Company: Aon
Move: John Neal Appointed as Global CEO
Lloyd’s has announced that Chief Executive Officer John Neal will be leaving Lloyd’s in 2025, after leading the world’s marketplace for insurance and reinsurance for over six years.
Neal will be joining Aon as its Global CEO of Reinsurance and Global Chairman of Climate Solutions, with the leaving date to be confirmed in due course.
Lloyd’s Chairman, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, said: “Since appointing John as CEO in 2018, he has made a tremendous contribution to Lloyd’s.”
Lloyd’s CEO, John Neal, said: “I will be forever grateful to my colleagues and many others across the Lloyd’s market for the opportunity to put in place a framework that has delivered strong and sustainable financial performance and positions Lloyd’s for future success “
Company: Vig Re
Move: Ivana Jurčíková Appointed Chief Operating Officer and Wolfgang Hajek Joins Board as Chief Financial Officer
VIG Re has announced organisational changes to its Board of Management designed to enhance the company’s strategic direction and drive operational efficiency.
Ivana Jurčíková, a current Board member, has been appointed as the new Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Wolfgang Hajek has joined the Board as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
“We are excited to welcome Wolfgang to our Board and to see Ivana taking on the newly established role as COO,” said Tobias Sonndorfer, CFA, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VIG Re.
“The appointments of Wolfgang Hajek as CFO and Ivana Jurčíková as COO represent a significant step forward in VIG Re’s strategic development,” stated Dr. Peter Thirring, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VIG Re.
Company: Equisoft
Move: Brian Simpson, Appointed VP of U.S. Insurance Solutions
With over 30 years of experience in the life, health, and annuity sectors, Brian Simpson is joining the sales team for Equisoft’s insurance solutions in the US.
He has a track record of driving industry-leading results in IT operations and business transformation, having held executive roles with major organizations where he’s successfully led over 48 major insurance initiatives – including 9 policy administration system projects, 15 statutory company mergers, and 24 operational transformation efforts ranging from system implementations to office consolidations. His background spans both carrier and software environments, where he’s also guided more than 30 innovation and transformation projects leveraging newly sold solutions across all facets of life and annuity product management.
He said: “I’m thrilled to join Equisoft at such an exciting time for the insurance industry. Equisoft’s cutting-edge solutions are redefining how insurers approach digital transformation. I look forward to collaborating with our clients to help them achieve their strategic goals and deliver value to their customers.”
Company: ManyPets
Move: Guy Farley Steps Down as CTO of ManyPets
Guy Farley, the co-founder and CTO of ManyPets,, has announced his decision to step down from his role after 13 years of leading the company alongside Steven Mendel. In a LinkedIn post, Farley described his tenure and highlighted the company’s readiness for its next phase of growth under the leadership of CEO Luisa Barile.
Farley reflected on the achievements of ManyPets, emphasizing its end-to-end, cloud-based pet insurance technology stack. The system is API-centric, serverless, and capable of deploying updates 20-30 times daily into production. The company’s use of AI and machine learning, supported by a robust MLOps environment and data warehousing, has been a key differentiator, enabling rapid iteration and innovation.
Farley said: “The thing I am most proud of, and will miss the most, is the team. The technology team at ManyPets is extraordinary both in capability and culture, it will go from strength to strength in the incredibly capable hands of Nick S., Sophia Pilkington-Miksa, David Cochrane, Russell Rhodes and Pierre du Toit.”
Company: CHUBB
Move: John Latter Appointed as EVP, Head of COG Claims
Chubb has announced the appointment of John Latter to lead Claims for Chubb Overseas General (COG), effective immediately.
Latter has four decades of experience across the insurance industry. He joined Chubb in 2017 from Zurich Insurance where he held a number of senior claims roles with both UK and international responsibilities.
In his new role as Head of Claims, COG, he will oversee Chubb’s claims organization in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, Latin America and the Far East, leading a team of 3,000 professionals. He will continue to be based in London.
Paul McNamee, Executive Vice President, Chubb Group and President, Overseas General Insurance, said: “At Chubb, we are proud of the reputation we have built and track record in claims excellence. John exemplifies the technical expertise and the service culture of Chubb and I’m confident he will build on this legacy through his leadership of our claims organization internationally.”
Company: Fairfax Insurance
Move: Brian Young Appointed President
Fairfax Financial Holdings has appointed Brian Young as the president of Fairfax Insurance Group, succeeding Andrew Barnard, who has now become the chairman of the insurance unit.
The leadership overhaul took effect on 1 January 2025.
Prior to this, Young had been the CEO of Odyssey Group, a role he held since 2011. He joined Odyssey Group in 1996. Under his leadership, Odyssey has achieved an underwriting profit for 13 consecutive years and nearly tripled in size.
Company: OdysseyRe
Move: Carl Overy Appointed as Chief Executive Officer
Simultaneously, Carl Overy has stepped into the role of CEO of Odyssey, overseeing its three operating platforms – OdysseyRe, Hudson, and Newline. Overy has been CEO of OdysseyRe since April 2023.
Prior to this, he was the CEO of Newline and the London branch of OdysseyRe for 15 years.
Fairfax Financial CEO and chairman Prem Watsa commented: “Brian and Andy have worked together for nearly 35 years, the last 28 at Fairfax. Our expansive global (re)insurance operations will benefit greatly from their collective oversight. Carl is a proven leader who has devoted more than two decades of his life to Odyssey. We have no doubt that Odyssey will scale new heights under his leadership in the years to come.”
Company: Athora Holding
Move: Rakesh Thakrar Appointed as Interim Group Chief Financial Officer
Athora Holding has appointed Rakesh Thakrar as interim Group Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective immediately. He will also join the Group Management Committee, pending regulatory approval.
Thakrar has more than 25 years of insurance experience, was previously CFO at Phoenix Group, a FTSE100 savings and retirement services company. He succeeds Anders Malmström, who will leave Athora in early 2025 for an executive role in Switzerland. The two will collaborate to ensure a smooth transition.
Todd Solash, Athora Group President & Deputy CEO, said: “Rakesh is a respected and experienced leader in the industry. His deep technical knowledge and demonstrable track record in M&A, including complex integrations, make him a strong addition to the Athora leadership team.”
Company: AXIS Capital
Move: Sara Farrup Appointed as Head Of Global Markets
Sara Farrup (nee Mitchell) has assumed the role of Head of Global Markets as part of a planned leadership transition, first announced in September 2024. Ms. Farrup, who reports to AXIS President and CEO Vince Tizzio and is part of the Company’s Executive Committee, succeeds longtime Head of Global Markets Mark Gregory, who will continue to serve as a strategic advisor to the Company through March. Ms. Farrup is based in the Company’s London office.
She said: “I am proud to join AXIS as Head of Global Markets at this exciting point in the Company’s journey. I feel privileged to join an already strong team within Global Markets and am confident that together we can build on the positive momentum that already exists while providing our talent with a strong and vibrant culture that is conducive to success.”
Company: AXA XL
Move: Robert Malone Appointed as the Head of Large Accounts and Portfolio Management
AXA XL has appointed Robert Malone as Head of Large Accounts and Portfolio Management for its Cyber Insurance team in the Americas. Based in New York, Malone will oversee strategy and growth for large account cyber insurance portfolios, focusing on new and renewal business, as well as managing performance metrics through data analytics and portfolio reviews.
Previously, Malone served as VP and Head of Middle Markets for Professional Liability & Cyber at Zurich North America and has held roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Axis Capital, and Travelers, developing expertise in cyber liability and Directors & Officers Liability underwriting.
Theappointment complements AXA XL’s recent formation of Middle Market and Wholesale cyber underwriting teams, aimed at addressing diverse client needs and aligning with broker distribution models. Malone’s extensive experience in cyber and professional liability underwriting is expected to enhance AXA XL’s cyber insurance offerings and support clients’ cybersecurity initiatives.
Company: Markel
Move: Jack Taylor Appointed as Executive for Distribution Strategies and Business Development
Markel has appointed Jack Taylor as Executive, Distribution Strategies and Business Development, Asia Pacific. Based in Singapore, Taylor will lead broker engagement across the region, reflecting Markel’s focus on enhancing underwriting and distribution capabilities in Asia Pacific.
Taylor will collaborate with territory leaders, underwriters, and distribution teams to emphasize Markel’s specialty insurance offerings and develop tailored underwriting solutions. He brings experience from Zurich Insurance, where he held roles in relationship management and underwriting in both London and Singapore.
The appointment aligns with Markel’s growth strategy in the region, with leadership expressing confidence in Taylor’s expertise to strengthen broker relationships and drive business development.
Company: Canopius
Move: Laura Burke Appointed as U.S. Head of Cyber and Technology
Canopius has appointed Laura Burke as U.S. Head of Cyber and Technology. Burke assumes the role after having served as the company’s Executive Vice President, Cyber and Technology since joining Canopius in 2020.
She brings more than a decade of experience to the role. Before joining Canopius, she served as Senior Vice President within CAC Specialty’s E&O and Cyber Practice. Prior to that she held the role of Practice Leader and Executive Underwriter of Cyber, Technology, Media and Specialty PI at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). Burke served as Cyber Practice Leader at Lockton in Chicago before joining AGCS.
“It’s been exciting to be a part of building Canopius’ world-class cyber capability globally,” said Burke. “I’m honored to lead our team of U.S. cyber experts as we continue to develop innovative ways to expand our offerings in this market.”
Company: CFC
Move: Michael Lewis Appointed as Cyber Development Manager, Australia
Specialist insurance provider CFC has announced the expansion of its Australian-based dedicated cyber team with the appointment of Michael Lewis.
Lewis will be taking up his new role at CFC in January 2025 and joins Emergence Insurance where he was business development underwriter for two years. He will be based in CFC’s office in Melbourne.
Lindsey Nelson, Head of Cyber Development at CFC, said: “Mike’s appointment marks an important step forward for our Australian cyber team. While we’ve had an incident response team on the Gold Coast for several years now, Mike will be our first-ever dedicated cyber business development resource hired locally. His exceptional relationships, development skills and extensive knowledge of the cyber market make him ideally placed to help deepen and diversify our broker partnerships across the country.”
Company: Erie Insurance
Move: Andrew Callaghan Appointed Vice President and Illinois Branch Manager
Michael Callaghan brings a diverse background to his role at Erie Insurance. He began his insurance career at Great Lakes Insurance Services in Erie, Pennsylvania, where he honed his skills as a producer and commercial accounts specialist.
Joining Erie Insurance in 2017 as a District Sales Manager, Callaghan has consistently demonstrated leadership. He served as the lead for the Erie Sales and Marketing Employee task force and actively mentored aspiring insurance professionals through the Erie Agent Principal Development Program. He also previously led the Tennessee Branch intern program, providing valuable guidance to future industry leaders.
Prior to his career in insurance, Callaghan coached collegiate ice hockey at Iowa State University, reflecting his passion for leadership and team development. He holds a Master’s degree in Business Management and Leadership from Iowa State University and a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Towson University.
