Ascot appoints ex-AIG as COO of North America insurance

Specialist re/insurer  Ascot has appointed a new chief operating officer (COO) of North America Insurance.

In this newly created role, Elizabeth Johnson (pictured) will have oversight for the strategic direction of an integrated underwriting, data, and operational organisation that provides streamlined support functions across Ascot’s North America businesses.

Johnson will work closely with the  Ascot leadership team to enhance our underwriting capabilities, data strategy, operational resiliency, and integration. She will continue to have direct oversight of the North America corporate underwriting office, business intelligence, ceded reinsurance, risk, and pricing actuarial.

She will continue to report to Jon Zaffino, group president, and will work closely with  Ascot's North America company CEOs, comprised of  Ascot Bermuda, Ascot Specialty Insurance and Ethos Specialty, the group’s wholly owned MGU.

Elizabeth joined  Ascot in September 2020 as chief underwriting officer, North America. Prior to joining  Ascot, she was managing director at Nationwide, after almost two decades at AIG where she held a number of senior underwriting and management roles, including head of excess casualty, North America and global head of excess casualty.

Zaffino said: “Under Elizabeth’s leadership, we’ve advanced our underwriting culture and frameworks, refined our many underwriting portfolios, and made strategic improvements to our overall risk profile.  This, in turn, has promoted our goal to achieve long-term sustainable resiliency across both our operational efficiency and risk-adjusted returns. I am thrilled to continue partnering with Elizabeth in this broadened remit as we advance our strategic agenda in the pursuit a modern, tech-centric insurer.”

Andrew Brooks, Group CEO, added: “I’m thrilled to recognise Elizabeth’s important role within the  Ascot Group. She is the latest example of the unique talent that flourishes within our entrepreneurial environment. Jon and I are confident she will continue to have a meaningfully beneficial impact on our future results.”

Johnson commented: “ Ascot's strategy focuses on a Client, Risk and Tech centric mission which is core to our future growth journey. This can only reach its full potential when all facets of our organisation are working together towards a common objective within a single operational framework. I’m delighted to take the role of COO, and look forward to working with our talented leadership team to further align our operations strategy which will allow  Ascot to remain a pre-eminent specialty risk assumption organization.”

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