Houston International Insurance Group Announces Senior Management Promotions

Houston International Insurance Group (HIIG) announced senior management promotions for its holding company, property/casualty underwriting operations and other business units.

Peter Smith has been promoted to president of the holding company and will continue to report to Stephen L. Way, chairman and CEO. Smith has been with HIIG since January, 2015, and previously worked for more than 10 years at HCC, the company Way founded in 1974. Smith will continue to oversee all property/casualty (P/C) operations as well as handle his new corporate responsibilities.

Susan K. Swails has been promoted to executive vice president with responsibility for all P/C underwriting operations. Swails will report to Peter Smith but will also work closely with Way in his role as group chief underwriting officer. Swails has extensive experience in P/C lines of business, particularly many of the specialty lines that HIIG writes. She joined HIIG in 2014 and previously worked for Way for five years at HCC.

Richard W. Hitch has been promoted to senior vice president with overall responsibility for several business units: Mining, Onshore Energy, Hospitality, and two of the firm’s managing general underwriter (MGU) partners. Hitch has been with HIIG since 2014 and previously worked at W. R. Berkeley group for more than 15 years.

HIIG is an insurance holding company based in Houston, Texas with assets of more than $1 billion and shareholders’ equity of more than $250 million. HIIG’s insurance company subsidiaries consist of Houston Specialty Insurance Co., Imperium Insurance Co., Great Midwest Insurance Co. and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Co.

Topics Property Casualty