A range of senior appointments and promotions have been announced across the insurance and risk sector in recent days.
EPIC creates new program development role in real estate practice
EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants has appointed Miranda Rodriguez (pictured, left) as program development leader within its national real estate practice, a newly created role.
Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Rodriguez will focus on structuring and expanding EPIC’s real estate presence. She will oversee initiatives across program design, strategic partnerships and operational infrastructure, coordinating existing real estate business while expanding access to expertise across the broader EPIC platform.
Rodriguez has more than 15 years’ experience in real estate risk management and program development. She previously led specialization for Willis Towers Watson’s residential segment within its real estate vertical and earlier served as global real estate risk manager for Brookfield Asset Management, where she worked on complex M&A transactions and international risk expansion.
Allianz’s Golding joins Plasnomic Plastic Repair Alliance Council
Plasnomic has appointed Michael Golding (pictured, center), network manager, Allianz UK, to the Plastic Repair Alliance Council.
As a council member, Golding will help advance work on repair-first strategies, standards and best practices in automotive plastic repair.
Golding has more than 38 years of experience in motor accident repair and insurance claims, starting as an apprentice collision repair technician and later holding leadership roles across engineering functions and repair networks. In his current role at Allianz, he focuses on developing the insurer’s repair network, including performance, technical standards and service for network partners.
Chubb taps MacLean to lead ESIS
Chubb has appointed Brent MacLean (pictured, right) as division president of ESIS Inc., its third-party administrator.
Effective immediately, MacLean will be responsible for ESIS’s P&L and will lead product development, customer service, relationship management and sales strategies.
MacLean succeeds Jim Shevlin, who is retiring after 24 years with the organization. MacLean has more than 20 years’ experience in workers’ compensation and related lines. Before joining ESIS, he was CEO of CompIQ Solutions, where he led the business through a period of growth and product innovation.
Gallagher promotes Walsh to lead investor relations
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has named Sara Walsh, CFA, to lead its investor relations team.
Walsh has nearly 20 years’ tenure with Gallagher, having joined as a summer sales intern and subsequently held roles of increasing responsibility in corporate finance and treasury. She also serves as the firm’s treasurer and head of corporate finance, overseeing financial analysis and reporting, capital planning and communications with rating agencies, banks and investment banks, and has led all of Gallagher’s capital raises over the past five years.
Burns & Wilcox hires Dutchess for Southern California leadership role
Burns & Wilcox has hired Tim Dutchess as associate managing director with leadership responsibility for its business units in San Diego and Orange County.
The wholesale brokerage and underwriting firm said Southern California remains a core growth market for the excess and surplus (E&S) sector and for Burns & Wilcox specifically.
Dutchess joins from Farmers Insurance, where he spent more than 15 years in roles that included agency sales and marketing and successive leadership positions. His experience spans a range of risk sectors along the US West Coast.
AXA XL appoints Carnazza to lead construction property in Americas
AXA XL has named Greg Carnazza as head of construction property for the Americas region.
Carnazza will oversee the development and execution of construction property strategies across the Americas, focusing on risk-transfer solutions, client relationships and underwriting capabilities. He joins from AIG, where he most recently served as head of underwriting, US Builders Risk. He has more than a decade of experience in property and construction risk management.
BHSI promotes three in wholesale property team
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) has announced three promotions in its property leadership team, naming Ryan Abelli and Chris Lemoine as co-heads of wholesale general property and JP Ahlgren as senior vice president of property.
Abelli and Lemoine, both previously senior vice presidents of wholesale property, will co-lead BHSI’s wholesale general property business, succeeding Chris Dalby, who is retiring after more than a decade with the company. Abelli has 18 years of property underwriting experience and is based in Boston. Lemoine has 19 years of property underwriting experience and is also based in Boston.
Ahlgren, who joined BHSI in 2014 and has 18 years of property underwriting experience, has been promoted to senior vice president of property. In his expanded role he will oversee day-to-day field underwriting operations and will report to Abelli. He is based in Boston.
Independence Pet names president of Independence Pet Group
Independence Pet Holdings (IPH) has appointed Vandana Venkat (pictured immediately above) as president of Independence Pet Group (IPG), its pet insurance and pet health services platform.
Venkat has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance and financial services, including senior roles at Argo Group, Clearcover and PURE Insurance, where she led underwriting and operations strategy, data and AI initiatives and growth programs.
In her new role, Venkat will work with brands including AKC Pet Insurance, OnePack Plan by PetPartners, Figo and ASPCA Pet Health Insurance, with a focus on advancing product innovation and accessibility across IPH’s portfolio.
Accelerant adds Jenks and Iardella to senior corporate roles
Accelerant has appointed Cliff Jenks as general counsel and corporate secretary and Ray Iardella as head of investor relations.
Jenks will oversee Accelerant’s legal affairs and corporate governance. He joins with more than 20 years’ experience in capital markets, third-party capital, M&A, investment transactions and public company governance. Most recently, he was senior vice president of corporate and securities counsel and corporate secretary at Reinsurance Group of America (RGA), where he held leadership roles for more than 14 years. He previously advised public companies on transactions, disclosure and compliance.
Jenks succeeds Nancy Hasley, who is retiring after serving as general counsel and corporate secretary since 2019, including through Accelerant’s IPO. The transition is effective March 31, 2026.
In the newly created role of head of investor relations, Iardella will lead Accelerant’s engagement with institutional investors and analysts. He has more than 20 years’ experience in financial markets and insurance. Most recently, he was vice president of investor relations at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and earlier held senior analyst and actuarial roles at insurance, financial and asset management firms.
