Executives On The Move at Ironshore, W.R. Berkley and Starr Cos.

November 29, 2017

Ironshore chose a new head of Global Claims. W.R. Berkley Corp. made some new appointments in two of its business units. Starr Cos. named two executives to help run its new Accident & Health division in Canada.

***

Ironshore named Kristin McMahon as head of Global Claims. In her new role, McMahon will have global responsibility for claims management oversight and litigation management services. She’ll report to Ironshore president Shaun Kelly.

McMahon replaces Mike Mitrovic, who recently left Ironshore.

McMahon joined Ironshore in 2008 as chief claims officer for IronHealth. She has held various management roles since then, including president of IronHealth’s liability and regulatory lines. Most recently, she was head of U.S. Claims. Before ironshore, McMahon was an industry legal expert and partner with law firm Kerns, Frost & Pearlman, where she specialized in representing professional liability insurers and reinsurers in the U.S., Bermuda and London.

***

W.R. Berkley Corp. made some new appointments in two of its business units.

Michael Lex has been named president of Continental Western Group, a Berkley Company and Midwest regional property/casualty insurance operation based in Des Moines, Iowa, with a focus on commercial underwriting, claims and risk management services.

Lex replaces Michael Connor, who was appointed president of Berkley FinSecure, which is also a Berkley Company. Berkley FinSecure provides customized, comprehensive insurance products and personalized service to financial institutions.

Lex joins CWG with more than 20 years of experience in the property/casualty insurance industry, and has expertise in areas including distribution and underwriting management. Connor has been with W.R. Berkley Corp. since 2012, when he became president of CWG. He has more than 30 years of property/casualty insurance industry experience.

***

Starr Cos. named two executives to help run its new Accident & Health division based in Toronto.

Dave Claughton was named sales and underwriting manager. He is a 20-year industry veteran who previously held sales and underwriting roles at AIG (2004-2017), according to his LinkedIn profile. Most recently, he was a group personal accident underwriter at AIG. He was a managing director in personal accident reinsurance for Lincoln National between 1995 and 1999, and worked for various life companies between 1985 and 1995.

Starr also appointed Jan Hughes from CSP Canada (2007-2017) as product and operations manager, her LinkedIn profile said. A 20-year industry veteran with underwriting and reinsurance experience, Hughes held various positions at Duncanson & Holt Canada/Tri-Can Reinsurance between 1995 and 2007, the profile added.

The new division will provide coverages including business travel accident; group basic and voluntary accidental death & dismemberment; critical illness; and emergency out-of-province medical.

Sources: Ironshore, W.R. Berkley Corp., Starr Cos.