Zurich Expands Underwriting Staff in Southwest

Zurich, a property/casualty insurance provider, has added six people to its underwriting staff in its Southwest region offices. They are:

• Matt Sweesy has been brought in to lead expansion efforts in the Strategic Risk Solutions business. He is relocating from Zurich’s New York offices to Los Angeles to provide greater customer and broker contact for large and complex risks.
• Margo Williams, Global Energy Property manager, will lead Zurich’s efforts in the southwest for Global Energy Property risks and is domiciled in the Los Angeles office. Williams brings more than 20 years of experience in large commercial property underwriting, including petroleum and energy-related risks and catastrophe perils.
• Steve Penwright has joined the Southwest Global Property team as an underwriter, relocating from New York to Los Angeles.
• Karen Rose, executive underwriter, holds underwriting responsibilities for the region’s newly formed Workers’ Compensation team out of the Los Angeles office.
• Mary Bakhoum joins the region’s Construction team as senior account executive, focused on large account underwriting and production. She will reside in the Los Angeles offices.
• Lisa Stadler, senior energy casualty underwriter, joins the region’s Denver office to grow the Domestic Energy business.

Blake said in addition to adding these staff members, Zurich continually identifies opportunities to grow talent and plans to hire or promote employees to fill positions to serve a number of different books of business.

Zurich in North America’s Southwest region covers Arizona, Southern California, Colorado, Southern Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.