QBE North America gave one of its major executives some new responsibilities. Hiscox brought on an additional energy underwriter. Preferred Mutual has a new general counsel.

***

QBE North America is giving Dennis Kearns, its senior vice president, underwriting leader, some added responsibilities.

Kearns will assume leadership of QBE North America’s Financial Institutions practice, on top of his existing role leading the Transactional Liability practice.

The idea is that aligning QBE’s Financial Institutions and Transactional Liability practices under common leadership will help producer partners and their clients have a better business experience.

Kearns, as Financial Institutions practice leader, will oversee a specialized underwriting team.

Kearns has been with QBE since late 2013 and previously held senior management roles with various global insurers and brokers.

***

Hiscox hired an AXIS Capital veteran to be an energy underwriter.

Lorainne Mackey will work as part of Hiscox’s London market Energy team. She’ll work for Charles Rawlins and alongside underwriter Louis Cozon.

Mackey has six years of underwriting experience at AXIS Capital in various product lines including offshore, onshore and renewable energy, marine, property, aviation and terrorism. The last three years she focused on offshore energy.

***

Preferred Mutual Insurance Co. is bringing on Andrew Forstenzer as its new general counsel.

He’ll be tasked with representing Preferred in legal matters and will also head its governmental affairs and claims counsel departments.

Before Preferred, Forstenzer was counsel to the Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker national law firm in Dallas. He also has previously served as executive vice president and general counsel for the Crump Group and as vice president/senior litigation counsel for Marsh & McLennan Cos.

Sources: QBE North America, Hiscox, Preferred Mutual