Executives On The Move at CNA, Heritage Insurance and XL Catlin

February 2, 2018

CNA made two leadership appointments within its Technology and Operations arm. Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. appointed a new Chief Financial Officer, a move that will be transitioned in over a few months. XL Catlin’s Global Excess Casualty insurance business hired on a new Regional Underwriting Manager.

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CNA made two important leadership appointments within its Technology and Operations unit.

Joyce Trimuel has accepted an expanded role leading CNA’s Operations organization in addition to her current role as Chief Diversity Officer, and Bahr Omidfar has been hired as senior vice president and Chief Technology Officer.

Trimuel joined CNA as Chief Diversity Officer in 2017, bringing 20 years of underwriting and industry leadership experience to CNA. In her expanded role, Trimuel provides overall leadership in developing and executing strategies that drive efficiency, innovation and process optimization in CNA’s Operations department, improving the overall customer experience. Trimuel will continue to drive CNA’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy and report to both J. Merten, executive vice president, Technology and Operations, and Liz Aguinaga, executive vice president and Chief Human Resources Officer.

As Chief Technology Officer, Omidfar is responsible for the overall strategic direction and leadership of CNA’s Architecture and Application Development organizations in Information Technology. Omidfar will focus on enhancing CNA’s user experience for agents and brokers, customers and employees leveraging his expertise in Cloud, API Gateway architecture and machine learning applications. He is based in Chicago and reports to Merten.

Omidfar brings more than 28 years of deep expertise in technology optimization with a proven track record of transforming organizations focused on speed, efficiency, and risk reduction, alongside completing over 30 organizational patents. Omidfar joined CNA from Fidelity Investments, most recently serving as senior vice president, Technology and Software Security.

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Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. appointed Kirk Lusk as its Chief Financial Officer.

The appointment will be phased in. Until April 28, 2018, Lusk will serve as co-Chief Financial Officer with Steven Martindale, Heritage’s current Chief Financial Officer. Martindale’s contract expires on April 28, 2018, and he intends to pursue financial consulting opportunities when he departs. He will remain involved with Heritage and has been appointed to its Board of Directors. Lusk will transition to sole Chief Financial Officer once Martindale shifts to his new role.

Lusk joined Heritage in November 2017, when Heritage acquired NBIC Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Narragansett Bay Insurance Company. Lusk served as Chief Financial Officer for NBIC going back to January 2013, providing critical financial oversight and developing operating and financial strategic plans to advance NBIC’s overall business objectives.

Lusk has over 20 years of finance and insurance experience working as an Underwriter, Controller and Chief Financial Officer. Before NBIC, Lusk served as International CFO of Aetna, Inc., CFO of Alea Group Holdings Bermuda Ltd., and CFO of GE Employers Reinsurance Corporation Global Casualty and GE Capital Auto Warranty Services.

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XL Catlin’s Global Excess Casualty insurance business hired on John Kopach as a Regional Underwriting Manager.

In his new role as Global Excess Casualty South East Region Manager, Kopach will lead the Atlanta-based team towards a more geographic-focused approach in addressing our broker and client’s excess and umbrella liability needs.

Kopach joins XL Catlin from Everest National Insurance where he served as vice president- Excess Casualty, East Region. He brings a combined 16 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance market, having worked at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions and XL Catlin Reinsurance.

Sources: CNA, Heritage Insurance Holdings, XL Catlin