Ascot names Mark Pepper, Elizabeth Johnson and Chris Flatt to new leadership roles

Ascot has appointed Mark Pepper as president, global underwriting, Elizabeth Johnson as president, specialty insurance and reinsurance, and Chris Flatt as president, consumer solutions, reshaping its organisational structure around specialty insurance, reinsurance and consumer solutions.

Pepper has been appointed president, global underwriting, effective October 1, expanding his remit to lead Ascot’s underwriting capabilities across its UK, US and Bermuda businesses. He will work with Group CEO and president Jonathan Zaffino and segment CEOs on growth strategies, business development, product innovation and underwriting talent.

Pepper joined Ascot at its inception in 2001 to lead its treaty reinsurance team and has served as group chief underwriting officer since 2009.

Johnson has also been appointed president, specialty insurance and reinsurance, effective October 1. She will oversee a newly created division covering Ascot’s global insurance and reinsurance underwriting operations, including global specialty, Bermuda specialty/Leadline Capital Partners and US specialty.

Johnson joined Ascot in 2020 as chief underwriting officer, North America, became chief operating officer, North America, in 2022 and was named group chief operating officer in 2024. Before Ascot, she was a managing director at Nationwide and spent nearly two decades at AIG in senior underwriting and management roles.

Flatt will join Ascot in early November as president, consumer solutions, a newly created division focused on consumer lines including high-net-worth personal lines insurance.

Flatt joins from AIG, where he most recently served as global chief underwriting officer and was a member of its executive leadership team. He previously led AIG North America alternative channels, covering programmes, captive solutions and private client insurance. Before joining AIG in 2017, he spent more than 15 years in leadership roles at Marsh McLennan and held senior underwriting positions at GE Capital and ITT Hartford.

Zaffino said: “Ascot is building on considerable momentum, with exceptional talent, strong businesses and exciting opportunities ahead. Sarge’s expanded enterprise-wide role will reinforce the underwriting leadership at the center of our strategy. Elizabeth and Chris are accomplished professionals whose complementary expertise and proven records of execution make them the right leaders for Specialty Insurance and Reinsurance and Consumer Solutions. Together, they will lead their respective areas forward while maintaining the consistency and trusted partnership that have distinguished Ascot in the market over the past 25 years.”

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