Pie Insurance names CFO; New head of Marsh Specialty: Career Moves

October 11, 2023 6:21 AM

Group of blurred people walking at a coworking center. — Group of office employees at coworking center. Business people walking at modern open space. Motion blur. Concept

Digital Insurance reviews a high volume of news leads every week for this and other stories. Please send press releases and other information to kaitlyn.mattson@arizent.com.

Pie Insurance names Audra Foglietta CFO

Former Chubb executive joins the insurtech, which focuses on workers' comp insurance for small businesses.

Pie Insurance, an insurtech focused on the workers' compensation space for small businesses, has announced the appointment of Audra Foglietta as the company's new chief financial officer (CFO). The company saw a 271% increase in direct written premium based on data for 2020 and 2022 for the August 2023 S&P IQ Insurance Statutory Market Share Report. Since it was founded in 2017, Pie has obtained over $615M in funding.

Foglietta brings with her a wealth of experience having spent more than 20 years at Chubb, serving as the company's executive vice president and CFO of Global Operation and Technology. She also served as the CFO of Westchester Specialty, Chubb's excess and surplus division.

"I'm honored to join Pie as its CFP and be a part of an organization that is redefining the small commercial insurance landscape and growing at an impressive," shared Foglietta in a press release. "Pie's commitment to technology and innovation combined with its dedication to serving the unique needs of small businesses resonated with me. I look forward to working with the talented team at Pie to support the company's mission and customers, and ultimately drive optimal financial performance and excellence."

Michael Pellegrini appointed head of Marsh Specialty in the U.S. & Canada

With extensive experience in marine, cargo and logistics, Pellegrini will oversee multiple areas within the company.

Insurance broker and risk advisor, Marsh, has announced the appointment of Michael Pellegrini as head of Marsh Specialty in the U.S. and Canada, overseeing the company's aviation, construction, credit specialties, energy & power, financial and professional lines, marine, cargo and logistics, and private equities, mergers and acquisitions businesses for these regions.

Pellegrini joined Marsh in 2002, as a risk analyst in the company's one-year training program for recent college graduates, eventually moving on to multiple leadership roles within the marine and cargo sector. Most recently, he was the North American marine, cargo and logistics practice leader.

Upon his appointment, Pellegrini shared in a press statement that he is "thrilled to be leading this team of talented professionals at Marsh during this dynamic time. Together, we are committed to exploring new possibilities and delivering exceptional value to our clients."

Markel names head of cargo

Brook Styles has been appointed head of cargo at Markel, a global specialty insurer. He is taking over the position from Richard Burnett, who is transitioning into another role as head of cargo underwriting.

Styles joined the company originally in 2006 before taking a position at Pioneer, managing its cargo and terrorism portfolio. He rejoined Markel as a senior underwriter in 2019.

Styles will report to Dan McCarthy, director of marine, who said in a statement: "With Brook's extensive leadership profile, he will lead our cargo underwriting team by building on the great foundations set out by his predecessor, Richard Burnett, who has taken on a more strategic position so we can take our underwriting services and capabilities to the next level."

Aspida appoints former MetLife SVP as CIO

Aspida, a life insurance company, named Alex Seidita as its chief information officer. Joe Lurie, the current CIO, will retire at the end of the year.

Seidita joins the company from MetLife where he held several roles including senior vice president and global chief technology architect. In this new position, he will oversee infrastructure, application development, digital platform development, data analytics and IT services.

Lou Hensley, CEO of Aspida Holdings, said in a statement: "We are pleased to welcome Alex to the Aspida leadership team. His deep understanding of IT at a global level will be invaluable to our team as we continue to grow and expand our services. We are a tech-driven company focused on advancing our digital influence, and we believe Alex is the right fit for the job."