Capsicum Re bolsters cyber unit with slew of hires following Swiss Re collaboration

Specialist reinsurance broker Capsicum Re has made four key appointments for its cyber team in London, following the recent launch of a  new holistic cyber reinsurance solution, Decrypt, co-created with Swiss Re.

Umair Ghani and Thomas Lashkari have joined as a cyber pricing actuary and a cyber analyst, respectively, reporting to Justyna Pikinska, head of analytics, specialty lines at Capsicum Re. Jennifer Braney and Sebastien Plummer have joined as brokers, reporting to Ian Newman, global head of cyber.

Ghani spent nine years at AIG most recently as a casualty lines pricing actuary, prior to which he was a financial lines pricing actuary, pricing analyst and reserving analyst at AIG.

Lashkari joins from Direct Line Group where he was a pricing analyst, acting as the lead analyst for several notable lines of business. Prior to this, Lashkari held roles at Travelers Insurance and Davies Group.

Braney joins from Liberty Specialty Markets where she was a senior underwriter focused on developing the cyber reinsurance and personal accident reinsurance portfolios. Prior to this she was the deputy class underwriter for Treaty PA at Liberty Syndicates. Braney has also held roles with Lockton Re and Odyssey Re.

Plummer was previously an assistant vice president in the cyber, media and tech E&O team broker at Paragon and part of the FinTech team, which placed accounts such as cryptocurrency exchanges and disruptive blockchain technology companies. Prior to this, Plummer worked for head-hunters Webber Fox Group as well as Accenture in Madrid.

Ian Newman, global head of cyber at Capsicum Re, said: “The cyber market is growing rapidly and our role is to help our clients understand more about their own cyber exposures, how to identify, quantify and ultimately mitigate this risk. It is key that we continue to attract the best talent so we can continue to provide market leading advice and help clients navigate the challenges they face.

"I am delighted to welcome four excellent additions to our team. Analytics is a key part of our delivery and Umair and Thomas’s expertise will increase our ability to deliver high quality consultancy work. Jen and Seb are well respected in the cyber market and each bring a different experience and perspective, which will be incredibly valuable as we evolve our products and offering for clients.”

Get all the latest re/insurance industry news with our daily newsletter -  sign up here.

Main insurers facing Dorian impact in US states flagged up ​ ILS holds up despite hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes, says broker ​ Marsh and Construction Risk Partners agree to part ways​ ​ Chaucer expands Asia Pacific treaty capabilities with AXA XL hire​ ​ American P&C underwriting margins 'fall slightly'​ ​ Pioneer expands renewable energy team with HDI hire​ ​ Willis Re names new life & health leader to oversee next phase of growth​ ​ Beach & Associates continues London wholesale expansion with JLT Re duo​

Feature:  10 ways insurers are using insurtech to drive new business