XL Catlin Specialty Names Product Line Leaders for Americas

XL Catlin’s Specialty Insurance division has appointed leaders for its regional insurance products in its newly-created Americas region.

The company named product leaders for accident and health, aviation, crisis management, equine and livestock, fine art and specie, marine and political risk and trade credit.

The XL Catlin insurance companies was formed following the recent acquisition by XL Group of Catlin Group, a deal that closed in May.

“The recent integration of two leading specialty markets like XL and Catlin has created a formidable specialty insurer, not only in size and distribution, but in expertise as well,” said Neil Robertson, chief executive of XL Catlin’s Global Specialty insurance business, in announcing the Americas line-up.

In March, in anticipation of the acquisition closing, Joe Tocco was named chief executive of the Americas region, which includes North America and Latin America.

XL Catlin’s Specialty product leads in the Americas include:

• Jason Denechaud – Accident & Health: Denechaud will continue to manage XL Catlin’s accident and health underwriting team for a wide range of programs and groups including associations, affinity groups, student travel groups, unions and others.
• Eric Donofrio – Aviation: Donofrio will oversee aviation insurance underwriting teams in New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco in the U.S., Toronto and Calgary in Canada, providing aviation hull & liability, aircraft products liability, non-owned aircraft liability among other coverages.
• Denise Balan – Crisis Management: Balan will lead XL Catlin’s crisis management underwriting teams in New York, Atlanta and Boston, as well as manage relationships with global risk management consultants, to provide product recall, war, terrorism and political violence, kidnap, ransom, and extortion insurance and risk consultancy services.
• Sheila Gott – Equine & Livestock: Gott will manage XL Catlin’s Lexington, Kentucky and New York-based equine teams that underwrite mortality, named perils, theft, prospective foal, barrenness, stallion first season infertility, along with livestock insurance, which includes livestock mortality, specified perils, transit motor truck cargo and care, custody and control liability.

• Jennifer Schipf – Fine Art & Specie: Schipf continues to oversee fine art, jewelers block and general specie insurance business, while serving as head of U.S. Specialty Distribution & Network (D&N). She is responsible for specialty distribution and new business development efforts.

• Richard DeSimone – Marine: DeSimone continues to lead XL Catlin’s ocean and inland marine business in the Americas, providing marine cargo, primary and excess marine liability, inland marine, blue water and brown water hull, as well as recreational marine coverages.

• Rafael Docavo-Malvezzi – Political Risk & Trade Credit: Docavo-Malvezzi assumes the role of Americas regional product lead for political risk and trade credit (PRTC) in addition to his role as head of Global PRTC Risk Management. His team provides insurance coverages to protect clients against confiscation, expropriation, nationalization, political violence, contract frustration among other risks.