Everest makes three appointments in distribution, specialty casualty and ESU

Everest Insurance has made three leadership appointments in its distribution, specialty casualty and Everest Specialty Underwriters (ESU) business units.

Marcus  Cooper has been named as head of distribution for Everest Insurance North America. He is  based in Chicago and reports to Mike Karmilowicz, president and chief executive of Everest Insurance.

Cooper joins from Liberty Mutual where he served as division president for the Midwest region, before which he worked at Zurich for 12 years as the head of middle markets in Zurich’s commercial insurance, middle market division.

Michael Finnegan becomes head of excess and surplus (E&S) casualty. He is based in Stamford and reports to Connie Germano, president of specialty casualty at Everest Insurance.

Finnegan is responsible for leading E&S primary casualty, E&S excess casualty and environmental. He joins from Ironshore where he was most recently president of the specialty casualty division.

Finally, Charlie Higham has been appointed as head of management and professional lines. He is based in New York and reports to Rob Clark, senior vice president and head of ESU.

Higham has been with Everest for five years, most recently serving as vice president and head of financial institutions for Everest Insurance, and has more than 20 years of experience in the management and professional liability space.

Karmilowicz highlighted Cooper’s “diverse industry experience, including business development, underwriting and risk management,” as key assets that will support the growth of the North American insurance operation.

Germano, meanwhile, singled out Finnegan’s “deep and varied skill set in casualty,” his varied background in re/insurance, and his visibility in the wholesale broker community.

Clark said Higham’s “comprehensive expertise, in addition to the successful management of our financial institutions portfolio, has made him the natural choice,” for his new role.