Ace Global President: New Team to Be ‘at the Right Place at the Right Time’

The Ace Group of insurance and reinsurance companies has created a global client executive team, a group of senior executives who will act as the point people in allowing Ace's clients to tap into the company's intellectual capital.

"The people we are putting into place are designed to be at the right place at the right time with the right Ace capabilities to serve our clients' risk management needs," Ed Zaccaria, president of Ace global client executives, told BestWire.

He said larger clients can face complex risks, including operating in different countries, where they might face different tax issues, different legal issues, and different insurance issues.

"We have offices in 50-plus countries, write business in 140-plus countries, and have 150-plus different products and services. Every day we are developing new products and innovations. This is as much for our brokers as it is for our clients, to have a world-class team of global client executives strategically located around the world...to solve problems and to make sure our clients have all the best that Ace can offer," Zaccaria said.

The executives named to the team will be point people who help clients and brokers tap into the thousands of Ace employees "with boots on the ground who are essential to making all of this work," Zaccaria said.

This follows the September launch of Ace's client executive practice, which was started to meet the complex insurance needs of multinational and large account clients across the globe.

The following have been named Ace global client executives:

Flavio Bauer: With more than 30 years of insurance industry experience, Bauer is leading the Ace Latin America efforts, based in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He worked for Ace from 2000 to 2005 as president and chief executive officer of Ace in Brazil, and rejoins Ace from Citibank Corretora de Seguros Brazil, where he served as president. Prior to that, he was president of Marsh’s Brazil operations. He also served as president and CEO of the Sedgwick Group in Brazil from 1996 to 2000, and previously managed insurance, reinsurance and risk management operations, for insurance companies owned by Bunge & Born Group, a multinational agribusiness, for its operations in Argentina, Belgium, Brazil and Panama.

Robert Gaffney: Based in Philadelphia, Gaffney and has been with Ace for 12 years, and has more than 35 years of insurance industry experience. Most recently, he led Ace's global services unit, established in 2007 to manage the global delivery of Ace products and services. Gaffney has previously held the position of president, Ace USA programs division and chief financial officer of Ace Westchester. His prior work experience also includes senior leadership positions at Liberty Mutual, PMA Insurance Group, USF&G, and Ace's predecessor organizations.

Craig Hanrahan: Based in New York City, Hanrahan has more than 21 years of insurance industry experience, and joins Ace from Marsh & McLennan Cos., where he spent 19 years. Most recently he served as Marsh's managing director, Asia global client services growth leader -- Americas. Before that, he was managing director, co-leader, New York office, Japan client services. He also served as a large line casualty underwriter at American International Group Risk Management, based in New York.

Tom Harris: Based in Atlanta, Harris has more than 16 years of financial, insurance and risk management industry experience, and joins Ace from Tyson Foods Inc., where he held senior-level positions in risk management, finance, and business development. Most recently he served as senior director finance, renewable products division.

Gary Hightower: Based in Dallas, Hightower, who joined Ace USA in 1999, will continue in his current role as a global client executive. He has more than 34 years of underwriting, business development and sales experience in the insurance arena, with particular emphasis on serving the regional large-risk marketplace. Before joining Ace, Hightower spent 10 years at AIG in senior leadership roles in its risk management and regional operations division focusing on national accounts. He also spent 10 years with Continental Special Risk.

Tina Lakickas: Based in Chicago, Lakickas has 16 years of insurance and financial services industry experience, and joined Ace from AIG, where she was regional manager and vice president of global marine and energy. Her prior roles include serving as risk management account executive with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., and an underwriting specialist in construction with St. Paul Fire & Marine Insurance Co. She has also held financial analysis and actuarial roles at Motorola Inc. and KPMG Peat Marwick LLP.

William O'Donnell III: Based in Philadelphia, O’Donnell has more than 30 years of insurance industry experience, and most recently led a private investor-driven specialty insurance start-up project. He previously served as managing director, head of regional and specialty at Swiss Re, and spent 19 years serving in a variety of senior level positions at GE Insurance Solutions -- Employers Reinsurance Corp., where he was president of Americas direct treaty.

Ace American Pool currently has a Best's Financial Strength Rating of A+ (Superior).

(By Meg Green, senior associate editor, BestWeek: [email protected])