People Moves: AIG Appoints Walsh CFO; Rokstone Names Baker Deputy Head of US Casualty; Applied Underwriters Hires, Promotes Leadership

AIG Appoints Walsh Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer

American International Group, Inc. (AIG), headquartered in New York City, named Keith Walsh as executive vice president and chief financial officer, effective October 21. Walsh, based in New York, will lead AIG’s global Finance organization.

Walsh has over 25 years of finance leadership experience, joining AIG from Marsh McLennan, where he served as chief financial officer of Marsh. He previously served as vice president and head of investor relations for Marsh McLennan Companies. Walsh also spent 14 years as an equity research analyst at Citi, covering the insurance sector.

Rokstone Names Baker Deputy Head of US Casualty, Fitzpatrick as Senior Underwriter

Rokstone, the International Speciality (Re)Insurance MGA and part of the Aventum Group headquartered in Austin, Texas, appointed Ben Baker as deputy head of U.S. casualty and Alex Fitzpatrick as senior underwriter.

Baker joins from Convex, where he has spent four years as a class underwriter, U.S. casualty. He previously served as an underwriter at Liberty Specialty markets and Novae, following a year’s broking experience with Marsh.

Fitzpatrick has over 10 years of experience in U.S. casualty, joining Rokstone from Apollo. Before that, he served as an underwriter at Novae and Starr.

Laurence (Larry) Burrows was appointed head of the new Rokstone division last month.

Applied Underwriters Promotes, Hires Leadership

Applied Underwriters, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, made several promotions and appointments to its leadership team and other positions.

William Barvick was named vice president, healthcare, and Davis Isinger was named vice president of healthcare, hospitals and allied health, in the company’s applied financial lines division.

Applied Underwriters appointed James Davenport as corporate chief financial officer, succeeding Bob Stafford, who retired from the post after over 25 years of service.

Justin Smith, who has been with the firm for over 20 years, was promoted to chief economist and is succeeded by Jing Hong. Hong has been with the firm for over 15 years and remains chief actuary, adding the chief underwriting officer title.

Jeffrey Leach has been appointed chief investment officer.

Zach Brightweiser, with the firm for over 17 years, has been promoted to vice president, brand communications.

In Applied’s united risk division, Jay Cahill has been appointed chief financial officer and Paul LaPorta, vice president of finance & controller.

Additionally, the firm has recruited over 50 experienced and key managers, including:

Crispin Hodges, head of political risk
Sean Redden, general counsel and head of claims
Christophe Meurier, head of credit, applied entertainment & sports
Brett Basten, director of operations, applied financial lines
Suzanne Delio, vice president and underwriting counsel, applied home national underwriters
Robert Courtemanche, chief executive officer, applied specialty underwriters
Marge Milano, head of underwriting quality
Jacqueline Surguine, head of product innovation
Jessica Gregory, national product manager, applied surety underwriters
Nate Hutchison, CP, regional underwriting officer, contract surety
Nolan Steele, executive underwriter
Mark Atkins, senior vice president, national underwriting officer
Patrick Benedict, vice president, surety
Nicholas Green, assistant vice president, regional underwriting officer
Mark Neal, assistant vice president, regional underwriting officer
Samantha Canterino, head of surety claims
Nicholes (Pierce) Pontikes, assistant vice president, regional underwriting officer
MyBinh (Mimi) Nguyen, director of surety operations
Bryan Mortimer, vice president, head of mining engineering
Mary Ellen Ross, senior vice president, surety operations
Jason Kilpatrick, senior vice president, national underwriting officer
Lars LaBere, vice president, regional underwriting officer
Kevin White, vice president, regional underwriting officer
Matthew Nowaczyk, senior vice president, commercial surety
James Bluzard, chief underwriting officer, large contract surety
Christopher Raines, vice president, national underwriting officer
Kendall Meyers, senior vice president, petro engineering
David Rose, vice president, regional underwriting officer, applied underwriters aviation
Deanna Pease, executive underwriter
Jeffrey Sheets, vice president, applied warranty & insurance services
Juan Albuja Freile, actuarial & product director, Treadwell
Stephen Bitterman, senior vice president