Argo poaches Generali Brazil CEO

Argo Group has appointed Jose Ribeiro, formerly chief executive officer (CEO) of Generali Brazil, to the newly created position of head of international.

Ribeiro will be based in the company’s London office.

Before his time at Generali, he served as director of international markets at Lloyd’s of London with responsibilities spanning Europe, Asia, Australasia, Africa and Latin America. Prior to Lloyd’s, he served as managing director for Willis Group in Latin America and the Caribbean and as president and CEO of AIG Life Companies in Brazil.

Mark Watson, group president and CEO, said: “We charted a strategy seven years ago to become an international specialty business. Since that time, we’ve built a profitable Bermuda platform, acquired a Syndicate at Lloyd’s that is delivering strong results, established a business in Brazil, and expanded our local presence to Dubai, Continental Europe and Asia. Combined, these international businesses account for nearly 50 percent of our gross written premium.

“We’ve been looking for the right person to bring all of these businesses together, and I’m very excited to add Jose to our executive team. His global experience, particularly with respect to the Lloyd’s market, Brazil and Asia, will help ensure the profitable growth of our international operations.”

Ribeiro said: “Argo Group has built an outstanding international platform. I’m looking forward to joining such a strong management team and continuing the company’s strategic growth in significant global markets.”