Allianz Commercial has announced a significant leadership appointment, effective immediately, as Vanessa Maxwell takes on the role of global head of cyber, in addition to her current position as global head of financial lines.
Maxwell, who boasts over two decades of experience in financial lines and cyber sectors, joined Allianz Commercial nearly two years ago from Berkshire Hathaway, where she served as global head of financial lines. Her career spans various pivotal roles, including country manager and head of executive and professional lines – UK at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. Prior to that, she held key positions at AIG, such as head of PI/Cyber UK and underwriting manager.
Scott Sayce, Maxwell’s predecessor, has transitioned to a new role outside of Allianz in June, paving the way for Maxwell to assume responsibility for driving Allianz Commercial’s cyber and financial lines initiatives forward. She will report directly to Shanil Williams, Allianz Commercial’s chief underwriting officer.
Williams expressed confidence in Maxwell’s capabilities, emphasizing her role in advancing Allianz’s market presence in cyber insurance: “A huge thank you to Vanessa Maxwell for taking her newly created role as global head of cyber and financial lines. I have every confidence that she, and the cyber leadership team will continue to build our presence in this area, in line with our ambitions of market leadership.”
Additionally, Williams acknowledged Sayce’s contributions, noting his success in establishing cyber as a robust component of Allianz Commercial’s portfolio: “I would like to thank Scott Sayce for the highly professional steering of cyber under his leadership. During his time with us, he established cyber as a strong presence within our book, growing it significantly and moving it to become a stand-alone line of business.”
In related leadership moves within Allianz Partners, Ariane Koelbli has been promoted to global head of people & culture. In her expanded role, Koelbli will spearhead the development and execution of Allianz Partners’ global HR strategy, focusing on enhancing the company’s culture, nurturing talent development, and overseeing change management to align with the organization’s expansion goals.
