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The following summaries are written by the Digital Insurance editorial staff.
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.
These summaries were crafted using AI and then reviewed by the Digital Insurance editorial team.
Ascot Group appoints Ashleigh Edwards as group head of Ceded Reinsurance
Ascot Group announced the appointment of Ashleigh Edwards as group head of Ceded Reinsurance. In this role, Edwards will oversee ceded reinsurance strategy across Ascot's global platforms, including reinsurance structures, placement strategies, and classes of business.
Edwards joins Ascot from RenaissanceRe, where she spent more than six years, most recently serving as SVP, Global Head of Casualty Reinsurance. She brings 30 years of insurance industry experience in actuarial, underwriting, and leadership roles, with previous positions at Tokio Millenium Re, Allied World Re, Aspen Re, and QBE Insurance.
Xceedance acquires Marble Box
Xceedance, a global provider of technology-driven business solutions for the insurance industry, announced its acquisition of Marble Box, a company delivering operational support and process optimization solutions to independent insurance agencies and brokers. The acquisition marks Xceedance's entry into the agent and broker ecosystem.
Marble Box supports more than 30 agency processes for over 140 agents and brokers, delivering millions of transactions annually through a delivery team based in Kolkata, India. Xceedance plans to build on Marble Box's operational foundation by introducing workflow standardization, data integration, automation, and AI to reduce manual effort and enhance operational visibility.
"We are excited to welcome the Marble Box team to Xceedance. Together, we will reimagine distribution operations from the ground up, delivering a new standard for speed, control, and client experience," said
AIG CEO Peter Zaffino to transition to executive chair; Eric Andersen named president and CEO-elect
American International Group, Inc. announced that Chairman and CEO Peter Zaffino will transition to executive chair and retire as CEO by mid-2026. Eric Andersen, an insurance industry veteran from Aon, will join AIG as president and CEO-elect effective February 16, 2026, and is expected to assume the CEO role and join the board of directors after June 1, 2026.
Zaffino became CEO in March 2021 and led AIG to five consecutive years of underwriting profitability from 2021 to 2025. Under his leadership, the company returned more than $19 billion in stock repurchases and dividends to shareholders during the past three years. The transition follows the company's multi-year succession planning process.
Andersen joins AIG from Aon, where he most recently served on the Aon executive committee as a strategic advisor. During his nearly three decades at Aon, he held senior leadership roles including president of Aon from 2020 through 2025, during which time the company's market value grew from $35 billion to $85 billion. "I am honored by the trust the Board has placed in me and energized by the opportunity to serve as AIG's President and CEO-elect," said
InnSure launches climate risk solutions incubator platform
InnSure, a non-profit focused on climate change-related insurance risk financing, announced the launch of Creation Labs, a climate innovations incubator platform. Created in partnership with reinsurance company GreenieRE, the platform will connect insurance innovators with communities to develop and accelerate climate risk management products addressing decarbonization and natural catastrophe protection gaps.
The platform is supported by the New York State Research and Development Authority , which previously awarded InnSure a $5 million grant to develop a program supporting novel climate risk insurance solutions. Creation Labs will provide entrepreneurs access to venture capitalists, risk capital providers, and subject matter experts, while offering communities accelerator services including tools, milestone-based project planning, and mentorship.
"With Creation Labs, we're equipping bold, forward-thinking companies with the resources and network necessary to accelerate the deployment of affordable, scalable insurance solutions that meet critical climate-related market gaps in communities that need them the most," said Christopher Lowell, InnSure's managing director, in a press release. InnSure is currently seeking early- to mid-stage growth companies with climate impact-focused solutions for the second cohort of Creation Labs for Q1 2026.
Neptune Flood adds Somers Syndicate 3705 as capacity partner
Neptune Flood, a private flood insurance provider based in St. Petersburg, FL, announced a new partnership with Somers Syndicate 3705 at Lloyd's. The agreement adds underwriting capacity to support Neptune Flood's insurance offerings. Acrisure Re will serve as Lloyd's broker for the relationship.
Somers Syndicate 3705 is the Lloyd's insurance operation of Somers Re Ltd., a global insurance and reinsurance organization headquartered in Bermuda.
"Both Neptune and Somers are strongly aligned on the future of the private market in flood insurance, and we are excited to continue growing our capacity provider panel with a respected insurance group via the Lloyd's market," said
Cytora partners with Climatig
Cytora, a digital risk processing platform for commercial and specialty insurance, has partnered with Climatig to embed physical climate risk assessments directly into its underwriting workflow. The integration provides insurers with real-time climate risk intelligence covering hazards including river flood, severe wind, and wildfire during the submission processing stage.
Commercial insurers using Cytora's platform can now automatically access Climatig's climate risk data during the enrichment and risk evaluation steps. When a property submission is processed, Cytora automatically geolocates the asset and requests a comprehensive climate assessment from Climatig, which is then used to evaluate risk against climate-aware appetite rules and support regulatory compliance requirements such as TCFD alignment.
"Climate intelligence is no longer optional; it is fundamental to smart underwriting, especially across commercial property and specialty lines," said
WTW Radar launches integration with Databricks
WTW announced the launch of the Radar Connector for Databricks, integrating its insurance analytics and pricing platform with the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. The integration eliminates manual data movement by allowing Radar users to retrieve data directly from Databricks and transfer analysis results back in a single step, reducing data update turnaround time to minutes.
The connector enables insurers to access data by selecting Databricks as a data source and supports automated processes. Users can deploy Databricks machine learning models within Radar and utilize Databricks' data quality management through Unity Catalog, with outputs flowing back for enterprise-wide sharing and visualization through tools like AI/BI Genie and Agent Bricks.
"The integration of Radar with Databricks gives a more efficient experience for insurers. Combining this with Radar's existing capability to deploy Databricks machine learning models means Radar users can benefit from Databricks' data and AI infrastructure capabilities,"
KatRisk acquires UK-based Symfos
KatRisk, a global provider of catastrophe risk models and climate analytics based in La Jolla, California, announced the acquisition of Symfos, a U.K.-based company that develops the Orchestra underwriting and portfolio intelligence platform. The acquisition combines KatRisk's climate and catastrophe risk modeling capabilities with Symfos' underwriting and portfolio decision tools for insurance and reinsurance organizations.
Orchestra provides a unified view of portfolio risk, enabling underwriting, exposure, and analytics teams to evaluate scenarios and make real-time decisions. The platform supports dynamic pricing and portfolio analysis without requiring customers to use a single catastrophe model. These capabilities will be integrated with KatRisk solutions following the acquisition.
"Symfos has built a powerful platform that helps insurers turn complex risk data into meaningful decisions," said Martyn Sutton, general manager at
CFC appoints Christyn Yoast as global head of commercial
CFC, a specialist insurance provider, announced the appointment of Christyn Yoast as global head of commercial to drive the company's commercial strategy across its global operations. Yoast is expected to start in January 2026 and will be based in New York.
Yoast brings more than two decades of experience in underwriting, distribution, and strategy development. She joins CFC from Boxx Insurance, where she served as U.S. president. Previously, she was North American head of underwriting & distribution and global API channel owner at Beazley Digital, where she led the digital division's portfolio and implemented API integration strategies. She also held positions at Amwins as vice president of carrier & distribution strategy, as well as roles at AIG and Liberty Mutual.
"I am delighted to welcome Christyn to CFC. She brings extensive experience in cultivating strategic partnerships and driving business growth," said Louise O'Shea, CFC Group CEO, in a January 16, 2026 press release.
Lloyd's appoints Jim Bichard as chief financial officer
Lloyd's, the global insurance and reinsurance market, announced that Jim Bichard has been appointed as chief financial officer, effective in April. Bichard will join Lloyd's executive team, report directly to chief executive Patrick Tiernan, and join the Council of Lloyd's.
Bichard currently leads PwC's global insurance practice and has spent 30 years with the firm, including five years in New York. His experience includes technology-enabled transformation across finance and operations, advising on insurance and broker deals, and previously leading PwC's capital, risk and regulatory practice in U.K. & EMEA as well as the firm's U.K. insurance practice and Lloyd's, London market and broking business. He will replace Alexandra Cliff, who is leaving Lloyd's to pursue other opportunities.
"I'm delighted to welcome Jim to Lloyd's. He brings a deep knowledge of the global insurance industry, as well as a clear-eyed view of how capital, risk and clients intersect in a changing world," said Patrick Tiernan,
Allianz Commercial names Perry Canning head of IT for North America
Allianz Commercial announced that Perry Canning has been appointed head of IT in North America. In this newly created role, Canning is responsible for IT topics including business growth support, IT transformation, AI adoption, and collaboration between Allianz Technology and Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty business teams in North America.
Based in Minneapolis, Canning will lead the North America-based IT team on local matters while ensuring alignment with global guidelines and initiatives. He reports to Verena Rappel, chief information officer, and Harry Craggs, Americas chief of staff. Canning previously served as head of IT, commercial North America at Allianz Technology, overseeing technology infrastructure and insurance systems. His career spans 23 years with Allianz across multiple leadership roles.
"As part of our ongoing investment in technology, we're excited that Perry is onboard to head IT in North America," said Shanil Williams, president, Americas at Allianz Commercial, in a January 20, 2026 press release.
Augusta Mutual adopts ZestyAI's AI-powered risk analytics
Augusta Mutual has selected ZestyAI's Roof Age and Z-PROPERTY platforms to enhance underwriting and rating accuracy for its property insurance operations across Virginia. The Staunton, Virginia-based insurer is upgrading from traditional imagery and inspection approaches to computer vision and machine learning technology that provides property-level insights including roof age, roof condition, vegetation overhang, and debris accumulation.
ZestyAI's Roof Age product delivers verified roof age by cross-validating building permit records with over 20 years of aerial imagery, covering 97% of U.S. properties. Z-PROPERTY assesses roof complexity, materials, and condition, along with other parcel-level attributes that influence loss potential. ZestyAI's portfolio of risk models has secured nearly 100 approvals from regulators nationwide.
"ZestyAI's solutions bring a new level of precision to our underwriting process," said
BirdsEyeView secures investment to expand climate hazard modeling
BirdsEyeView secured a seven-figure investment led by 24Haymarket's Venture & Growth Equity fund on January 15, with participation from existing investors including the European Space Agency and ACF Investors. The European Space Agency-backed company provides natural catastrophe modeling and exposure management software for insurers, reinsurers, MGAs, and brokers.
The funding will support product development, expand BirdsEyeView's team of climate scientists and PhDs, and scale operations into new regions. The investment follows 200% turnover growth and recent expansion into the U.S. and Australia, with clients including Convex and Cincinnati Financial. The company recently released its Machine Learning Australian Bushfire model, trained on 300 billion data points and 7,000 days of satellite imagery, offering street-level resolution for risk assessments.
BirdsEyeView's WEATHER ANALYTIX technology combines historical climate, weather, and catastrophe datasets with probabilistic modeling to estimate event likelihood and severity.
"Throughout 2025, we firmly established our presence in the Lloyd's and Coverholder markets as a trusted provider of natural catastrophe and hazard modelling software," said James Rendell, CEO and founder of BirdsEyeView, in a January 15 press release.
Cowbell promotes Simon Hughes to chief commercial officer
Cowbell announced Simon Hughes as chief commercial officer. Hughes, who previously served as SVP, Global Distribution & GM, U.K., will oversee the company's global commercial strategy, including distribution, partnerships, international expansion, and market development.
Since joining Cowbell to launch the company's U.K. operations, Hughes has expanded Cowbell's international footprint and distribution ecosystem.
"As we enter this next phase of growth, his leadership across distribution, partnerships, and global market strategy will be critical to scaling responsibly while deepening our value to brokers and policyholders worldwide," said
Crawford & Company restructures into two operating divisions
Crawford & Company announced a new global operating structure, consolidating its operations into two divisions: U.S. operations and international operations. Mike Hoberman has been promoted to CEO of U.S. Operations. Canada will transition into international operations under CEO Andrew Bart.
Pat Van Bakel has been named chief commercial & strategy officer in a global role. Three additional U.S. leadership promotions were announced: Paul Kottler as president of U.S. loss adjusting, Lance Malcolm as president of U.S. network solutions, and Jeffrey Sickles as president of Crawford TPA: Broadspire.
"By aligning our businesses under two global divisions and elevating proven leaders, we are clarifying accountability, strengthening collaboration across geographies and positioning Crawford to move at the speed our markets demand," said
Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance partners with Agero
Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance is partnering with Agero on roadside assistance services. The partnership brings Agero's dispatch technology, real-time service tracking, and vetted service provider network to Farm Bureau members.
Virginia Farm Bureau policyholders will access assistance through an Agero mobile web app featuring real-time tracking and instant dispatch notifications, or through live support agents.
"Our members count on us to be there when they need help most, and Agero is the ideal partner for ensuring they're taken care of on our roads," said Mike Bolino, VP, marketing & brand strategy, Virginia Farm Bureau,
