Who’s moving where

Insurers

Watkins Syndicate
Adrian McCourt has joined Watkins Syndicate 457 at Lloyd’s as head of risk management - the first time the syndicate has appointed a risk manager within the business. McCourt joins from Marine Safety Services where he was operations manager.

He started his career in 1974 with Shell Tankers (UK).

He then became an operations manager within Finanglia Ferries before joining P&O Bulk Shipping as marine and safety manager in 1995. He is a Master (class 1) foreign-going, maritime auditor and ISM lead assessor.

SVB Syndicates
SVB Syndicates, the managing agency subsidiary of SVB Holdings, has appointed John Thirlwell as a non-executive director.

He was, until recently, a director of the British Bankers´ Association (BBA), which he joined in December 1996 from Hill Samuel Bank, where he had been director and head of risk. He founded and chaired the BBA’s Global operational loss database. He is currently co-chairman of the Operational Risk Research Forum. He has also been heavily involved in discussions with regulators concerning the new Basel Capital Accord and integration of the FSA.

Ecclesiastical Insurance
Nick Sealy will become chairman of Ecclesiastical Insurance Office and Ecclesiastical Insurance Group on 26 June in succession to Mark Cornwall- Jones who is retiring this year.

Sealy was appointed to the board of Ecclesiastical in 1999 and is a non-executive director and former chairman of Smith & Williamson.

Cornwall-Jones joined the board of the Ecclesiastical in 1979 and succeeded Sir Alan McLintock as chairman of the company in 1993. Cornwall-Jones has many continuing business interests and it is intended that he will become chairman of Allchurches Trust, Ecclesiastical’s ultimate parent company.

Brit Insurance
Brit Insurance Holdings has recruited Mark Cassidy, a self-funded medical underwriter writing US specific and aggregate medical insurance.

He is currently the underwriter of Lloyd’s Syndicate 5000 with over 20 years’ experience in the UK insurance market.

Allianz Cornhill Engineering
Simon Cuthbert has been made account development manager at Allianz Cornhill Engineering based in Manchester with responsibility for the North East and West of the region.

He joined Allianz Cornhill Engineering in 1996 and was previously a business development underwriter.

Ace
Ace has appointed Robert Blee, currently chief accounting officer, to the newly-created position of chief compliance officer.

This new role will include responsibility for monitoring and enhancing Ace’s internal controls on a global basis, assuring compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other new reporting and disclosure requirements.

Blee will retain his title and responsibilities as chief accounting officer until a suitable replacement can be found.

CNA Europe
CNA has appointed Paula Arthur at its London office as a professional indemnity line underwriter.

She joins CNA from the Lloyd’s syndicate Newline Underwriting Management, where for two years she headed the professional indemnity account. Prior to that, she worked for St Paul, London, as a senior professional indemnity underwriter writing predominantly UK professional indemnity business.

BDML (Holdings)
John Kavanaugh has been appointed to the board of BDML (Holdings) as a non-executive director.

Kavanaugh, who until recently was chief executive of Houston Casualty Company in London, is currently chairman of the Guernsey-based Heritage Group. He is also a non-executive director of Sabre Insurance Company, a subsidiary of BDML (Holdings). He has worked more than 40 years in the Lloyd’s Market.

Until the end of 2000, Kavanaugh was deputy chairman of Aon UK Holdings and prior to that was chief executive of Bain Hogg.

Manson Group
Manchester-based broker The Manson Group, has appointed Amanda Bennett as human resources manager.

She previously spent over two years working as HR manager at Manchester-based architecture and surveying firm, Byrom Clark Roberts, and prior to that worked for the Moat House Hotel Group.

FarmWeb
FarmWeb has appointed Ken Isherwood as operations manager.

He has many years experience, including time spent as marketing and operation manager at Lloyds TSB for its commercial broking business.

BJP Insurance Brokers
BJP has made three new appointments to its Wokingham based operation.

Nick Grazier joins from AXA Insurance, where he was schemes manager, to take up the role of group marketing manager.

Nigel Rawlings joins from Zurich to take up the role of training and compliance manager. He previously held a number of roles within Zurich and Eagle Star including Reading branch manager and corporate account manager in the City.

Geoff Farr has been appointed as general manager within Focus Underwriting, BJP’s underwriting agency, based in Swindon and Wokingham.

He has been with Focus Underwriting for three years and has more than 30 years’ industry experience.

Bryan Cave
The London office of international law firm Bryan Cave has appointed Ian Robertson, to head its business development and marketing activity.

Prior to joining Bryan Cave, he was the marketing manager in the London office of US firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae. He has both UK and US marketing experience with Allen & Overy and Ashurst Morris Crisp.

Lane Clark & Peacock LLP

Actuary Lane Clark & Peacock LLP has appointed two new partners in its expanding general insurance team - Mark McCausland and Philip Towell.

McCausland joined Lane Clark & Peacock in April 1994.

Towell qualified as an actuary in 2000 after starting his career at Commercial Union (now Aviva) working in the general insurance actuarial department. He moved to LCP in May 1998.

Moore Stephens
Moore Stephens has recruited insurance analyst Norma Peralta as operations manager for Moore Stephens Latin America, based in Panama City.

She joins from ProClarity Corporation.

Company focus

ECS Insurance Brokers appoints four new recruits
Sheffield-based ECS Insurance Brokers has made four new appointments.

Jason Reynolds and Ian Parkin have both been appointed to the board.

Reynolds retains his responsibilities as development manager and leads the corporate insurance development team.

Parkin also retains his dual role as broking and IT manager.

Sales manager Graham Dent has been appointed as associate director.

At sister company ECS Financial Services, Chris Holland has been appointed as sales manager.

Submissions
We welcome submissions for the Going Places page. Please send details of new appointments to: Going Places, Insurance Times, 30 Cannon Street, London EC4M 6YJ. You can also fax us at 020 7618 3499 or email lisa@instimes.co.uk .

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