Zurich nabs ‘notable’ Willis/Chubb/GCube leaders for new sustainability roles

Zurich North America, a part of  Zurich Insurance Group, has bolstered its construction and energy units with an eye on developing sustainability-inspired solutions, scooping three “notable professionals” from the likes of Willis Towers Watson, Chubb and Tokio Marine’s specialist renewable energy insurer GCube.

Alicia Pavelko (pictured, left) rejoins  Zurich as US head of construction innovation and sustainability, with Molly Dorsett (pictured, centre) returning as head of US energy casualty renewables, and Nicholas Haller (pictured, right) appointed as lead underwriter of US renewable energy property.

Previously, Pavelko held leadership positions in the construction practice at Willis Towers Watson and Marsh, as well as construction and marine underwriting positions of increasing responsibility at Hanover Insurance and  Zurich North America.

Dorsett brings more than 17 years of experience in underwriting and management roles at Chubb,  Zurich and CNA. Haller previously held key underwriting roles at GCube Insurance Services.

Zurich said the three newly created roles are a part of its strategy to evolve its sustainability objectives towards becoming a more “responsible and impactful businesses on the planet”.

“These new roles underscore our commitment to further develop products and services that help our customers both mitigate and adapt to climate-related risks,” said Paul Lavelle, head of US national accounts for  Zurich North America, noting that “Climate change is one of the most urgent risks confronting our customers, and many are working toward carbon-neutral goals.”

Brandon Fick, chief underwriting officer and executive sponsor of sustainability at  Zurich North America, added that its ambition “extends beyond reducing our own carbon footprint in our operations and offerings.”

“We want to make it more seamless for our customers to integrate sustainability into their operations and offerings. We want to do our part to encourage growth in sustainable options for consumers as well. This is a journey for all of us, and we'll go farther and faster together,” he said.

The new hires will work closely with the newly formed office of sustainability underwriting, part of technical underwriting at  Zurich North America, led by Mark Way.

Pavelko will manage the growth of  Zurich's innovative, sustainability-inspired construction solutions including weather parametric, mass timber and alternative energy products. She also will be responsible for developing and deploying new product solutions for construction.

Dorsett will be responsible for developing the strategic direction and identification of product needs for  Zurich's renewable energy casualty practice, supporting growth in wind, solar and other types of renewable energy.

Haller will develop the strategic direction and identify product needs for  Zurich's US renewable energy property practice, with a focus on wind and solar, and liaise with  Zurich colleagues globally on renewables.

Did you get value from this story? Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.