People in the News
Alesco bolsters energy practice with key hires
Alesco Risk Management Services, a specialist insurance and risk management broker, has expanded its energy division with the appointment of two new partners.
Alison Schwab joins Alesco from Wortham Insurance in Houston where she held the position of director. She has more than a decade of experience in energy casualty and a
knowledge of the US retail market. Prior to Wortham, Ms Schwab was with Lockton in Houston for eight years, and spent seven years as an environmental underwriter at AIG.
In her new role, Schwab will focus primarily on Alesco’s energy casualty business, reporting to Simon Clarkson, managing partner – energy.
Mark Smith will join Alesco’s technical team from AAA Insurance & Reinsurance Brokers in February. Mr Smith brings significant experience gained from more than two decades in insurance broking, with particular expertise in technical trading within the African and Eastern European energy markets.
Sompo International expands in the London Market
Sompo International, the Bermuda-based specialty provider of property/casualty re/insurance has made a series of leadership appointments in the London Market, a “strategic growth area” for the company.
Paul Ashworth has joined the company’s London Market insurance platform as head of marine insurance, managing a portfolio which includes hull & liability and cargo & specie marine classes. Mr Ashworth has built and managed marine portfolios from both a carrier and broker perspective over his 30-year career in the London Market, underwriting through both company and Lloyd’s syndicates.
Ian Keegan has been promoted to the new role of head of London Market aerospace, energy & marine and will be a deputy active underwriter for Sompo International’s Syndicate 5151. Mr Keegan joined the company in April 2016 as executive vice president, head of aerospace where he established the company’s presence in the aerospace market in London. Previously, he launched and managed similar aviation units at Hiscox and Faraday Underwriting. He reports to Richard Housley, chief underwriting officer London Market insurance and active underwriter of Syndicate 5151.
Clifford Easton, executive vice president, will continue to coordinate the Sompo International marine & energy business globally and will be taking on additional leadership responsibilities related to Japan Interest Account business in Europe.
Tom Houston has been promoted to head of energy, London Market insurance. Mr Houston joined Sompo International in March 2014 as senior vice president, energy with a focus on exploration and production and other upstream energy accounts. His previous experiences include energy underwriting at Hiscox and Catlin’s London Syndicates.
RSA Taps Swiss Re’s Buckle to Lead Global Risk Solutions; Gibbs Promoted to Head Commercial Risk Solutions
RSA’s UK & International business has appointed Tony Buckle and Rob Gibbs as managing directors of Global Risk Solutions (GRS) and Commercial Risk Solutions (CRS), respectively.
Tony Buckle joined on the 1st February to head up GRS, which provides wholesale and specialty insurance solutions to large and multinational customers through RSA’s operations in the UK, Europe and Dubai International Financial Centre.
He joins RSA from Swiss Re, where he led its Global Engineering business from 2006-2013 and its Europe, Middle East and Africa Corporate Solutions business until mid-2017. As CEO of EMEA at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, he drove profitable local development of the business across the region. He brings with him a strong understanding of specialty lines, notably engineering and construction, as well as marine, agriculture and weather.
Rob Gibbs has been appointed managing director of CRS, which develops insurance solutions for UK-based commercial customers and includes RSA’s partnership with Motability.
He joined RSA as a graduate in 1998, and has worked for two decades across underwriting, strategy, mid-market regions and emerging markets. From 2014 to December 2017, he led the Motability business, responsible for end-to-end insurance operations, and achieving world-class customer service standards and indemnity performance.
Both gentlemen will report to Steve Lewis, CEO RSA UK & International, and join the UK executive board. These appointments are subject to regulatory approval.
Canopius boosts energy practice with Marsh hire
Specialty re/insurer Canopius has hired Victoria Phillips as an energy underwriter from Marsh, based in Singapore.
Ms Phillips will report to Geoff Tin, head of energy, and work closely with the London team as well as the renewable energy team in the Netherlands.
Canopius’ energy offering is predominantly an upstream energy account, incorporating renewable energy, with limited midstream and downstream components.
It offers protection for energy property physical damage, offshore construction all risks, excess third party liability and operators’ extra expense / control of well risks.
The renewable energy offering includes coverage for construction all risks, contingent delay in start-up, operational all risks, contingent business interruption and third party liabilities.