N.Y.-Based Reinsurer Southport Re Appoints Chief Actuarial Officer

Southport Lane, a New York-based private equity firm, has appointed Jim McNichols as chief actuarial officer of its reinsurance group, Southport Re.

In this new position, McNichols will be responsible for supporting reinsurance underwriting and directing quantitative risk analytics, as well as leading Southport Re’s enterprise-wide risk management processes.

Before joining Southport Re, McNichols served as a consulting actuary for Aon, leading dynamic risk modeling projects for insurance companies and large corporations. McNichols’ role included providing advice on risk pricing, capital structures, maximizing risk-adjusted returns and asset-liability portfolio optimization.

Prior to Aon, McNichols held several executive positions at XL Capital, including chief actuary and chief operating officer of the financial guaranty division.

McNichols has published actuarial papers on a wide range of topics, including reserve variability, financial guarantee risks, derivatives and modeling foreign exchange and commodities. He received his Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society in 1988 and is a member of both the American Academy of Actuaries and International Actuarial Association.

Topics New York Reinsurance