July 2021
A Message from Matt Edelheit, West Zone President, North America General Insurance

Summer is finally here – and with it, many new opportunities to help you solve your insurance needs.

This issue of The West AIGConnection highlights a product area where AIG work together to provide client solutions: Excess Casualty. This is a product where AIG has been a market leader.

As part of our experience and leadership, we have unmatched data and intelligence that helped us recognize early on issues and trends many others are only now addressing. Now, we have a clear and robust appetite across all of these lines and can help you keep on top of emerging risks and claims trends.

In this issue, we also spotlight and celebrate some of our recent successes in the zone. You will also learn of organizational updates and more about our product solutions.

We look forward to our continued engagement – updating you with regular communications like The West AIGConnection and – yes – getting together in person where and when it is appropriate to illustrate our commitment to you and strengthen our partnership.

Here’s to great days and we look forward to continuing to engage with you so we can provide solutions to your risks.

Best regards,
West Zone President
North America General Insurance
Ahead of the Curve: AIG Excess Casualty Moving Forward with Stable, Bespoke Capacity
To learn more, visit www.aig.com/whyaig-excess-casualty or contact your local Excess Casualty underwriting manager:
National and Corporate Accounts: East
Muffadal Lokhandwala
National and Corporate Accounts: West
Ryan Morris
AIG is looking to the future with a robust appetite to grow lead umbrella and mid- and high-excess placements across a broad range of industries – with capacity easily integrated and coordinated across AIG’s U.S., London and Bermuda platforms.  
 
“With our experience in the excess casualty market, we have unmatched data and intelligence to draw from to help our clients keep on top of emerging risks and claim trends,” says Michael Kirchgessner, Head of North America Excess Casualty at AIG. “This deep intelligence gave us the foresight to make necessary portfolio adjustments early on, ahead of the curve of the market cycle. Those adjustments are behind us, and we are now in growth mode in all of our areas including lead umbrella, excess casualty etc.”
 
Excess Casualty has up to $75 million in total capacity available on an individual account basis – and market-leading risk control capabilities that enable us to really understand unique and complex exposures and craft bespoke solutions. “Our risk control expertise is also why clients can be confident we can write their risk today and adapt coverage as their operations evolve and expand,” Michael adds.
 
In today’s volatile and evolving litigation environment, AIG also stands out for its proven abilities to handle intricate and challenging excess casualty claims. “By adapting our approach as needed to the current environment and leveraging our knowledge of specific venues and jurisdictions, we can help achieve the best possible outcomes for clients,” Michael says.
 
While AIG is well known for handling the most complex excess casualty accounts, we also deliver the same deep claims expertise and experience to smaller companies and their brokers with fast and easy access to coverage through the online quoting and binding of policies in AIG e-Excess.
 
“At AIG Excess Casualty, we stand ready to support clients’ risk throughout the tower of excess casualty limits, whether that is a standard lead or excess policy or the need for creative structures or customized coverage solutions,” Michael notes.
West Success Stories
Engaging Early on Excess Casualty Program 
AIG’s West Zone collaborated and strategized on the lead Umbrella program for this retail/wholesale industry client. AIG was engaged early, partnering with the broker on a multi-line program and showcasing our multiple product capabilities and expertise. Our Excess Casualty team engaged with the broker daily to assist them in structuring the tower, ensuring the insured wouldn’t have any gaps in coverage. With a strong impression on the broker and client, who has been with its incumbent for 20+ years, AIG hopes to be front of mind on other opportunities in this client’s portfolio in coming years.
Growing Client Relationship with Claims Capabilities
A team effort by AIG’s West Zone expanded our relationship with a major retailer, adding foreign casualty to the client’s program. This success was driven by the client’s appreciation of our Claims capabilities and service standards and our ability to create synergies between the client’s existing and prospective foreign programs. By meeting the client’s needs in these spaces, the client felt confident moving away from its incumbent carrier in favor of AIG’s value-added services. Our Excess Casualty team echoed the same regarding claims: a promise to remain consistent in our standards through the lead layer. AIG is excited to grow this relationship in years to come. 
Strong Relationship Fuels Retail Property Success
AIG and the broker in San Francisco worked together to provide an excellent multinational property solution for this software provider (one of multiple new lines of business we’ve partnered with the client to add to their program over the past year). This success was a direct result of the excellent broker and client relationship, coupled with collaboration, teamwork and communication that enables us to optimally structure a solution for the client. Now we look forward expanding this relationship even further with additional solutions for this client in the future.
San Francisco Women & Allies ERG Celebrates International Women’s Day  
The AIG San Francisco Women & Allies Employee Resource Group (ERG) hosted a virtual International Women’s Day celebration with the theme, “Choose to Challenge.” The goal of the event was to help forge a gender-equal world by celebrating women’s achievements, raising awareness against bias and taking action for equality. AIG female leaders, alongside Chief Diversity Officer, Ronald Reeves, joined to motivate employees through the informative and empowering panel discussion. Panelists shared their insights around career challenges, how to have a seat at the table, what it means to be a role model and how the next generation of leaders can advance their development. Event attendees gained valuable insights from the panelists’ personal experiences and walked away with tools to enable them to recognize and call out gender bias and inequality while simultaneously celebrating differences across the organization.
West Zone Organizational Appointments
Account Executive, A&H

Dominic is well-rounded with experience underwriting workers’ compensation, property, general liability, auto and excess umbrella coverages at Travelers Insurance. Additionally, he has served in account management and production roles with various insurance agencies, including the start-up Glow Insurance Services, Arrowhead General Insurance Agency and ICW Group. Dominic has a B.S. in Business Administration - Entrepreneurship from California State University Sacramento and is bilingual in English and Spanish.
West Zonal Lead, Management Liability, National Accounts

Jason Lally has been named West Zonal Lead for National Accounts. Jason has over 25 years of industry experience, 18 of which have been with AIG serving roles of increasing responsibility in Public Commercial Management Liability. Most recently, Jason served as Vice President and Team Lead for the group. Jason will be responsible for the development and execution of National Accounts strategies in his territory, reporting to Nora McGee.
AIG General Insurance Organizational Updates
Global Head of Multinational Financial Lines
 
Jeanmarie has been named Global Head of Multinational Financial Lines. In this role, she will lead the development and execution of AIG's multinational strategy for global financial lines. She also will be responsible for portfolio management and underwriting quality, as well as executing complex multinational programs across a range of products and geographies. For the past 12 years, Jeanmarie has been instrumental in defining AIG's underwriting strategies and product innovation for Professional Liability, as Head of Professional Liability for North America Financial Lines. Before that, she was Chief Underwriting Officer for Professional Liability and held other senior underwriting roles at Catlin Group and CNA.
Head of Underwriting, North America Retail Property
 
Mark Maritzen has been promoted Head of Underwriting for North America Retail Property. In this role, Mark will continue to drive the profitability of Retail Property’s risk management and middle market portfolios, delivering differentiated value to retail property brokers and their clients. He will also have expanded responsibility for all Zonal Retail Property Underwriting Executives moving forward. Mark has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry; before joining AIG in 2019, Mark held roles of increasing responsibility as an underwriter, reinsurer and broker at Sompo International, Tokio Marine Global, Guy Carpenter, Marsh and Gerling Insurance. 
Strategic Business Leader, AIGRM®
 
Trevor Gallagher has been named Strategic Business Leader for AIG Risk Management (AIGRM®). He will be responsible for AIGRM’s Specialty Portfolio, which comprises Transportation, Professional Employment Organizations, Construction and Closeouts/Structured Programs. Trevor will coordinate activities within actuarial, finance, underwriting and operations, and develop strategies to develop solutions. He has more than 21 years of experience with AIG.
 
Strategic Business Leader, AIGRM®
 
David Zelickman has been named Strategic Business Leader for AIG Risk Management (AIGRM). He will be responsible for AIGRM’s Core Portfolio, which consists of all other industry group and product designs not part of the Specialty Portfolio. David will lead AIGRM U.S. Field Operations to drive consistency in underwriting, service and market-facing activities across all zones. All Casualty zonal leaders will now report to David, with a matrix reporting relationship to Trevor Gallagher for Specialty Portfolio products. David, who has more than 30 years of experience, joined AIGRM in 2018 after a career at Chubb.
 
Head of Terrorism and Political Violence Risk
 
AIG has named Edward Atkin as Head of Terrorism and Political Violence Risk for our Global Center of Excellence (COE) Lloyd’s of London syndicate 1183 managed by Talbot Underwriting Ltd. Edward brings to the role 12 years of experience in this highly specialized market. Previously, he was Senior Class Underwriter for War and Terrorism on Syndicate 1183 and before that held other underwriting roles at Talbot. He and his team joined AIG through the 2018 acquisition of Talbot.
 
 
Head of LexPro
 
Julia has been named Head of LexPro, an appointment that marks Lexington's entry into wholesale-only distribution of management liability for small/medium -sized enterprises (SMEs). LexPro is an extension of Lexington's commitment to align resources, risk appetite and distribution strategies to meet the needs of the evolving excess and surplus lines market. Julia has more than 15 years of experience in underwriting excellence and client service. At LexPro, she leads a team of dedicated underwriters providing SME accounts with annual revenues below $150 million with products including employment practices liability, fiduciary and crime insurance through wholesale brokers. And prior to that was Vice President and U.S. Head of Commercial D&O at Validus Specialty and before that was Vice President in the Management Solutions Group at Zurich North America.
Wholesale Distribution Leader, North America General Insurance
 
Ella has been appointed as Wholesale Distribution Leader for North America General Insurance. In this new role, she will work closely with wholesale brokers to deliver differentiated value for AIG's Commercial Insurance business and partner with business unit leaders across Retail, Lexington, Glatfelter, AIG Programs and Captive Solutions. She will play an important role in strengthening relationships and maximizing AIG's franchise value to improve retention and drive growth. Ella joined AIG in 2020 as National Director of Business Development for Lexington Insurance. Previously, she held executive positions at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions as Senior Vice President overseeing distribution management and sales for Swiss Re's excess and surplus lines business.
 
Chief Operating Officer, General Insurance Claims
 
David has been appointed to the newly created role of Chief Operating Officer of General Insurance Claims, based in London. In this role, he is responsible for establishing a globally consistent strategy for delivering claims services and operations. He will oversee the claims performance and claims administration teams. David returned to AIG in 2020 as Chief Claims Officer, International General Insurance. He has more than 25 years' experience, including international claims roles at AXA XL and earlier in his career at AIG and Royal & Sun Alliance.
AIG has also made several appointments to its North America Financial Lines leadership, as part of new operating structure designed to enhance AIG's value to clients and broker partners.
Your AIG Team
Our local zones are the cornerstone of how we deliver our products and services to our brokers and clients. The Zone Presidents and their teams are here to assist you and welcome your inquiries. 
Please feel free to share this newsletter within your organization.
American International Group, Inc. (AIG) is a leading global insurance organization. AIG member companies provide a wide range of property casualty insurance, life insurance, retirement solutions, and other financial services to customers in more than 80 countries and jurisdictions. These diverse offerings include products and services that help businesses and individuals protect their assets, manage risks and provide for retirement security. AIG common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Additional information about AIG can be found at www.aig.com | YouTube: www.youtube.com/aig  | Twitter: @AIGinsurance https://twitter.com/AIGinsurance | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/aig.

AIG is the marketing name for the worldwide property-casualty, life and retirement, and general insurance operations of American International Group, Inc. For additional information, please visit our website at www.aig.com. All products and services are written or provided by subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group, Inc. Products or services may not be available in all countries, and coverage is subject to actual policy language. Non-insurance products and services may be provided by independent third parties. Certain property-casualty coverages may be provided by a surplus lines insurer. Surplus lines insurers do not generally participate in state guaranty funds, and insureds are therefore not protected by such funds.

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