Zurich North America builds its Middle Market leadership team

“These roles constitute the nucleus of the senior staff in the Underwriting and Industry Practices units and will be critical leaders in the refinement and execution of our strategic business plan,” said Alex Wells, Head of U.S Middle Market. “These are experienced underwriting executives with the customer focus and innovative approach necessary to drive our continued success.”

Joining the Industry Practices team and reporting to Mizzi:

• Stan Bernard, who joins Zurich as Head of Financial Institutions and Professional Services, responsible for developing and implementing a business plan focused on building financial institutions and professional services industry specialization and underwriting expertise. Bernard previously worked at CNA, where he held positions of increasing leadership in the middle market space. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Rutgers University and an MBA in Accounting and Finance from Montclair State University. He also holds Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) professional designations.
• Bill Fahy, named as Head of Private Equity, responsible for developing and implementing a business plan focused on building private equity industry specialization and underwriting expertise. Fahy has been with Zurich since 2014, where he most recently held the role of Middle Market Underwriting Manager in Dallas. Prior to joining Zurich, Fahy held middle market underwriting roles with The Hartford. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Ohio Wesleyan University.
• Jon Zabikow, who joins Zurich as Head of Technology and Manufacturing, responsible for developing and implementing a business plan focused on building technology and manufacturing industry specialization and underwriting expertise. Zabikow joins Zurich from The Hartford, where he held various leadership positions in the Technology & Life Sciences practice and the Middle Market team. Prior to The Hartford, he held several underwriting roles with CNA and Travelers in the Technology Industry Practices. Zabikow earned a Bachelor of Business with a Marketing Major from Loyola University Chicago.

Joining the Underwriting team and reporting to Zeitler:

• Jeff Barnes, who has been selected as the Head of Property Underwriting, where he will be responsible for portfolio strategy and execution, risk selection and pricing, portfolio stewardship and product management. Barnes most recently served as the U.S. Middle Market Regional Vice President for the South Region. He joined Zurich in 2005 as an associate and has held positions of increasing technical and leadership responsibility in Construction, Commercial Markets and Middle Market. He earned his degree in Political Science from Susquehanna University and has also received Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM) professional designations.
• Susan Gordon, who has been selected as Head of Casualty Underwriting for U.S. Middle Market, where she will be responsible for portfolio strategy and execution, risk selection and pricing, portfolio stewardship and product management. Since joining Zurich from Liberty Mutual in 2008 as a senior underwriting executive in Global Corporate, Gordon has held a variety of executive underwriting positions, including Head of Workers’ Compensation on the Technical Underwriting team. She was most recently the Technical Director for Underwriting. Susan graduated magna cum laude from Knox College with a Bachelor of Arts and a double major in Economics and Spanish. She also earned a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation.

Joining the Underwriting leadership team in the South Region:

• Kim Jordan, who has been selected as the interim Regional Vice President – South Region and reports to John Diaz, U.S. Middle Market Chief Operating Officer. Jordan has been with Zurich since 2017, when she joined as a U.S. Middle Market Underwriting Manager in the South Region. With more than 30 years in the industry, she also held underwriting leadership roles at Travelers in Middle Market, National Accounts and Construction. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Finance, cum laude, from Louisiana Tech University and holds a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation.
• Jim Heintz, who has been selected as the interim Underwriting Manager in Dallas and will report to Jordan. Since joining Zurich in 2010, Heintz has held a variety of roles in Distribution, Regional Management and Claims before most recently serving as a Senior Middle Market Underwriter and Team Lead. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Commerce-Management from Santa Clara University.

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