ACE Announces Global Client Executive Appointments

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The ACE Group of insurance and reinsurance companies today announced the appointment of six additional global client executives in four countries: Jeff Carr and Shaun Edwards in London, Olivier Roussel in Paris, Wolfgang Ruffert in Frankfurt, Andrea Pearson in Los Angeles and Karen Sawyer in New York. In these roles, they will be charged with helping clients and brokers operating in both established and emerging markets to realize the full benefits of ACE’s global resources and capabilities.

“We’re pleased to broaden this important client initiative with strong talent in additional geographies,” said Ed Zaccaria, President, ACE Global Client Executives. “We expect our client executives to be real difference makers in how we engage with clients and distribution partners and deliver on the wide ranging product and service offerings of ACE’s Multinational Client Group.”

Jeff Carr brings 23 years of industry experience to this role. He joined ACE as Client Relationship Manager in London in 2008, after five years with AIG, where he was Major Accounts Relationship Manager as well as Profit Center Manager for product recall and kidnap and ransom products. Prior to AIG, he had been Head of Sales and Marketing and Underwriting Manager over an eight-year period with Europ Assistance. Previously, he was Senior Underwriter, Personal Lines Accident & Health at Sun America and London Insurance from 1990 to 1995, after beginning his career as Commercial Underwriter with those companies in 1987.

A nearly 30-year veteran of the insurance industry, Shaun Edwards joined ACE as Client Relationship Manager in London in 2009, after serving as Head of Client Management for large clients for five years with Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. Prior to that, he had a 23-year career with Willis, holding a range of positions, including Executive Director, Multinational Clients. He began his career with Willis Faber & Dumas as Account Director, Japanese Portfolio/Risk Finance and Review in 1981.

Andrea Pearson has more than 20 years of experience in risk management, insurance brokerage, insurance operations and strategic business leadership. She joined ACE recently from Aon, where she led the Account Executive practice in Los Angeles for nearly three years. Prior to that, she held a variety of leadership roles over a 15-year period with General Electric, including serving as the company’s Global Risk Manager and leading the GE Employers’ Reinsurance global claims organization. She began her career with Sedgwick in San Francisco in the firm’s brokerage training program and advanced to Client Manager for several global clients.

Olivier Roussel brings more than 23 years’ experience in risk consulting, brokerage and business development to this role. He joins ACE from Gras Savoye, a Willis partner firm, in Paris, where he led the Global Client Strategy Practice Group for the past two years, and also served as Willis Network Country Manager for France for the past four years. Prior to that, he served as Client Director since joining Gras Savoye in 1999, adding responsibility for the Client Services division in 2001 and Risk Consulting practice in 2004. Previously, he served as Key Account Director and Specialty and Financial Risks Commercial Leader with March France from 1992 to 1999. He began his career with Faugere & Jutheau, later acquired by Marsh, in the firm’s aerospace division in 1986.

Wolfgang Ruffert’s insurance industry career spans more than 40 years in Germany, with 30 years focused on larger domestic and multinational clients. He had been Director, Corporate Accounts in Frankfurt since joining ACE in 2000. Prior to that, he headed AIG’s Business Development unit in Germany for four years, after leading AIG’s Germany Property & Energy profit center for 10 years. Previously, he was Marketing and Underwriting Manager with Zurich Financial Services in Hannover and Frankfurt from 1981 to 1986 and Marketing Manager for Skandia in Hannover from 1976 to 1981. He began his career in 1970 in Braunschweig as Deputy Property Manager with Braunschweigische Sachversicherung, a regional insurer later acquired by Hanse-Merkur Insurance Group.

Karen Sawyer has 35 years of underwriting and management experience with ACE and its predecessor company. She had been Executive Vice President, Branch Management & Client Retention for ACE USA New York since 2007. Prior to that, she was Senior Vice President, Business Development for one year, after serving as Branch Manager and Business Development Manager for the New York region from 1999 to 2006. Most of her career has been focused on large accounts, a segment for which she has developed, implemented and managed client focused practices.

These individuals join the existing team of global client executives, which includes Flavio Bauer (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Robert Gaffney (Philadelphia), Craig Hanrahan (New York), Tom Harris (Atlanta), Gary Hightower (Dallas), Tina Lakickas (Chicago) and William O’Donnell III (Philadelphia) to this role. Additional client executive appointments are expected in the coming months, including in the Asia Pacific region.

Celebrating 25 years of insuring progress, the ACE Group is a global leader in insurance and reinsurance serving a diverse group of clients. Headed by ACE Limited (NYSE:ACE), the ACE Group conducts its business on a worldwide basis with operating subsidiaries in more than 50 countries. Additional information can be found at: www.acegroup.com.

ACE Group
Stephen Wasdick, 212-827-4444
[email protected]

Source: ACE Group