The Bermuda-based Argo Group International Holdings announced that Bruno Ritchie has joined the company to lead Argo Assurances, Argo Group’s new Paris-based underwriting platform for large specialty risks. The new branch will “initially focus on insurance solutions for space and aviation clients worldwide,” said the bulletin.
“We continue to expand our international footprint and underwriting business in specialties such as space and aviation,” noted Argo Group Chief Underwriting Officer Andrew Carrier. “We’re very pleased to have Bruno join us to lead our growth in Europe from our new underwriting platform in Paris.”
Ritchie has over 16 years of experience in the fields of aerospace underwriting, business development and large risk underwriting strategy. He will be “charged with the creation of an underwriting platform based in Paris that will develop a portfolio of specialty risks for clients based in Continental Europe and throughout the world for certain specialty classes of business.” The initial focus will be on insurance solutions for space and aviation clients, for which Ritchie will have group-wide responsibility.
Argo’s bulletin pointed out that it added aviation to its international portfolio in October 2010 with the hiring of Richard Bayman as class underwriter in its Lloyd’s operation. Ritchie’s addition is further evidence of Argo Group’s commitment to this specialist sector as aviation underwriting will now occur in both London and Paris. “We see significant advantage in having access to both the London and Paris markets as market cycle-related opportunities present themselves in the future,” Carrier added.
Ritchie most recently served as the underwriting director of Hiscox’s Global Risks European office in Paris. Prior to this position, he was a divisional underwriter with Hiscox Lloyd’s Syndicate 33 in London, managing a portfolio of aerospace risks and professional indemnity risks for technology, media and telecom clients. Before that, he was head of aerospace underwriting with AGF, a unit of Allianz group, also in Paris.
Ritchie has an MBA from HEC (école des Hautes Etudes Commerciales) school of management in Paris, a mechanical engineering degree from UTC (Universite de Technologie de Compiegne) and is a graduate of the CHEA (Centre des Hautes Etudes d’Assurances) in Paris. He can be contacted in Paris at: 331 5652 9479 or by e-mail.
Source: Argo International Group
Topics Excess Surplus Europe Underwriting Aviation London Aerospace
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