Killourhy to Take Helm at QBE Re, Succeeding Postlewhite; Liberty Mutual GRS Taps CRO From Aspen, CUO From Liberty Specialty

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at QBE Re and Liberty Mutual’s Global Risk Solutions.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Killourhy to Take Helm at QBE Re, Succeeding Postlewhite

QBE announced the appointment of Chris Killourhy as managing director of QBE Re from Sept. 1, subject to regulatory approval, when he will move from his current role as chief financial officer, QBE International.

Killourhy succeeds Steve Postlewhite, who, in June, left the company after a four-year tenure. At the time, Peter Wilkins, QBE Re’s chief underwriting officer, assumed the role of interim managing director.

Killourhy is a fellow of the UK Faculty & Institute of Actuaries and has worked for international re/insurance and consulting companies across the globe. He also spent time with the Bermuda Monetary Authority where his responsibilities included the supervision of reinsurer capital and catastrophe models.

He joined QBE in June 2015 and has held a number of roles including chief actuarial officer and chief financial officer for QBE’s Australia Pacific division, before returning to the UK in 2020 to take up the role of CFO for QBE International.

“It is such a privilege to take on the leadership of QBE Re at this exciting time. With a strong leadership team in place and deep technical expertise throughout the organization, the franchise is well placed to build on impressive growth over the first half of the year and support QBE in its commitment to being a consistent and innovative risk partner,” commented Killourhy.

“We put in place an ambitious set of plans for QBE Re earlier this year, and I am delighted to have someone of Chris’ caliber to drive their delivery,” said Jason Harris, CEO QBE International. “My thanks to Peter Wilkins who took the reins on an interim basis, and I have every confidence that resuming his role as chief underwriting officer, supporting Chris, will contribute to a very solid, committed, and creative senior leadership team.”

QBE Re said an announcement about recruitment of a new CFO will be made in due course.

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Liberty Mutual’s GRS Taps CRO From Aspen, CUO From Liberty Specialty

Liberty Mutual Insurance announced the appointment of two individuals to newly created leadership positions within Global Risk Solutions (GRS), its commercial and specialty re/insurance unit.

Effective Sept. 1, Crystal Ottaviano will join as GRS chief risk officer, based in Stamford, Conn., while Chantal Rodriguez will become Liberty Mutual Reinsurance’s chief underwriting officer, based in London.

Ottaviano will report to GRS Chief Financial Officer Alison Erbig, and Rodriguez will report to both GRS President of Underwriting Matthew Moore and Liberty Mutual Reinsurance President Dieter Winkel.

As GRS CRO, Ottaviano will build differentiated global risk expertise capabilities that support a forward-thinking, risk-aware underwriting mindset designed to deliver exceptional value to Liberty’s partners and customers. Ottaviano, who has more than 25 years of risk management experience, joins from Aspen Insurance Group, where she was group chief risk officer. Throughout her career, she served in many senior leadership roles, including chief risk officer of Swiss Reinsurance America and head of Risk Management at Hiscox US.

As Liberty Mutual Reinsurance’s CUO, Rodriguez is accountable for underwriting performance across its broad set of flexible treaty reinsurance products, delivered through 18 offices across the globe. She is a 13-year veteran of Liberty Mutual, most recently serving as Liberty Specialty Markets’ head of Enterprise Risk Management. Throughout her 17 years in the industry, she has successfully shaped and executed reinsurance strategies, delivered robust and consistent underwriting risk assessment and appetite, and led cross-functional international teams.