Allianz promotes senior commercial insurance executives

Allianz Commercial Thursday announced several promotions following the departure of Tracy Ryan to head the National Council on Compensation Insurance.

Ms. Ryan, who leads Allianz Commercial in the Americas, will leave the insurer at the end of the year and join NCCI in January. She will also step down from the board of Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE, which houses Allianz Commercial.

Shanil Williams, chief underwriting officer, will take over Ms. Ryan’s responsibilities. Mr. Williams joined Allianz Commercial from American International Group Inc. in 2016 as country manager for New Zealand. He later transferred to Munich, taking on roles of increasing responsibility and joined the AGCS board in 2022. He will relocate to New York when he takes the new job.

Vanessa Maxwell, global head of financial lines and cyber, will succeed Mr. Williams as CUO and join the board. London-based Ms. Maxwell joined Allianz Commercial from Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Co. in 2022.

Jarrod Schlesinger, Jenise Klein and Gabrielle Durisch

Jarrod Schlesinger will succeed Ms. Maxwell as financial lines and cyber head. He joined Allianz Commercial in February 2023 from Chubb Ltd. as head of financial lines North America in New York.

Jenise Klein will take on the newly created role of CUO North America. Ms. Klein, who joined Allianz Commercial in 2015 from ART Capital Solutions, is currently regional head of property North America in New York. Mr. Schlesinger and Ms. Klein will retain their current responsibilities until successors are named.

The insurer also promoted Gabrielle Durisch, currently Zurich-based global head of sustainability solutions, to the newly created position of chief sustainability officer. Ms. Durisch joined Allianz Commercial from Zurich Insurance Ltd. in 2023.

Ms. Ryan was named one of the Business Insurance Women to Watch in 2014, Ms. Maxwell was a winner in 2019, and Ms. Klein and Ms. Dursich were winners in 2023.