Jamie Sahara, Chairman of United Risk, presented the company’s full leadership team, including several newly appointed executives, during its quarterly stakeholder meetings held at its 50 Rockefeller Plaza headquarters.
“We have again added to our C-suite, completing our leadership team,” said Sahara. “With the addition of Andrew Lucas, Gregg Holtmeier, and Patrick Watson, we’ve built one of the strongest management teams in the business. Our insurance entrepreneurs have the supporting infrastructure to readily capture market share, standing upon our financial, operational, and philosophically forward-looking corporate culture, and taking part in growing a multibillion-dollar, multinational insurance operation.”
Sahara continued, “While we’ve been building up our leadership team, several executives, especially Rick Christofer, have been doing double duty. The addition of Gregg Holtmeier, who as CCO will focus on capital providers such as reinsurers, insurers, and sidecar capacity, allows Rick to concentrate fully on our relationships with underwriters, agents, and brokers, which alone is a really big job. We applaud our entire esteemed leadership team, and welcome Andrew, Gregg, and Patrick to United Risk.”
Hayden Smith, United Risk’s CEO, previously served as Managing Partner. Before joining the firm, he was VP of M&A at Enstar Group and also served as Head of Ceded Reinsurance at StarStone, a global specialty carrier jointly owned by Enstar and Stone Point Capital.
Rick Christofer, United Risk’s President, previously served as Managing Director at Applied Underwriters. Earlier in his career, he held various roles at AIG, Guy Carpenter, Gen Re, and The Hartford.
Andrew Lucas, United Risk’s General Counsel, was formerly a partner at Clyde & Co LLP, advising insurance-sector clients on a wide range of companies-market and Lloyd’s matters, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial issues, corporate governance, and regulatory matters.
Alexander Amezquita, United Risk’s Chief Financial Officer, was previously CFO at Herbalife. Before that, he was an investment banker focused on mergers and acquisitions at Moelis & Company and Centerview Partners, having begun his career in Merrill Lynch’s M&A group.
Gregg Holtmeier, United Risk’s CCO, most recently served as Director of Capital at Applied Underwriters. Prior to that, he was Chief Strategy Officer & EVP at BMS Group, where he helped redefine the firm’s reinsurance arm. He also held senior roles at Guy Carpenter and JLT Re.
Patrick Watson, United Risk’s COO, spent 21 years at Applied Underwriters in a range of leadership positions, most recently as Director of Program Development, where he played a key role in building operational infrastructure and process efficiencies for MGAs across the property and casualty marketplace.
Sahara also commented on United Risk’s current results, noting that its total underwritten premium volume now places it among the world’s top five MGAs, operating with 25 property and casualty underwriting programs and a staff of nearly 600 worldwide.
He said, “We are now on the ground in nine countries across four continents, with major offices in key insurance centers including New York, Bermuda, London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, and Sydney. Each has been a source of our dramatic growth as we have continued to strengthen our relationships with the more than 30 insurers we represent, further enabling our experienced underwriting team to command a loyal and productive broker base.”
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