Executive Changes
Munich Re America Names Successor for Retiring President, Chief Executive Officer

Munich Reinsurance America Inc. named Marcus Winter to succeed M. Steven Levy as president and chief executive officer.

Winter will transition to his new role on April 1.

Levy has announced his intention to retire after 23 years with the company. He has held a variety of key leadership positions, including president of the credit and surety division and chief financial officer. Levy has served as president and CEO of Munich Re US since 2014 and as a member of the Munich Re US property/casualty executive board since 2008.

“For over two decades, Steve has played an integral role in shaping numerous aspects of our organization, and we thank him for his many contributions to Munich Re US,” said Anthony J. Kuczinski, CEO, Munich Re US Holding. “Steve tackled the challenges of each of his positions with strength, energy and passion, and maintained an unwavering commitment to our clients and partners.”

Winter currently serves as head of reinsurance development for Munich Re. Since 2002, he has held several roles with Munich Re, including head of CU Cross Lines, based in Munich, and general manager, non-life, Munich Re, Australia, based in Sydney.

“With his extensive expertise in reinsurance, underwriting, innovation management and data analytics, Marcus brings a wealth of experience to Munich Re US, and we're pleased to welcome him to the US P&C team,” said Kuczinski.

—Staff Report

Quincy Mutual CEO Named Insurance Professional of the Year

The Insurance Library has named K. Douglas Briggs, chairman and chief executive officer of Quincy Mutual Group, as insurance professional of the year.

The annual ceremony honors a person who demonstrates leadership and exemplifies qualities that engender an understanding of, and a respect for, the insurance industry. A virtual event will be held in the spring since the fall event was canceled due to the pandemic, according to the organization.

Briggs has been CEO and president of Quincy Mutual Group since 1985. Previously, he was vice president, secretary and treasurer of the company. Prior to that, he was employed by Coopers & Lybrand Certified Public Accountants.

A member of the Insurance Library's board of trustees since 2000, Briggs was president from 2007-2009. He has chaired the group's investment committee for several years. He is a former director of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, former governing committee member of the Automobile Insurers Bureau of Massachusetts and past chairman of Mutual Fire Insurance Association of New England, among other positions.

Former President and CEO of Mapfre North America to Return to Role

Mapfre USA has named Jaime Tamayo to succeed Alfred Castelo as president and CEO, Mapfre North America, a position Tamayo held from 2008 to 2016, at which time he assumed the role of CEO, international territory, for Mapfre Group.

Mapfre also named Jose Manuel Corral to the newly created role of chief operating officer at Mapfre USA.

Castelo led Mapfre North America for the past four years and is now chief business and clients officer for Mapfre Group.

Tamayo, who will have oversight responsibility for Mapfre's Eurasia region, joined Mapfre in 1993. He has held a number of executive positions in the United States, Spain and Puerto Rico.

Corral, who most recently served as Mapfre Group's chief business and clients officer in Spain, will oversee Mapfre USA's day-to-day insurance operations. Since joining in 1993, Corral has served in several executive positions, including deputy general director of business at Mapfre in Spain, regional director of business and clients for the company's Iberia Regional Area, and deputy general director of the corporate business, clients and innovation area.

Chubb Creates Global Climate Sustainability Role

Chubb has named Alexandra Waldman to the newly created position of climate sustainability manager.

Waldman joined the company, then named Ace, in 2011 as an environmental engineer in the North America environmental risk insurance business. In 2018, she was named senior environmental program manager. Prior to joining Chubb, Waldman completed the associate program in the environmental division of Zurich Financial Services.

Nebraska Insurance Director to Retire

Nebraska Insurance Director Bruce Ramge will retire April 9 after leading the insurance department for the past 10 years.

Under Ramge's leadership, the department improved customer service, streamlined processes, enhanced transparency and successfully aligned Nebraska's insurance regulations with new federal laws and evolving international supervisory standards, according to a statement.

Ramge, the longest-serving director in the department, started in 1984 in the market conduct division. He was named chief of market regulation in 1999 before being named director in 2010. He also served in positions with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, including leading the market regulation accreditation working group in 2016.

Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers Elects Grandisson Chair

Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers Elects Grandisson Chair

The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers elected Arch Capital CEO Marc Grandisson 2021-2022 chairman of the Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers during the group's biennial election of officers.

Additionally, Pina Albo, CEO of Hamilton Insurance Group Ltd., was elected deputy chair, and Christopher Schaper, CEO of AIG Re, was elected second deputy chair.

Grandisson, who began his two-year term Jan. 1, was named Arch CEO in March 2018. He joined Arch Reinsurance Ltd. in October 2001 as chief actuary, and subsequently held various leadership roles including chairman and CEO of Arch Worldwide Reinsurance Group and chairman and CEO of Arch Worldwide Mortgage Group.

Albo, who joined Hamilton as CEO in January 2018, is the first female CEO to be elected an ABIR officer. During a 25-year career at Munich Re, she held increasingly senior positions, including president of reinsurance at Munich Re.

Schaper is the group CEO for AIG Re, the global reinsurance business of American International Group Inc. Schaper joined AIG in 2019 and has over 30 years of re/insurance industry experience.

Ascot Names CEO for US Insurance

Ascot has named Matthew C. Kramer to succeed Greg Wolyniec as chief executive officer, U.S. insurance.

Kramer will transition to his new role later in the first quarter upon completion of his contractual obligations. He has 24 years of experience and joins Ascot from Arch Insurance Group, where he most recently was executive vice president.

Since 2009, he held growing leadership responsibilities within Arch, most recently overseeing its professional liability and health care divisions.

Renaissance Alliance Founders Retire, New CEO Named

Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services Executive Chairman Kevin Callahan has been named chief executive officer of the company, following the retirements of founders Bruce and Janet Cochrane.

Callahan and President Robert Bondi will lead the executive committee. Bruce Cochrane will remain a member of the Renaissance Alliance board of directors and serve as special adviser to Callahan.

The Cochranes started the firm in the late 1990s, with the goal of empowering independent agents to be the dominant force in the insurance industry long into the future. Renaissance Alliance was a pioneer in the insurance aggregator space.

Markel Creates Talent, Diversity and Inclusion Role, Names Leader

Markel Corp. has named Trevor Gandy in the newly created role of managing director, talent, diversity and inclusion.

He will work closely with the company's human resources leadership team and its global Diversity and Inclusion Steering Committee.

Gandy has 25 years of management experience in the areas of diversity and inclusion, human resources, talent acquisition, and leadership development. He has been a consultant for Markel's D&I initiatives since 2020. Before joining Markel, he was the founder and president of TréGan Consulting, where he helped companies promote and leverage the business value of D&I. He also has served as principal, diversity and inclusion, at Amazon and chief diversity officer at Chubb Insurance.

Highmark Health Names Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer

Highmark Health has named Robert James to succeed Lonie Haynes as chief diversity and inclusion officer.

James will work closely with Margaret Larkins-Pettigrew, Allegheny Health Network's chief clinical diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

James joined Highmark Health in 2015 as supplier diversity director. Prior to that, he was chief executive officer of a diversity and inclusion consulting firm and served in an advisory role with the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

A practicing lawyer for more than 20 years, he spent several years facilitating historically Black colleges and universities financing for capital projects through a U.S. Department of Education program.

American Equity Names CIO

American Equity Investment Life Holding Co. has named Tolga Uzuner chief investment officer, asset management.

Uzuner will partner with Jim Hamalainen, CIO of insurance, and Jeff Lorenzen, chief risk officer of AEL. Uzuner and Hamalainen will function as co-CIOs.

Uzuner was managing director of investments at JPMorgan Chase, prior to transitioning to Apollo Global Management. Most recently, he owned Austra Global, providing an outsourced CIO function to new private equity entrants to insurance.

Chubb CFO Retires, Successor Named

Chubb has named Peter Enns to succeed Philip Bancroft as executive vice president of Chubb Group and chief financial officer.

Enns will join the company on April 1 as EVP, finance, Chubb Group, and will replace Bancroft on July 1, when he retires after 19 years with the company. Bancroft is expected to remain with the company in an advisory capacity for the balance of the year.

Enns has more than 30 years of finance and investment banking experience.

Arch Worldwide Leader Gets Expanded Responsibilities

Arch Capital Group Ltd. promoted Nicolas Papadopoulo, formerly chairman and CEO of Arch Worldwide Insurance Group and chief underwriting officer for property/casualty operations, to president and CUO.

He had been in his former positions since September 2017. Previously, he was chairman and CEO of Arch Reinsurance Group.