People Moves: Mosaic Builds Out Global Transactional Tax-Risk Team; The Hartford Names Hill CUO of Small Business

Mosaic Insurance, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, has expanded its North America and international transactional tax-liability teams to meet heightened demand in the sector, with the recent addition of four tax-risk specialists and the promotion of another. Mosaic’s tax team now comprises nine specialists who focus on a range of M&A-related and standalone tax risks.

In the U.S., Heather Eskey has joined the company as a senior vice president (SVP), supporting on tax risks in North America. She brings underwriting experience from her previous role leading Chubb’s transactional risk tax group. She also served as a tax attorney at top global law and accounting firms, and as in-house corporate tax counsel at AIG.

Caleb Smith also joins Mosaic’s New York office as a vice president in the tax-liability unit. He previously worked as a tax attorney with law firm Davis Polk Wardwell LLP in New York City, advising on US and international tax consequences of corporate transactions. Prior to law school, he spent several years in Washington, DC, serving in a variety of public-policy roles.

Ze’ev Deutsch, who joined Mosaic’s New York office in 2022, has been promoted to senior vice president in the tax team. He was previously an attorney at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP.

Roktim Kaushik, vice president, a former tax attorney at KPMG, also supports the New York-based team.

In the UK, Mosaic’s international tax underwriting team—led by Greg Branagan, SVP, and including Camille Zabukovec, assistant vice president (AVP)—has welcomed Byron Thomas, SVP, and Li Hong Gosen, AVP, as tax underwriters. Thomas, a barrister, previously led the international tax underwriting team at Themis Underwriting. Prior, he spent more than 10 years as an international and M&A tax advisor at EY, most recently as a director based in London.

Gosen comes to tax underwriting after M&A tax lawyer roles at KPMG and EY in the Netherlands and London. In those posts, she specialized in cross-border structures and transactions for listed, large cap, and mid-market businesses.

Transactional liability is one of eight lines of business Mosaic underwrites. The firm’s other focus areas are: cyber, environmental liability, financial institutions, political risk, political violence, professional liability, and excess casualty.

The Hartford Names Hill CUO of Small Business

The Hartford has named Pete Hill as chief underwriting officer of its small business unit. He replaces John Russo, who has been named CUO for The Hartford’s global specialty wholesale & international business.

Hill will report to Chris Jones, head of The Hartford’s Small Business unit. Hill has deep underwriting experience with more than 15 years of service at The Hartford. He was instrumental in developing the company’s small business underwriting capabilities, which continue to set the industry standard for speed, ease, and accuracy.

Most recently, Hill served as vice president, small business product management, responsible for The Hartford’s Spectrum line of business, driving consistent profit and growth through challenging market conditions. In his new role, Hill will lead The Hartford’s small business underwriting strategy and execution, ensuring consistency, discipline, and profitable growth, including E&S binding.

Topics Commercial Lines Business Insurance