National Programs Announces Promotions at Orchid Underwriters

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kathy Cody has been named chief executive officer of Orchid Underwriters Agency, and Ross Bowie has been named its president and chief underwriting officer. In addition, Steven Carlsen will transfer his current responsibilities to Kathy and Ross and take on a new role as an executive vice president in National Programs. Orchid Underwriters was acquired by National Programs, a Brown & Brown Company, earlier in 2022 to round out the segment’s personal lines coastal wind underwriting capabilities and expand its presence in the high-net-worth homeowners space. National Programs is composed of over 30 brands in the MGA/MGU/PA space covering over 60 specialty niches, including commercial lines, personal lines, earthquake, wind, special events, professional liability, municipalities and educational institutions.

“We were very impressed by Kathy’s leadership capabilities and Ross’s underwriting skill during our diligence of Orchid,” said Chris Walker, president of National Programs. “At Brown & Brown, we look to acquire teams of people who strengthen and diversify our organization while aligning with our culture. Orchid has been a welcomed fit largely due to the skills and character of Kathy, Ross and their teammates.”

“At the same time, we are excited to formally engage Steve Carlsen with the wider National Programs segment. Steve’s long and successful career adds to our bench strength as we continue our efforts to be the best underwriters in every business segment and program in which we operate.”

Steve Carlsen added, “I could not be prouder of the work Kathy, Ross and the rest of our team at Orchid have done over the last two years. I also want to express my appreciation for the welcome and support we’ve received from National Programs and the broader Brown & Brown organization. They’ve met every expectation, and I’m fully confident of Orchid’s ability to continue to thrive under its new leadership.”

Kathy Cody joined Orchid in 2019 as its COO and earned her promotion to president in 2021. She previously served as chief operating officer, personal lines for Farmers Insurance Group. Before her appointment, she served as CFO of Farmers Life and head of operational finance for Zurich Global Life NA. Kathy also worked for The Phoenix Companies in various executive positions and began her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Ross Bowie joined Orchid as head of personal lines in 2020 and was appointed chief underwriting officer in 2021. Before joining Orchid, Ross served as senior vice president at Bankers Insurance Group, overseeing personal and commercial lines and new product development. His early career was at American Strategic Insurance, where he held senior product and underwriting roles.

Steve Carlsen had been a board member of Orchid since its transition to private equity ownership in 2014, serving as executive chair and chair of the underwriting committee. He assumed the role as CEO in early 2021 and led the company through its sale to Brown & Brown in 2022. Steve was a co-founder of Endurance Specialty in 2001, serving as global CUW and Endurance Re North America president. He remained a director of Endurance until its sale to Sompo in 2017. Steve previously had senior underwriting roles at CAT Limited, NAC Re and Swiss Re and worked as a consultant to several private equity groups active in insurance and reinsurance.

About National Programs

National Programs, a segment of Brown & Brown, is composed of over 30 brands in the MGA/MGU/PA space covering over 60 specialty niches, including commercial lines, personal lines, earthquake, wind, special events, professional liability, municipalities and educational institutions. With over 30 intensive carrier relationships and a network of over 30,000 distribution partners, the collaborative group covers over 60 specialty insurance niches.

About Brown & Brown, Inc.

Brown & Brown Inc. (NYSE: BRO) is a leading insurance brokerage firm providing risk management solutions to individuals and businesses. For more information, please visit bbinsurance.com.

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Tom Kussurelis, TKussurelis@Arrowheadgrp.com

Source: National Programs