Catalina unveils new appointments amid reshuffle
Legacy specialist Catalina Holdings (Bermuda) has unveiled a swathe of group and senior appointments as part of a business reorganisation.
Under the leadership of Bruce Hemphill, who was appointed CEO of Catalina in February 2021 after serving as chair of the Catalina board, the company said it has carried out an in-depth review of its operations, capabilities and market position.
Following this review, several changes were made to the group’s operating model, and substantial work has been completed to strengthen the organisation’s capabilities.
In realigning its management structures, the group has, inter alia, separated underwriting, origination, reserving and liability management responsibilities, and created two new roles: that of the Group Chief Underwriting Office (CUO) and Group Chief Commercial Office (CCO).
Dean Dwonczyk, co-founder of Catalina, has assumed the role of CUO, focussing on the assessment of liability portfolios as part of the origination process in close cooperation with Catalina’s Head of M&A, Mayur Patel. Dwonczyk will also take responsibility for the group’s underwriting framework and the strategic aspects of liability selection and portfolio construction.
Steve Ryland, former UK CEO, has been promoted to take on the new role of Group CCO. Ryland will lead the operational aspects of liability management working closely with Dean and Mayur on transactions. He will also lead the operational management of the subsidiaries.
Ryland has over 30 years of insurance and reinsurance experience, joining Catalina in January 2020 from Armour where he was a member of the Executive Management Committee and instrumental in the development of Armour’s business from inception. He has a proven track record of business origination, and significant operational and management experience.
Catalina’s actuarial function has been strengthened with the internal promotion of John McGlynn as Group Chief Actuary, subject to BMA and immigration approval. McGlynn previously held the role of Chief Risk Officer for Catalina General in Bermuda since August 2020. John is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Catalina.
To support Catalina’s growth, an effective IT function which can support the company as it builds out data and analytics capabilities is of paramount importance. Tim Brown has been appointed as the new Group Head of Technology and will be responsible for establishing and maintaining IT infrastructure, and supporting the operations and growth of the business.
Brown has more than 30 years of information technology experience and related services experience in IT executive roles in the insurance and wealth management market.
Following Ryland’s promotion, Graeme McAndrew will assume the role of UK CEO. McAndrew takes on this role as an internal promotion having previously held the role of Chief Financial Officer for the UK since May 2017. McAndrew will oversee Catalina’s UK operations, helping to drive all aspects of its strategy, and identifying potential transactions which leverage the Catalina’s global platform. Graeme is an experienced senior financial manager with over 30 years of insurance and reinsurance market experience.
Catalina’s UK subsidiary has been strengthened with the appointment of Guy Lether as UK Claims Director, replacing Steve Richardson who retired in August 2021. The appointment of Lether, as well as several structural changes will see the group claims expertise pooled to ensure more collaboration across multi lines and several jurisdictions. Lether joins from Starstone where he was Head of Claims, and brings significant claims expertise across multi lines, including Lloyd’s specialty lines, to Catalina.
Tom Alcock has been appointed as Head of Property Claims, Complex Claims in the UK and joins from Armour Risk Management where he most recently held the role of Head of Legal, Compliance and Regulatory and was a Director of the board. Alcock has significant multi class claims experience and expertise in acquisitions and sales of legacy entities. He will focus on UK property claims and coordination of claims due diligence, strengthening Catalina’s process and claims management.
Hemphill, Group CEO, commented, “The board and I are pleased to have completed this initial set of restructuring steps. We have a highly experienced team in place which is operating as a cohesive unit, and are intensely focussed on delivering future run-off transactions and driving positive outcomes for our clients and shareholders.”
