Hiscox names CTO; Liberty Mutual's new chief compliance officer: Career moves

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Hiscox names CTO

Hiscox announced Frank Lamantia, who was most recently the CTO at Bold Penguin, will join the company as chief technology officer on Jan. 21. Lamantia will report to Mary Boyd, the CEO of Hiscox, and Chris Loake, the CIO of Hiscox Group. 

Lamantia will lead all areas of the company's U.S. technology development.

Boyd said in a statement: "Frank has architected and delivered capabilities for leading insurtech brands, enabling their impressive omnichannel growth. With a strategic mindset, business-builder's heart and motivational leadership style, he is a perfect fit for our Hiscox culture. Even the most advanced technology requires continued evolution and high performance teams to operate it. Frank has both the deep technological know-how and proven leadership experience to bring the best out of that technology and our people. The synergies between people and technology will unlock an even better service for our partners and customers."

Liberty Mutual announces EVP and chief compliance officer

Liberty Mutual Insurance announced the appointment of Nicole Arangio to executive vice president and chief compliance officer, effective April 1. Arangio, who joined Liberty Mutual in 2000, is currently the chief compliance officer for global risk solutions at the company. She is a founding leader and co-executive sponsor for WE&Liberty, the employee resource group supporting women at the company.

Karen Morton who is the current EVP and CCO will retire at the end of March next year. Morton has held numerous leadership roles at Liberty Mutual since she joined the company in 2006. 

Morton said in a statement: "It's been an honor to lead the compliance function and work closely with my colleagues and peers to advance our global strategy. With Nicole's extensive expertise and deep legal experience at Liberty Mutual, as well as her exceptional leadership capabilities, she will offer a strategic perspective as she works with the executive leadership team to continue driving the business forward."

Beazley promotes Lezzi to lead cyber risk group

Specialty insurer Beazley has promoted Alessandro Lezzi as group head of cyber risks. Lezzi previously served as the insurer's head of international cyber for over 10 years. He will report to Paul Bantick, group chief underwriting officer at Beazley.

"Alessandro is an outstanding cyber insurance leader, he has driven the growth of our international cyber business, successfully growing our premium income, building out the team and most importantly creating trusted relationships with our brokers and clients," Bantick said.

HIVE appoints Henning Haagen chief development officer

London-based HIVE Underwriters Limited (HIVE) has announced the appointment of Henning Haagen to the executive team as chief development officer and board member, beginning Jan. 1, 2025.

Most recently, Haagen was at Allianz Commercial, where he held several executive leadership roles globally and focused on growing the company's commercial insurance and specialty lines. At HIVE, Haagen will work with CEO Bruce Carman and the  executive team to expand the company's specialty underwriting portfolio and strengthen its market position.

AXA XL appoints new chief underwriting officer

AXA XL appointed Jon Tellekamp as chief underwriting officer of construction and energy. Tellekamp, who joins the company from Liberty Mutual, will head construction and energy underwriting and risk engineering teams in the large commercial space. Tellekamp will report to Donna Nadeau, head of large commercial. 

Nadeau said in a statement: "Both construction and energy industries face similar risks, including project delays, safety hazards, and environmental challenges. This is exactly what drove us to combine these teams to allow for a more integrated approach to risk management and insurance solutions. We've already seen impressive success with these underwriting teams working together, and now, under Jon's leadership and with his combined construction and energy industry experience, we look forward to seeing even more."

Northwestern Mutual appoints EVP, chief digital and information officer

Northwestern Mutual announced the appointment of Dave Gordon as executive vice president and chief digital and information officer. Gordon will lead technology and digital strategy at the company including oversight of the company's artificial intelligence capabilities, software engineering, data engineering, enterprise architecture, technology infrastructure, information risk and cybersecurity. 

Gordon previously served as vice president and CTO since joining the company in 2023. He was also previously the CTO and data officer at USAA Federal Savings Bank.

Tim Gerend, president, Northwestern Mutual said in a statement: "Dave's deep technology experience, collaborative style and track record of success make him well-positioned to lead Northwestern Mutual's overarching tech and digital strategy."

California CIGA plan re-appoints three board members

California insurance commissioner Ricardo Lara has reappointed three members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA) board, Richard de la Mora, Jennifer Schnittjer and Deepika Srivastava, to three-year terms ending December 31, 2027. CIGA ensures claims payments from insurance companies that have become insolvent in the state.

Richard De La Mora is senior vice president and counsel, head of personal lines at Farmers. Jennifer Schnittjer is vice president and controller for the Automobile Club of Southern California. Deepika Srivastava is chief operating officer of The Doctors Company (TDC).

FM names Laurel Rudnick and Danielle Harrison to new leadership roles

Commercial property insurer FM has appointed Laurel Rudnick vice president and chief underwriting officer, where she will manage the company's underwriting and reinsurance functions. Previously, she was the senior vice president, division manager for FM Affiliated. She is based in New York and will report to Lyndon Broad, executive vice president, staff operations at FM.

"Laurel has excelled in every role she has held at FM," said Broad in a statement. "With her deep knowledge of the industry and her unwavering commitment to our clients, Laurel will ensure we continue to provide unmatched underwriting experience."

The company also named Danielle Harrison senior vice president, division manager for FM Affiliated, FM's middle-market insurance division. Harrison will be responsible for leading a global business that provides underwriting expertise and property loss control management via a network of international broker partners. She joined the company in 2001 and most recently served as operations senior vice president, operations manager for Washington, D.C. 

"We are thrilled to see Danielle step into the role of division manager for FM Affiliated," said Ziad Alex S. Tadmoury, executive vice president, EMEA, Asia Pacific, Canada and Specialty Industries, and FM Affiliated in a press release. "Her proven track record and extensive experience in client service and operations make her the ideal leader to drive our middle-market business forward."

Westchester announces leadership appointments

Westchester, a Chubb company and Chubb's Excess and Surplus Lines division, has promoted Nick Gatt, to head of Westchester Programs, where he will oversee underwriting and profitability. Previously, Gatt was the chief operating officer for Westchester Programs. Replacing Gatt in this position is Shawn Parker, who previously served as the senior vice president of Westchester Program Services. 

"Nick and Shawn are exceptional leaders, each uniquely equipped to excel in their new roles," said Dave Lupica, division president of Westchester in a statement. "Both have been instrumental in shaping our Programs business, and their expertise and strong relationships with team members, our portfolio and business partners will ensure a seamless transition." 

EigenRisk hires Morris for customer role

Insurance technology company EigenRisk has hired Rebecca Morris as vice president, customer success. She will work with property and casualty clients to derive value from the company's EigenPrism platform, and reports to Deepak Badoni, co-founder and president of the company.

Morris has 18 years of experience in the industry, and has held leadership roles at Insurity, SpatialKey, and Moody's.