Key leadership changes announced at Zurich North America

SCHAUMBURG, Ill., Jan. 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Zurich North America today announced key leadership changes that will further position the organization to consistently deliver strong performance:

• Jason Meador, currently Head of Captives at Zurich North America, has been appointed to lead the RCIS crop insurance business following the impending retirement of Head of RCIS Mike Day.
• Alban Laloum, currently Head of Customer, Distribution, Marketing & Regional Management for Zurich Canada, has been selected for the role of Chief Customer Officer for Zurich North America.
• Dawn Hiestand, currently Head of Operations for Zurich North America's Direct Markets business serving auto dealers, has been selected to replace Meador as Head of Captives.
• Kelly Kinzer has officially become Head of Construction after serving in an interim role following the departure of Karen Reutter.

RCIS leadership transition
Jason Meador, who has been at Zurich since 2013, will move to Zurich's crop insurance business, Rural Community Insurance Services, on Feb. 1 as Head of RCIS. Reporting to Zurich North America CEO Kristof Terryn, Meador will be responsible for the direction and strategic planning of Zurich's crop insurance business, including the expansion of precision agriculture and other advanced technology, and for ensuring strong relationships with key stakeholders in the agriculture industry, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS), crop agents and the U.S. Congress. He will work closely with Zurich's Government & Regulatory Relations team in Washington, D.C., on issues and advocacy related to the federally funded crop insurance program.

Mike Day will stay on through March 31 to assist in Meador's transition. Day's retirement comes after nearly 40 years in crop insurance, which included serving on the NCIS Executive Committee and the Executive Committee of the Crop Insurance & Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB).

"Mike ensured RCIS, as one of the country's largest and most dependable crop insurance providers, earned and held the trust of farmers and agents. Mike played a significant role in the successful transition when Zurich acquired RCIS in 2016," said Terryn. "We thank him for his 33 years of leadership and advocacy at RCIS. Jason will draw on Mike's legacy and his own broad skills and experience to continue to support the strength and vitality of American agriculture."

Meador, a Navy veteran who enlisted at 18, joined Zurich years later as a Strategy Business Partner to the former Commercial Markets business unit and Technical Underwriting function. He then became Head of Strategic Execution for North America before moving to the former Alternative Markets business unit as its Chief Operating Officer. His 17 years of insurance experience, including at Boston Consulting Group, were preceded by his work in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, where he was Program Manager for Steam Generator Technology and Fleet Support at Naval Reactors Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University.

Head of Captives
Succeeding Meador as Head of Captives on Feb. 1, Dawn Hiestand will be responsible for the overall strategy and operational management of Zurich North America's Group Captives insurance business, which includes member-owned, agency and fronted captives. She will report to Head of U.S. National Accounts Paul Horgan.

Since joining Zurich in 2000, Dawn has held leadership positions in Claims, Operational Transformation and Underwriting. She served as Chief Operations Officer for Alternative Markets before serving in the same role for Direct Markets. She is also Head of the Women's Innovation Network, Zurich's largest and oldest employee resource group.

She previously practiced law at private firms. She earned her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Valparaiso University and was admitted to the Illinois Bar in 1997.

Chief Customer Officer
Alban Laloum has been selected for the  role of Chief Customer Officer for Zurich North America, reporting to Kristof Terryn. Effective Feb. 1, Laloum will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for the expanded Customer Office, which now will encompass Distribution in addition to Marketing and Customer Experience functions, to deliver distinctive expertise and customer experience, expand Zurich's reach and deepen distribution relationships. This will include building on digital and technical capabilities and enhancing end-to-end servicing across the customer journey.

Laloum has been with Zurich since 2013, joining as Global Broker Relationship Leader after leading Marsh's Multinational Practice globally for three years. His 26 years of experience as a broker include roles leading Marsh's international practice for the Midwest region and its Risk Management and Client Executive practice.

Laloum holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Science in Insurance from the University of Hartford, a post-graduate degree from Centre des Hautes Etudes d'Assurances in Paris and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Head of Construction
Kelly Kinzer, previously Head of Construction Casualty and, before that, Head of Construction Property at Zurich North America, had been leading Zurich's Construction business on an interim basis since November, following the departure of Karen Reutter. Kinzer officially became Head of Construction on Jan. 1. She will be accountable for delivering underwriting results, sales execution, talent management strategies and innovative products and services, such as the Zurich Construction Weather Parametric solution that she helped launch in 2021. She will report to Paul Horgan.

Kinzer started her career at Zurich before moving to roles at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty then Marsh & McLennan, where she was Senior Vice President. She then spent four years at Willis Towers Watson, where she progressed to Executive Vice President and Head of Construction Broking for North America before rejoining Zurich in 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from St. Olaf College.

"These newly named leaders illustrate the outstanding talent and great bench strength we have here at Zurich North America," Terryn said. "They will continue to keep the focus on truly knowing our customers — their challenges and their goals — and ensure we deliver the differentiated solutions and excellent service they have come to expect from Zurich."

About Zurich North America
Zurich North America is one of the largest providers of insurance solutions and services to businesses and individuals. Our customers represent industries ranging from agriculture to technology. Zurich North America is part of Zurich Insurance Group, a leading multi-line insurer that serves its customers in global and local markets. Read more at www.zurichna.com/services/about-zurich.

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SOURCE Zurich North America