People Moves: Hiscox Appoints Bloomer as Chair, Succeeding Childs; SCOR Names de Varenne as Group CFO and Deputy CEO

This edition of International People Moves details executive appointments at Hiscox and SCOR.

A summary of these new hires follows here.

Hiscox Appoints Bloomer as Chair, Succeeding Childs

Hiscox Ltd., the international specialist insurer, announced the appointment of Jonathan Bloomer as chair designate, subject to regulatory approval. Bloomer will join the board as chair designate on June 1, 2023, succeeding Robert Childs who will retire on July 1, 2023.

Bloomer has a wealth of experience leading financial services organizations. He was a partner at Arthur Andersen before joining Prudential plc in 1995, initially as CFO and then taking the role of CEO from 2000 to 2005. His final executive role was as an operating partner at Cerberus Capital Management, the US private equity and alternative investor. A seasoned board director, Bloomer is currently serving as chair of Morgan Stanley International, DWF Group plc and SDL Group Holdings Ltd.

Previous board roles include chair of Arrow Global Group PLC (European investor and asset manager in non-performing and non-core assets) and senior independent director at Hargreaves Lansdown plc.

“After an extensive search I am delighted to have led the process that resulted in the Nominations and Governance Committee selecting Jonathan as the board’s next chair. We will benefit from his experience and leadership, and we are all very much looking forward to working with him,” commented Colin Keogh, Hiscox senior independent director.

“I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rob once again for the immense contributions he has made during his long and distinguished career, not only to Hiscox but to the wider industry. He has navigated many insurance cycles, mentored many underwriters and leaves a legacy of integrity and strong results. We wish him all the best for the future,” Keogh said.

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SCOR Names de Varenne as Group CFO and Deputy CEO

François de Varenne, interim CEO of SCOR from Jan. 26, 2023, to April 30, 2023, and Executive Committee member in charge of Investments, Technology, Transformation and Group Corporate Finance, has been appointed group chief financial officer and deputy CEO.

He keeps his previous responsibilities and will be taking on the financial management of the group with immediate effect.

Ian Kelly, previously CFO of SCOR, is leaving the group to pursue new professional opportunities.

de Varenne, a French citizen, is a graduate of the École Polytechnique and a civil engineer of the Ponts et Chaussées. He holds a doctorate in finance and graduated as an actuary from the Institut de Science Financière et d’Assurances (ISFA).

He joined the Fédération Française des Sociétés d’Assurances (FFSA) in 1993 as manager of Economic and Financial Affairs. In London, beginning in 1998, he served successively as insurance strategist with Lehman Brothers, vice president for asset management solutions, and structured transactions specialist in insurance and reinsurance companies at Merrill Lynch and then at Deutsche Bank. In 2003, he became managing partner of Gimar Finance & Cie.

He joined SCOR in 2005 as director of Corporate Finance and Asset Management. On Sept. 3, 2007, he was named group chief operating officer and joined the Executive Committee. On Oct. 29, 2008, de Varenne was appointed CEO of SCOR Global Investments. In September 2021, he began oversight of an enlarged area of leadership including Investments, Technology, Budget, Transformation and Group Corporate Finance. From Jan. 26, 2023, to April 30, 2023, he was Interim CEO of SCOR.

“François has successfully led the group on an interim basis over the past three months. He knows the company inside out and has a perfect grasp of the financial mechanisms of all our activities,” commented Thierry Léger, chief executive officer of SCOR.

“I have every confidence in him to help me write this new chapter in SCOR’s history. I would like to thank Ian Kelly for his contribution to the transformation of the Finance function, particularly during the transition to IFRS 17, and wish him every success in the next stage of his career,” Léger added.