This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS); Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI), and HDI Global Specialty.
A summary of these new hires follows here.
AGCS Taps Chaucer’s Graham for Marine Team in UK, Ireland, Nordics
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) announced the appointment of Philip Graham as the new head of Marine for Regional Unit London (RUL) & Nordics and the global product lead – Marine Liability.
Joining in April, Graham will lead AGCS’ Marine portfolio and team across the UK, Ireland, and Nordics.
He will report to Nadia Côté, managing director of Regional Unit London and Nordics, and to global head of Marine at AGCS, Ulrich Kadow.
Graham will be based in the London office of AGCS, Allianz’s entity for large-scale corporate and specialty risks. He succeeds Andrew Whitehouse who is leaving to pursue external opportunities outside the Allianz Group.
With over 30 years of Marine underwriting experience, Graham joins Allianz from his most recent role as head of Marine Global at Chaucer Syndicates where he led a team managing all areas of marine insurance offerings, sat on its steering committees (for ESG Underwriting, Product Oversight, and Reinsurance Security), and was recently chairperson of the IUMI Facts and Figures committee.
His career spans roles in both Paris and London with CIGNA, ACE Group and Chaucer Syndicate at Lloyd’s of London, across a variety of increasingly senior marine underwriting positions, including most recently covering the international company markets with worldwide responsibilities.
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BHSI Names De Wilde Head of Property, Switzerland
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced the appointment of Bart De Wilde to lead its growing property underwriting team and portfolio in Switzerland.
De Wilde has more than two decades of insurance underwriting and engineering experience. He comes to BHSI from Holcim Ltd, where he was most recently deputy head of Group Insurance. He holds a master’s in Industrial Sciences from Catholic University Leuven, Technology Campus de Nayer.
As part of a steady expansion of its global footprint, BHSI opened a new office in Zurich, Switzerland in 2022, where it is offering a full line of commercial property, casualty, and specialty insurance solutions to customers and brokers.
De Wilde is based in BHSI’s Zurich office and can be reached at bart.dewilde@bhspecialty.com
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HDI Global Specialty Promotes Spafford to Canada Branch MD
HDI Global Specialty (HDI) announced that Derek Spafford, formerly general manager and chief agent of its Canadian operations, has been promoted to managing director and chief agent of its Canada branch, effective Jan. 1, 2023.
Spafford has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry and has been employed by the Talanx Group (HDI’s parent company) since 2011.
Spafford has built a strong team and has led the profitable development of the portfolio, which is expected to continue under his leadership.
“Derek has led our highly respected team of professionals at the Canada Branch for many years and has successfully and systematically developed our footprint in the Canadian Specialty market. We recognise the further potential that this market has to offer us and using Derek’s extensive network together with his enhanced authority as managing director, we see the perfect alignment of decision making at the local level,” commented Ralph Beutter, chief executive officer – HDI Global Speciality SE.
Topics Excess Surplus Property Canada
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