Zurich NA announces new leaders in National Accounts & Underwriting

Zurich North America, a market leader in insurance and risk management services, has announced key leadership changes within U.S. National Accounts and Underwriting. 

Heather Fox, most recently Chief Underwriting Officer for Zurich North America, has been appointed to lead the U.S. National Accounts business that serves large national and multinational companies, following the impending retirement of Paul Lavelle, the previous Head of U.S. National Accounts.

Peter Caminiti, most recently Head of Underwriting for U.S. National Accounts, has been promoted to Chief Underwriting Officer for Zurich North America.

“I’m thrilled about Heather and Peter taking on these new roles,” said Zurich North America CEO Kristof Terryn. “Heather has been instrumental in the success of Zurich North America in her previous role as Chief Underwriting Officer. Her deep market understanding and prior experience will position her perfectly to take on this next role and achieve the Group’s goals. Peter is one of the best underwriters in the industry, with over 20 years of industry experience in underwriting and product management. He is well prepared for this broader leadership role.

“I also want to wish Paul the very best in his retirement,” Terryn continued. “His contributions have been instrumental in shaping our commercial business and claims operations. His legacy includes not only driving growth but also fostering crucial industry collaborations that benefit our customers.”

National Accounts leadership transition

Fox becomes Head of U.S. National Accounts on May 15 and will be part of the Zurich North America Executive Committee, the Group Leadership Team and the Global Commercial Insurance Leadership team.

She joined Zurich North America as Chief Underwriting Officer in 2023 and has been instrumental in strengthening underwriting capabilities and leading simplification efforts to enhance the underwriter experience. With over 25 years of industry experience, Fox previously served as General Counsel and Chief Broking Officer at ARC Excess & Surplus and held multiple roles at AIG, including General Counsel and Chief Underwriting Officer of the Executive Liability lines of insurance.

Underwriting leadership transition

Caminiti becomes North America Chief Underwriting Officer on May 15. He will be a member of the Zurich North America Executive Committee and the Group Leadership Team.

He has been with Zurich since 2014 and most recently served as Head of Underwriting in U.S. National Accounts. He has previously served in the Chief Underwriting Officer role ad interim and has built strong relationships with Zurich’s core customers and brokers.

Lavelle will stay on through June 1 to facilitate a smooth transition. During his seven years at Zurich, he significantly drove the North America commercial business, serving as Chief Claims Officer for three of those years. Zurich benefited from his over 30 years of insurance experience from Allstate and American International Group (AIG) to Zurich. Under his Claims leadership, Lavelle established the Claims Judicial and Legislative Affairs group to help customers address legal system abuse. He also led the development of a unique industry offering that provides critical excess casualty capacity to our large national and multinational companies.

Sierra Signorelli, CEO of Commercial Insurance, expressed her gratitude, stating, “I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Paul for his outstanding leadership and substantial contributions to Zurich and the broader industry. His efforts have been pivotal in shaping our commercial business and claims operations in North America. I wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

“I am thrilled to welcome Heather and Peter into their new roles, a testament to the strength and depth of our leadership team,” she continued. “I am confident that their expertise and vision will continue to drive profitable growth in North America, which remains a key market for Zurich Commercial Insurance."

About Zurich North America