Markel Insurance names CEO; New CEO of Manulife Asia: Career moves

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Markel Group appoints CEO of insurance

Markel Group announced Simon Wilson, current president of Markel International has been named CEO of Markel Specialty, Markel International and Markel Global Reinsurance–the three businesses are referred to as Markel Insurance. Wilson, who joined the company in 2010, was previously head of Lloyd's Asia platform in Singapore. Jeremy Noble will leave the company. 

Tom Gayner, CEO of Markel Group, said in a statement: "Simon is a proven leader with extensive insurance expertise, and his leadership approach aligns with both the Markel Style and our current needs. Markel's growth has been impressive, but it also brought new challenges and unnecessary complexity, as confirmed by our ongoing Board-led business review. At times, we unintentionally made it harder for our people to serve our customers. I'm confident in Simon's vision for growing this fortress of an insurance business through teams that are focused on serving the customers and markets that they know best."

Markel also announced Nan Fine as managing director, casualty, Southeast region, Markel Specialty and Hillary Warren as manager for commercial wholesale excess casualty, Southeast region. Anthony F. Markel, vice chairman of the board, also informed the company that he will retire as director and assume a role as chairman emeritus of the board. 

Farmers names regional president

Farmers Insurance named Ankur Chaturvedi as regional president, East territory. Chaturvedi, who was most recently VP of product innovation and strategic initiatives at Ouro, will be responsible for supporting agency owners and district managers across the area.

Ken Walton, president of distribution and chief revenue officer for Farmers, said in a statement: "I am confident that Ankur's leadership and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to accelerate our capital investments and growth efforts in the East. Throughout his career, he has consistently demonstrated the ability to drive strategic transformation and deliver remarkable revenue growth."

The Mutual Group appoints chief information and technology officer

The Mutual Group appointed Vineet Bansal as chief information and technology officer. Bansal will lead technology strategy and digital transformation. He will oversee the company's technology platform, data analytics, cybersecurity and IT strategy, amid other responsibilities. 

Patrick Markowski, chief operating officer of The Mutual Group, said in a statement: 

"Technology is a core pillar of our strategy to drive innovation and efficiency for our mutual insurance members. We are thrilled to welcome Vineet to the team and leverage his deep acumen and expertise in modern solutions, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and automation, which will play a critical role in the continued development of our leading-edge solutions platform."

Beazley selects Lindsay Shipper to lead North American property growth

Specialty insurer Beazley announced the appointment of Lindsay Shipper as head of commercial property, North America, effective April 1, 2025, and she will be based in Atlanta, Ga. Shipper has close to two decades experience in the property market and joins Beazley from Marsh, where she held multiple senior positions. 

She will report to Richard Montminy, Group Head of Property Risks, who said: "Property owners across North America are facing an evolving landscape driven by climate risk and increasing property values. At Beazley, we have consistently demonstrated that the property market is one we know well. We are committed to continuing our investment to support our brokers and clients in meeting the challenge, and I am delighted that Lindsay will be joining to help us realize our growth ambitions."

Manulife names Witherington as CEO, Finch as CEO of Asia unit

Manulife has named Steve Finch as president and CEO of Manulife Asia, effective May 9. Finch succeeds Phil Witherington who has been named president and CEO of Manulife itself.

Finch has held various roles at the insurer over 32 years there. He has been a member of the insurer's executive leadership team since 2016, and is currently its chief actuary.

In his career at Manulife, Finch has contributed to transformation efforts, transactions supporting the company's reserves, and transitions to new accounting standards. Finch has also served as CFO of Manulife's John Hancock unit in the US, and general manager of the John Hancock life insurance business.

Stevens promoted to lead AmFam tax operations

American Financial Group has promoted Matthew J. Stevens to vice president of its tax department, from his previous role as assistant vice president of the department.

Stevens joined AFG's Great American Insurance Group in 1998, and has held roles in AFG's tax department since 2000, reaching his current role in 2022.

TravMark hires Lofdahl as managing director

TravMark, a specialty insurance broker for travel and summer camp businesses, has hired Shannon Lofdahl as managing director.

Previously, Lofdahl was president and CEO of Travelex Insurance Services. She worked at Travelex for 28 years, starting out in its call center, and becoming CEO in 2020.

As managing director, Lofdahl aims to expand TravMark's tour operator, summer camp and youth travel units, and develop new insurance offerings. She is a member of Chief, a leadership network for women executives. 

Zinnia appoints vice chair and board member

Life and annuity insurance technology company Zinnia announced the appointment of Gary Cohn as vice chair and board member. Cohn, who is also vice chairman of IBM, has previously served as president and COO of Goldman Sachs and as assistant to the president economic policy and director of the U.S. National Economic Council.

"With the demand for retirement solutions growing, Zinnia's platform offers advisors, insurers and consumers a modern and intuitive experience, simplifying the integration of L&A products seamlessly into wealth portfolios," said Michele Trogni, chair and CEO of Zinnia, in the announcement. "We're thrilled to have Gary join our board at a pivotal moment for Zinnia and our industry. His track record and experience in banking and technology will help further accelerate Zinnia's growth."