People Moves: Sompo Promotes Cañellas to Iberia Country Mgr.; Oneglobal Reshuffles Leadership Team; Watkins to Lead Excess Casualty, Bermuda Healthcare at Vantage

This edition of International People Moves details appointments at Sompo International, Oneglobal Broking and Vantage Group Holdings.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Sompo Int’l Promotes Cañellas to Iberia Country Manager, Insurance

Sompo International, a leading provider of commercial and consumer property and casualty re/insurance, announced the appointment of Jamie Cañellas as country manager of its insurance operations in Spain and Portugal.

With over 30 years of industry experience, Cañellas joined Sompo International in 2018 and most recently held the role of head of Distribution for Europe. He is based in Barcelona and reports to Ralph Brand, president Continental Europe Insurance.

“This is an exciting time for Sompo International in Europe as we ramp up our insurance footprint and service offerings across multiple countries. Spain and Portugal are markets characterised by a blend of multi-national enterprises and vibrant small-to medium-sized enterprises, as well as a rising demand for insurers that can offer global reach, financial strength and a broad product offering,” Brand said.

“I am excited about this new role and the opportunity to expand on Sompo International’s capabilities and reputation as a market leader across Continental Europe. The Iberian market is highly dynamic and I believe we have a lot to offer – underwriting expertise, a healthy risk appetite and a long-term partnership approach. It’s a great time to invest in our operation and talent in this region and to further collaborate with our valued clients and partners to create the right solutions for their business needs,” commented Cañellas.

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Oneglobal Reshuffles Senior Leadership Team

Oneglobal Broking, the London-based broker, announced it has reshuffled its senior leadership team to bolster global expansion.

Roger Spicer has been promoted to CEO, Global Specialty; Sirikit Oh has been promoted to CEO, OGB Asia, and Phil Gingell has been promoted to chairman and CEO, US Aviation. All report to Mike Reynolds, group CEO.

In addition, Luca Garbarino was promoted to executive director and group deputy chairman, and David Lum to chairman, OGB Asia. These two roles will report to Jonathan Palmer-Brown, group chairman.

Garbarino will join the main board of Oneglobal, which the broker said is a “testament to his unstinting service to the group over the past 20 years.”

A Global Executive Committee will be established, chaired by Reynolds, to ensure the group continues to deliver on its objectives. Members of the committee are Hugh Crossland (group CFO), Nicolau Daudt (CEO, Latin America), Sirikit Oh (CEO, OGB Asia), Jeanette Paul (group head of HR), and Roger Spicer (CEO, Global Specialty).

A Global Specialty Committee also will be established, chaired by Roger Spicer, with representation from senior specialty and geographic leaders to ensure coordination and delivery of all Oneglobal’s strengths to clients worldwide.

Oneglobal said these changes reflect the significant transformation of Oneglobal over the last three years, from a London market marine and North American P&C business into a global specialty insurance and reinsurance broker with operations in London, Asia, Bermuda, Latin America, the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S.

These leadership changes “substantially strengthen the leadership team of Oneglobal, reflecting the rapid growth and the increasingly important contribution of our international operations alongside our deep London specialty expertise,” commented Group CEO Reynolds.

“We are proud that so many talented colleagues have joined Oneglobal in the last three years, and we remain hugely excited by the opportunity to continue building a truly global, client-focused, specialty insurance and reinsurance broker,” he added.

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Vantage Group Names Watkins Head of Excess Casualty, Bermuda Healthcare

Bermuda-based Vantage Group Holdings Ltd. announced the appointment of Denise Watkins as head of Excess Casualty and Bermuda Healthcare, pending Bermuda immigration approval.

Watkins will be based in Bermuda and report to Alex Blanco, Vantage’s chief officer of Insurance.

In her expanded role, Watkins will lead Vantage’s businesses across U.S. Excess Casualty and Bermuda Excess Casualty and Healthcare. She will oversee the team’s ongoing success through the enhancement of its business and distribution strategies.

Watkins will be responsible for the continued expansion of the business units and their profitable portfolio management, leveraging Vantage’s data and analytics strategy and commitment to value-added solutions.

Watkins brings 25 years of industry experience to Vantage. Before joining the company in 2021, she held various senior positions at Sompo International between December 2011 and June 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile. Previously, she held leadership roles at AIG and Travelers.

“Denise is taking on this important new role to generate greater value for our brokers and clients as they navigate an increasingly complex risk environment. Her promotion marks the next phase in our sustained growth across Vantage’s insurance business,” commented Blanco.

Established in late 2020, Vantage Group Holdings Ltd.’s operating subsidiaries are Vantage Risk Ltd., Vantage Risk Assurance Co. and Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Co., all rated “A-” (Excellent) by AM Best. Carlyle and Hellman & Friedman, global investment firms with deep experience in the re/insurance industry, are lead investors in Vantage.

Topics Leadership Casualty