader at Access General Agency.


Daniel McCabe

Daniel McCabe

Concord Group Appoints Chief
Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer

Concord Group Insurance Cos. has appointed Daniel McCabe as president and chief executive officer. Michael Nolin succeeds him as senior vice president and chief operating officer.

McCabe will work with Auto-Owners, with which Concord is affiliated, to expand capabilities, product lines and distribution through independent agents in New England.

He joined the company in early 2017, and has served more than 20 years in the industry, with senior leadership positions in underwriting, product development, marketing and operations at Chubb, Travelers, The Hanover, MAPFRE and Lexington Insurance.

Nolin joined Concord Group 35 years ago. He is charged with overseeing business operations and corporate steering functions.


Thomas Troy

Thomas Troy

Former Allstate Executive to Succeed
Retiring CSAA Chief Executive Officer

Former Allstate executive Thomas Troy has been tapped to succeed Paula Downey as CSAA Insurance Group chief executive officer.

He brings more than 30 years of industry experience. Previously, he was executive vice president of property/casualty alternative segments at Allstate, which included business insurance, Encompass, Esurance and Ivantage Select Agency.

Earlier, he was an executive vice president and chief operating officer at Liberty Mutual. He also held senior leadership positions at Safeco Corp.


Rich Baich

Rich Baich

AIG Names CEO of Private Client Group
And Chief Information Security Officer

American International Group Inc. appointed Kathleen Zortman as president and chief executive officer of its private client group, general insurance.

In this new role, Zortman will lead AIG's global high-net worth portfolio and will be based in New York.

Zortman joins from QBE Insurance Group, where she was president of property/casualty, North America. Before that, she was chief field executive of Fireman's Fund Insurance from 2011 through 2015.

She had earlier in held leadership roles at Professional Risk Solutions, Johnson &Higgins, Deloitte and Chubb.

Also, AIG has named Rich Baich senior vice president and chief information security officer.

Baich will lead AIG's global cybersecurity risk management program, working closely with the group's executive leadership team.

Baich joins AIG from Wells Fargo &Co., where he was CISO since 2012.




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