PartnerRe, a global reinsurer, providing multi-line reinsurance to insurance companies, has made changes in its catastrophe business unit, effective 1 April 2011.
Brian Secrett, currently chief underwriting officer and deputy head, catastrophe, has been appointed head of catastrophe.
Secrett will be responsible for PartnerRe’s worldwide catastrophe reinsurance business, reporting to Emmanuel Clarke, CEO PartnerRe Global.
Secrett will succeed Ted Dziurman, who has been appointed to the new position of general manager and executive director of Partner Reinsurance Europe, the Dublin based European reinsurance company of the PartnerRe Group.
Secrett has over 20 years of reinsurance underwriting and market experience. He joined PartnerRe as an underwriter in 1994, and was appointed head of Bermuda catastrophe underwriting team in 2002 and chief underwriting officer catastrophe in 2008.
In addition, the company has also appointed Erik Ruttener, currently head of catastrophe research, as chief underwriting officer and deputy head of catastrophe, reporting to Secrett.
Ruttener joined PartnerRe in 2008 as head of catastrophe research. He is currently chairman of the board of Perils, an European insurance industry initiative providing natural catastrophe exposure and claims data.
PartnerRe Global CEO Emmanuel Clarke said Brian’s strong reinsurance experience and extensive knowledge of the catastrophe reinsurance market will be essential in managing the catastrophe business unit.
"Erik brings deep analytical skills, strong experience and knowledge in both catastrophe research and modeling. I am confident that together with the team they will ensure that our clients continue to benefit from our support in assessing, pricing and reinsuring their catastrophe risk," Clarke said.