Zurich veteran John Diaz appointed to lead U.S. Middle Market

Zurich U.S. today announced that an 18-year veteran leader of Zurich, John Diaz, has been appointed President of U.S. Middle Market, Programs, Direct Markets and Captives, effective immediately. He succeeds Alex Wells, who recently was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Zurich U.S., subject to customary approvals.

In his new role, Diaz will lead one of Zurich's largest and fastest-growing businesses. He also will maintain his role as President of Customer & Distribution Management until a successor is named.

The appointment brings Diaz back to a business he helped shape and grow for six years. Prior to leading Customer & Distribution Management, Diaz served as U.S. Middle Market Head of Underwriting, where he was responsible for portfolio strategy and execution aligned to the business's growth objectives. Before that, he served as Chief Operating Officer for U.S. Middle Market.

“John is a natural choice to lead U.S. Middle Market,” Wells said. “He worked alongside me on the Middle Market leadership team during years of rapid growth, helping build the foundation for the successful business we have today. John's energetic leadership, his deep relationships with distributors and customers, his underwriting discipline and team-first mindset equip him to lead this business into its next chapter. I have great confidence in his abilities to lead teams that help distributors and customers navigate a changing risk environment.”

Under Wells' leadership, U.S. Middle Market grew by double digits and expanded to include Programs, Direct Markets and Captives. The business has expanded its underwriting footprint across the U.S., honed its industry specialization and equipped underwriters with advanced technology tools that redirect time from administrative tasks to analysis and time in the market.

“I couldn't be more excited to return to lead this dynamic business," Diaz said. "I know firsthand the talent, commitment and culture that make this team successful, and I'm honored to work alongside our fantastic underwriters, leaders and distribution partners as we continue building on the tremendous momentum. We have an outstanding team, a powerful value proposition and a bright future ahead.”

As President of Customer & Distribution Management, Diaz has been responsible for strengthening relationships with distributors and customers and helping connect them to the full breadth of Zurich's capabilities. He joined Zurich in 2008 and has held a series of executive leadership roles across the organization, including in National Accounts, where he served as Senior Vice President for Large Casualty and Head of Business Performance Management & Execution. Prior to joining Zurich, he held leadership positions in operations, finance and distribution at AIG.

He is based in New York City.

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