Leadership Appointments in the Insurance Sector
Hiscox has officially appointed Frank Lamantia as its new chief technology officer, effective January 21.
Lamantia, who previously served as CTO at Bold Penguin, will work directly with Mary Boyd, the company’s CEO, as well as Chris Loake, the CIO of Hiscox Group.
In this important role, he will be responsible for all technology development efforts across Hiscox’s U.S. operations.
Mary Boyd expressed her excitement over Lamantia’s appointment, underscoring his rich background in developing capabilities for leading insurtech companies and his significant contributions to their omnichannel expansion.
She believes his strategic mindset, business savvy, and leadership style are perfectly aligned with the culture at Hiscox.
Boyd emphasized the crucial need for ongoing technological advancement and the role of high-performing teams in maximizing efficiency.
She is confident that Lamantia’s expertise will enhance both technology development and team dynamics, ultimately improving service for partners and clients alike.
Notable Executive Changes
Liberty Mutual Insurance has announced the appointment of Nicole Arangio as executive vice president and chief compliance officer, effective April 1.
Arangio, a valued member of Liberty Mutual since 2000, currently serves as the chief compliance officer for global risk solutions and is a founder of WE&Liberty, an initiative aimed at empowering female employees.
Karen Morton, the current EVP and chief compliance officer, will retire after a distinguished career that began in 2006 and included several leadership roles within the organization.
In her parting remarks, Morton expressed her appreciation for the opportunity to contribute to the company’s global strategy and praised Arangio for her extensive legal knowledge and leadership skills.
She envisions Arangio making significant strategic contributions to the executive leadership team.
Expansions and Promotions in the Industry
Beazley has elevated Alessandro Lezzi to the position of group head of cyber risks.
Lezzi, who has led the international cyber division for more than ten years, will now report to Paul Bantick, the group chief underwriting officer.
Bantick lauded Lezzi as a remarkable leader in cyber insurance, noting his pivotal role in expanding their international cyber business and nurturing strong relationships with brokers and clients.
Starting January 1, 2025, Henning Haagen will join HIVE Underwriters Limited in London as the chief development officer and board member.
Haagen brings a wealth of global executive leadership experience from his tenure at Allianz Commercial, where he significantly contributed to the company’s growth in commercial insurance and specialty lines.
At HIVE, he will partner with CEO Bruce Carman to enhance specialty underwriting offerings and strengthen the firm’s presence in the market.
AXA XL has chosen Jon Tellekamp to serve as the chief underwriting officer for construction and energy.
After leaving Liberty Mutual, Tellekamp will now oversee the underwriting and risk engineering teams within large commercial operations.
Donna Nadeau, who leads large commercial operations, noted the importance of a unified approach to tackle the common risks in construction and energy sectors, expressing optimism that Tellekamp’s leadership will enhance collaboration among these teams.
Northwestern Mutual has appointed Dave Gordon as executive vice president and chief digital and information officer.
In this role, he will spearhead the company’s technology and digital initiatives, encompassing AI advancements, software and data engineering, enterprise architecture, and cybersecurity efforts.
Gordon, who previously served as vice president and CTO since 2023, has experience from USAA Federal Savings Bank, making him a strong fit for this critical position.
Tim Gerend, Northwestern Mutual’s president, has confidence in Gordon’s extensive technical knowledge and his collaborative working style.
California’s insurance commissioner, Ricardo Lara, has reappointed Richard de la Mora, Jennifer Schnittjer, and Deepika Srivastava to the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) board for another three-year term.
CIGA is responsible for protecting claims payments from insolvent insurers within the state.
Each appointee holds significant industry roles; de la Mora is a senior VP at Farmers, Schnittjer is the controller for the Automobile Club of Southern California, and Srivastava serves as COO at The Doctors Company.
FM has announced that Laurel Rudnick has been promoted to vice president and chief underwriting officer, where she will manage underwriting and reinsurance operations.
Previously, Rudnick served as senior vice president and manager at FM Affiliated, and she is based in New York, reporting to executive vice president Lyndon Broad.
Broad commended Rudnick’s impressive journey at FM and highlighted her client commitment as vital to maintaining high-quality underwriting services.
Additionally, FM has appointed Danielle Harrison as senior vice president and division manager for FM Affiliated, where she will lead the middle-market division.
Harrison, who has been with FM since 2001, will manage global business operations, focusing on underwriting expertise and property loss management through an international broker network.
Ziad Alex S. Tadmoury expressed excitement for Harrison’s advancement, pointing out her strong background in client service and operational excellence.
Westchester, part of Chubb’s Excess and Surplus Lines division, has named Nick Gatt as head of Westchester Programs, where he will oversee underwriting and profitability.
Gatt, formerly the chief operating officer of Westchester Programs, will be succeeded by Shawn Parker, who was previously senior vice president of Westchester Program Services.
Division president Dave Lupica commended both leaders for their extensive expertise and the lasting impact they’ve had on the Programs sector.
EigenRisk has announced the hiring of Rebecca Morris as vice president of customer success.
In this role, she will focus on maximizing value for property and casualty clients using the EigenPrism platform.
Morris possesses 18 years of industry experience and has held leadership positions at Insurity, SpatialKey, and Moody’s. She will report to Deepak Badoni, co-founder and president of EigenRisk.
Source: Dig-in
