Executive Committee

Chris has been our CEO and a director since June 2002. He was also CEO of Aspen UK until January 2010 and Chairman of Aspen Bermuda until December 2006. Before creating Aspen Holdings, Chris served as a director of Wellington and Chief Underwriting Officer of Lloyd’s Syndicate 2020 from November 2000 until June 2002. It was here that he built his specialist knowledge in property insurance and reinsurance, together with active underwriting experience in a range of other insurance disciplines. Prior to Wellington, Chris served as one of the underwriting partners for Syndicate 2020 from September 1998 until November 2000. This role followed five years as a deputy underwriter for Syndicate 51 from 1993 to 1998. Chris began his career as a Lloyd’s broker.

Brian was previously President of Aspen Reinsurance from June 2008 and appointed Head of Reinsurance in May 2006. Brian originally joined us in January 2004 as President of Aspen Re America. Before this he was at XL Re America from 1999, where he acted in several capacities including Senior Vice President, Chief Property Officer, responsible for property facultative and treaty, as well as marine, and Chief Marketing Officer. Brian began his career in 1982 at Gen Re and also held senior positions at NAC Re, Cologne Re of America and Guy Carpenter.

Michael joined us as Group General Counsel in 2008 after five years as Corporate Counsel and Company Secretary/COO at Benfield Advisory. He previously worked for law firms Barlow Lyde & Gilbert and Ashurst Morris Crisp. Michael holds degrees from the University of Reading and the University of Bristol, and attended Cranfield School of Management.

Julian has been our Chief Risk Officer since January 2010. He was our COO from May 2008 to January 2010, and has been a director since June 2002. Julian is also CEO of Aspen Bermuda and was appointed Chairman of Aspen Bermuda in December 2006. He served as our CFO for five years after the company was founded and as Finance Director of Aspen UK from 2002 until 2004. Before joining us, Julian worked with Wellington as Managing Director of Wellington Underwriting Agencies Ltd from 1992 until 1996. And in 1994 he joined the Board of Directors of Wellington Underwriting Holdings Limited. He also became Group Finance Director of Wellington Underwriting plc from 1996 to 2002. Julian is a director and audit committee member of Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Limited, and a director of Parhelion Capital Limited and Parhelion Underwriting Limited.

James joined the insurance market in 1993 and went on to spend eight years underwriting property insurance business, first in the London company market and then at Lloyd’s. James, who is ACII and AIRM qualified, moved to property treaty reinsurance in 2001, joined Aspen at inception in 2002 and was promoted to Group Head of Property Reinsurance in June 2004. 

Following the expansion of Aspen's business in Bermuda in late 2005, James moved to the island and was appointed Chief Underwriting Officer for Aspen Insurance Limited in addition to his group role.  In 2010, he was appointed President, Aspen Re and has recently assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Aspen Insurance Limited.

Karen joined us in 2005 as Head of Strategy and Office of the CEO. She was later appointed CEO of AMAL, the managing agency of our Lloyd’s Syndicate 4711 and CEO of Aspen Insurance UK Limited, our UK company. Karen had previously worked as a principal with the global private equity firm MMC Capital Inc – formerly owned by Marsh and McLennan and now Stone Point Capital. Before this, she was a director at GE Capital in London, co-running the business development team responsible for mergers and acquisitions in Europe. She started her career as an investment banker with Baring Brothers and then Schroders.

Emil joined us in 2006 as Head of Casualty Treaty at Aspen Re America, before becoming Head of Casualty Reinsurance in 2008. He came to us from Swiss Re America, where he was Senior Treaty Account Executive responsible for various global and national property casualty clients. Emil began his career at Gen Re as a casualty facultative underwriter.

Stephen joined us as Deputy Chief Actuary in 2003 and became Head of Risk six years later. Before coming to us, he spent a year at the Financial Services Authority working on the development of the Individual Capital Assessment process for non-life insurers. Stephen had previously spent nine years with KPMG in London and Sydney, working as a senior general insurance actuarial consultant – predominantly on the London market, Lloyd’s and reinsurance clients. He started his career as a management consultant at Andersen Consulting and has been a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries since 2001.

Kate joined as a founder underwriter in 2002, working in property reinsurance. She was Head of Group Planning for three years from 2003, joined Aspen Bermuda in 2004, and became Director of Underwriting in 2007. Kate previously worked as an underwriter with Wellington Syndicate 2020 and, before that, as assistant underwriter at Wellington Syndicate 51. She is also an Associate of the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Rupert had more than 20 years’ executive experience when he joined us in 2009 as Global Head of Professional and Financial Lines. In 1986 he co-founded SVB Holdings – subsequently renamed Novae Holdings – and remained there for 17 years, including 11 as CEO and three as underwriter of Syndicate 1007.

In 2005 Rupert co-founded APJ Continuation Ltd, whose major subsidiary writes a specialist book of special accident insurance. Beyond his immense London experience, Rupert is also a director of CertaAsig Societate di Asigurare Ci Reasigurare SA, a Romanian insurance company.

When Mario joined us in March 2011, he already had 34 years of global experience across various industry leadership positions. He made the move from Zurich Financial Services, where he was CEO, Global Corporate, with responsibility for all corporate business globally – he was also a member of Zurich’s Group Management Board. Mario spent six years at Willis Group Holdings, including four as CEO of Willis North America.

Mario is a member of the board of trustees of St John's University College of Insurance in New York, the board of directors of AICPCU and the board of Boys Hope Girls Hope of NYC. He has also been a member of the board of the American Insurance Association and of the board of directors of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.