Nationwide's personal lines president; Hiscox SVP digital strategy: Career moves

February 28, 2024 6:55 AM

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Casey Kempton to lead personal lines property business at Nationwide

Casey Kempton will lead personal lines property business at Nationwide. Kempton was most recently at Chubb where she was EVP, digital business officer. She also previously led the personal lines agency channel at The Hartford. Mark Berven, Nationwide P&C president and chief operating officer, said in a statement: "Casey stood out in particular thanks to her strong track record of performance excellence, deep experience in using data insights and technology to fuel growth and innovation and her dedication to developing future-ready talent." Beth Riczko was the former president of personal lines at Nationwide.

Hiscox appoints Chad Nitschke as SVP, digital strategy and execution in the U.S

Hiscox appointed Chad Nitschke as SVP, digital strategy and execution in the U.S. In this new role, Nitschke will lead strategy for digitally traded business and growing partnerships. Nitschke founded the insurtech, Bunker and previously held roles at Travelers and AXIS. He is a venture partner at Clocktower Ventures. Sarah Bourdeau, head of distribution of Hiscox USA, said in a statement: "As a first mover in the digital insurance space, we are well-positioned for continued success in this channel. Chad's experience and leadership will be instrumental in shaping our strategy and delivering excellence for our digital partners."

Cover Whale announces Bill Fahrner as chief underwriting officer

Cover Whale announced Bill Fahrner as chief underwriting officer. Fahrner, who has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, was most recently the chief insurance officer at Joyn Insurance. He also began his career at AIG and was later promoted to casualty underwritng officer for the Americas.

Darryl Siry, COO and CTO at Cover Whale, said in a statement: "As we scale, Bill's expertise and seasoned leadership bolster our ongoing ability to underwrite and price risks fairly and accurately, while continuing to turn in industry-leading loss ratios."

Sedgwick names David Arick managing director, global risk management

Sedgwick, a global provider of technology-enabled risk, benefits and integrated business solutions has announced that David Arick will join their team on March 1 as the new managing director, global risk management. Arick will serve as a resource for all of Sedgwick's business lines and corporate functions with regard to risk identification and mitigation, responsible for the design and implementation of insurance coverages and other resources to effectively manage the company's risk profile.

"I have been fortunate to work with Sedgwick for years and observed firsthand why they are a global leader; I am honored to be part of the team," said Arick in a written statement.

Galway Holdings names CEOs of retail and specialty units

Financial services and insurance distribution platform Galway Holdings has promoted executives on its leadership team. Steve Denton will be CEO of Galway Retail Services. John Jennings will be CEO of Galway Specialty Markets. Denton previously served as CEO of EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, where he led the building of its service platform and oversaw acquisitions. Jennings previously served as CEO and a co-founder of Jencap Group, a U.S. P&C distribution firm.

"I wholeheartedly believe in Steve and John's capability to excel in these roles," said John Hahn, Galway's executive chairman, in a press release. "Their passion for what we are building, and belief in our unique culture, make them the perfect fit to drive our vision and strategy as we move forward. Our collective organizations are lucky to have strong leaders as we embark on new future endeavors together."

Ascot Group hires leaders for Bermuda marine and energy business

Ascot Group, a risk assumption, insurance and reinsurance company, has appointed Alex Kirby, senior vice president, head of marine and energy; and Emma Foxley, vice president, marine and energy, Bermuda, as leaders of its new Marine & Energy Treaty reinsurance business in Bermuda.

Kirby joins Ascot from Validus Reinsurance, where he was a vice president, underwriting marine, energy and composite business. Foxley joins Ascot from Lancashire Insurance Group, where she worked as an underwriter in their specialty reinsurance segment. She has also worked as a portfolio analyst at Markel CATCo Investment Management.

Ardonagh hires Rastiello as CEO for North America reinsurance

Ardonagh Specialty has hired Patrick Rastiello as CEO of its North American reinsurance operations. In the role, Rastiello will build the firm's U.S. reinsurance business, including hiring and business development. Working with Ardonagh Specialty CEO Andrew Wallin and Nick Foden-Pattinson, president of its North American reinsurance business, as well as Inver Re teams in Bermuda and London, to provide clients with multi-jurisdictional solutions.

Previously, Rastiello was president and CEO of Accredited, leading underwriting and growth to reach a $1.1 billion premium run rate. He also worked at Aon Reinsurance for 24 years.

"The specialty marketplace in the US is growing rapidly and fundamental changes to the way MGA and specialty business is handled are needed," Rastiello said in a press release. "Ardonagh's, strength, expertise and reputation for embracing change made it the only organization I would consider joining."

Mercury Insurance hires Zhang as chief data officer

P&C insurance company Mercury Insurance hired Simon Zhang for a new role as chief data and analytics officer. The role was created as part of the company's efforts to use advanced data analytics to drive growth, elevate products and meet policyholder needs.

In the role, Zhang will work on predictive analytics, data science, infrastructure, architecture, data security and compliance. Previously, Zhang was chief data scientist and co-founder of GrowingIO, and senior director of business analytics at LinkedIn.

Mercury has over 60 years of data as part of its resources.

"Data is only valuable if it's accessible and relevant. The aim of my team will be to map our data and present it in a way that can be of use to all members of the Mercury team – from product planning and customer service to human capital, marketing and underwriting," Zhang said in a press release.

Centri hires Grant Thornton insurance veterans to build its practice

Insurance industry accounting and advisory firm Centri Business Consulting has hired John Swanick as senior director and Joe Hayes as managing director for its insurance practice. Swanick and Hayes are joining Centri from Grant Thornton, where they built its insurance practice. Together, they have more than 70 years of insurance and financial services experience.

"The rapidly evolving insurance industry presents a tremendous avenue of potential growth for Centri," said Michael Aiello, CEO and managing partner of Centri, in a press release. "Both John and Joe have shown the capacity to assist insurance enterprises in formulating strategies to navigate risks and capitalize on market opportunities throughout their careers. We are excited to welcome them and their extensive experience to the team to expand this important area of service."

Grange names Kyle Welch VP of commercial lines underwriting

Grange Insurance announced that Kyle Welch, who has 17 years of property and casualty experience and eight years of leadership experience with Grange, was named the vice president of commercial lines underwriting for the East region. Previously in his role as Grange's vice president of sales and marketing strategy and operations, Welch led the evolution of the company's agent distribution strategy.

"Kyle has successfully led our sales and marketing strategy and operations for the past five years and has a proven track record of driving results for our agent partners," said John North, president of commercial lines, in a press release statement. "Kyle's deep knowledge of our distribution strategy and extensive commercial lines background make him a perfect fit for this role."