A former Amlin Insurance executive is joining Sompo International Holdings to become head of Financial Lines Insurance in Germany. Zurich North America named a new head of Sales and Distribution for U.S. Commercial Insurance.

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Sompo International Holdings Ltd. is bringing on Udo Pützer as head of Financial Lines Insurance, Germany for the company’s European insurance platform.

Pützer is based in the company’s Düsseldorf office and will introduce a range of management liability, professional indemnity and financial institutions products to the German insurance market. Pützer will also work in conjunction with the company’s specialized M&A insurance underwriting team in Barcelona to offer transaction risk products. He’ll also join the company’s leadership team in Germany, assuming the role of underwriting manager with responsibility for the company’s Düsseldorf-based underwriting team, which currently offers a roster of property, casualty and marine insurance products.

Pützer reports to Mathieu Borneuf, senior vice president, Continental European Professional Liability Insurance.

Pützer joins Sompo International with more than 15 years of professional lines underwriting experience, most recently as head of Field Underwriting – Financial Lines at Amlin Insurance SE in Cologne, Germany. He was also head of Financial Lines for Commercial D&O at Aon Versicherungsmakler Deutschland. Before that, he founded and grew Dual Deutschland, a startup MGA in Cologne, Germany, where he served as co-managing director for eight years.

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Brian Winters has been appointed head of Sales and Distribution, U.S. Commercial Insurance, for Zurich North America.

His appointment is part of Zurich’s continued effort to strengthen relationships with customers and brokers. Toward that end, Zurich is also integrating its distribution and regional management teams into its U.S. Commercial Insurance business.

Winters, who previously was head of Specialty Products, will report to Paul Horgan, head of U.S. Commercial Insurance. The specialties underwriting teams, which had reported to Winters, will be integrated into U.S. Commercial Insurance.

Winters joined Zurich North America in 2007. Before leading the specialties business, he led Zurich’s customer and distribution management team, overseeing large commercial customer relationships, broker relationships and all marketing activities. He has also led Zurich’s casualty practice, including domestic, excess and international casualty operations, as well as strategic risk solutions functions. Before joining Zurich, Winters held underwriting and broker relations roles at XL Catlin, Kemper, Travelers and AIG.

Sources: Sompo International, Zurich North America