NU Online News Service, June 15, 2:45 p.m. EDT
J Eric Smith will join Swiss Re as president and CEO, Americas effective July 11, the company says.
He will take over for Pierre Ozendo who retires this year after more than 35 years in the insurance industry.
At Swiss Re, Smith will be responsible for leading the company's property and casualty and life and health reinsurance businesses in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean.
He also will have operational oversight of all Swiss Re Group activity in these regions. Smith will join the Swiss Re Group management board, reporting to Christian Mumenthaler, chief marketing officer for reinsurance.
Upon retirement, Ozendo will join the board of Swiss Re America Holding Corp. as a non-executive director.
Smith, a 30-year insurance veteran, joins Swiss Re from USAA Life Insurance Co., where he served as president.
Prior to USAA, Smith was president of Allstate Financial Services, where he was responsible for the $3 billion Allstate agency line of business.
"We believe Eric's fresh perspective, high energy, combined property and casualty and life and health experience, and strategic-marketing leadership will be ideal to lead Swiss Re Americas in the next phase of our development in this region," Mumenthaler says.
Smith will relocate from San Antonio, Texas to Armonk, N.Y., the site of Swiss Re's Americas headquarters, the company says.
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