People Moves: Smallcombe Joins Argo; Markel Hires Towse; Celent Adds Cake’s Norris; Ascot Expands Reinsurance Team

Smallcombe to Lead Argo Construction

Specialty insurer Argo Group International Holdings announced that Kristyn Smallcombe has been appointed senior vice president, Argo Construction practice leader.

Smallcombe joins Argo from Swiss Re, where she previously served as the global head of construction, casualty and professional lines. Prior to that role she served as Swiss Re’s North American head of construction. Before joining Swiss Re, Smallcombe served in a variety of roles at AIG for more than 16 years, including senior underwriter for architects and engineers – professional and construction casualty and senior underwriter, excess casualty, for AIG’s Lexington London division. She also held leadership roles at AIG, including product line manager for energy and construction and energy and construction industry practice group leader for AIG Property Casualty’s Midwest Zone.

Smallcombe will report to Gary Grose, executive vice president, Argo Group U.S. Operations.

Markel Hires Towse as Executive Underwriting Officer

Kristin Towse has joined specialty insurer Markel Corp. as executive underwriting officer for the Markel Specialty division. She will be responsible for leading the Products and Regulatory Services and Risk Solution Services teams. She will also be responsible for further building out Markel Specialty multiline capabilities, focusing on industry verticals.

Towse has direct underwriting experience in professional, casualty, and property lines and brings more than 20 years of broad insurance expertise to Markel Specialty. Prior to joining Markel, Towse held multiple leadership roles at Chubb.

Towse will report to Jane Peterson, chief underwriting officer for Markel Specialty, and is based out of Bostons.

Cake’s Norris Joins Celent as Senior Analyst

Boston-based research and advisory firm Celent announced that Rob Norris, chief executive officer of a digital workers’ compensation provider Cake, has joined its Property & Casualty Insurance practice as a senior analyst.

Norris brings 25 years of experience leading technology organizations of insurance companies. His experience includes nearly two decades with Pinnacol Assurance as chief information officer and chief strategy officer. In 2017, he founded the insurtech startup Cake, where, as CEO and chief innovation officer. Most recently, Norris served as chief technology officer at BiggerPockets, which offers digital tools for real estate investors.

Ascot Expands U.S. FAC Reinsurance Team

Specialty insurer Ascot has expanded its U.S. facultative reinsurance capabilities with the appointment of Anthony Kashuba, executive vice president, and Steve Robinson, senior vice president.

Kashuba will help oversee Ascot’s overall North America Casualty FAC product suite and facilitate new and expanded casualty products. Based in Ascot Group’s Stamford, Conn. office, he joins Ascot from Arch Reinsurance where he was managing director, responsible for casualty FAC operations in North America. In his 30-year career, he has held a number of senior underwriting and broking roles within the casualty sphere including stints at Allied World, Swiss Re and Willis Re.

Robinson joins to increase Ascot’s presence in the professional lines segment of the FAC market. He joins from TransRe where he wrote a range of management and professional lines. Prior to this, he was at Chubb, writing public company management liability.

Both men will also assume responsibility for the casualty FAC solutions currently provided out of Dallas, Tex., by Scott Beall and Lex Smart, who are both retiring at the end of 2021.

The enhanced Casualty FAC team is led by Libby Ismail, senior vice president.

All will report in to Rory Cline, who in a new role, is promoted to president of Ascot’s U.S. reinsurance solutions, and in turn reports to Jonathan Zaffino, group president.

Topics Reinsurance