Sompo International taps AIG veteran for board char
Sompo International Holdings (SIH) has named Nicholas Walsh (pictured), former vice chairman of P&C at AIG, to become non-executive chairman as part of a boardroom shakeup.
Walsh succeeds James Shea, who recently took on the role of Sompo P&C CEO alongside his existing responsibilities at SIH.
In addition, Monica Manhem has been appointed as an independent non-executive director, while Sompo Group CRO Yoshihiro Uotani also becomes an SIH non-executive director.
Walsh, an SIH board member since June 2022, spent 42 years at AIG, retiring in 2014 as vice chairman of P&C. He also held roles as EVP, CEO of international general insurance, and chair of several regional units.
Manhem, with nearly 40 years of experience, has been an independent non-executive director at SI Insurance (Europe) since 2023. She was previously CEO of SiriusPoint International and served on the Sirius International board from 2014 to 2022, having joined the company in 1985.
With over 35 years of experience, Uotani became senior EVP of Sompo Holdings in April 2025. He has served as group CRO and executive officer since April 2021, with prior international roles in Germany, the UK, the US and Japan.
Shea said: “We are delighted that Nicholas Walsh has become our new SIH board chairman. Nic is a highly respected leader with more than 50 years of experience in insurance and his expertise has been invaluable to us since he first joined our board three years ago. Nic’s new appointment comes at an exciting time for Sompo as we continue to expand our business around the world. We look forward to continuing to benefit from his guidance and insights, helping us put our customers and trading partners even more at the center of everything we do.
“The appointments of Monica and Uotani-san will strengthen even further the depth of expertise within our SIH board. Monica brings with her broad expertise across underwriting, communications, analytics, strategic and regulatory topics and is a respected industry leader. As Group CRO, Uotani-san’s extensive knowledge will help us to navigate a complex and rapidly moving global risk landscape as we continue to take our business from strength to strength,” Shea added.
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