A former executive with The Hartford is joining Liberty Mutual in a leadership role. Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance appointed a new executive to lead its Medical Stop Loss business. AXIS Capital Holdings chose a new member of its Board of Directors – an insurance industry veteran with multiple decades of service.

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Liberty Mutual Insurance appointed Steve Deane as its North America Chief Claims Officer for Global Risk Solutions (GRS), Liberty Mutual’s global commercial and specialty lines insurer/reinsurer.

As Chief Claims Officer of GRS North America, Deane will lead a 3,000-person team of claims professionals focused on delivering best-in-class service and outcomes to GRS customers. Deane will be responsible for all aspects of executive claims management and service delivery. He’ll report to GRS North America President Tracy Ryan.

Before joining Liberty Mutual, Deane led The Hartford’s Group Benefits & Workers Compensation Claims organization. Before that, he was an attorney at Robinson & Cole, LLP, working on the insurance litigation team.

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Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance made Phil Gardham its SVP, Accident & Health – U.S. and Head of Medical Stop Loss.

Gardham takes the reins of BHSI’s Medical Stop Loss division from John Snyder, who is retiring after a four decade-plus industry career.

Gardham is a 30 year industry veteran. He spent 13 years at Companion Life Insurance Company in various roles, including President. Before that he was with Munich Re in Princeton, NJ. He began his career at Mercantile & General Reinsurance Company in Toronto, Canada.

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AXIS Capital Holdings Limited appointed W. Marston (Marty) Becker to its Board of Directors, where he will serve as a member of the Board’s Executive, Finance and Risk Committees.

During his distinguished 35-year career with insurers and reinsurers, Becker has held numerous senior leadership roles for publicly traded and private insurance, reinsurance and insurance brokerage organizations in Bermuda, the U.K., U.S. and Australia.

AXIS said that Becker’s appointment is part of a multi-year succession planning strategy to ensure a balance between longer-tenured directors and perspectives of newer directors. The Board of Directors presently has 12 members, 10 of whom are independent. Including Becker, AXIS has added five new independent directors over the past two years.

Previously, Becker served as Chairman of the Board of QBE Insurance Group. Before that he was Chairman and CEO at Alterra Capital (Nasdaq-ALTE), Trenwick Group Limited and Orion Capital Corporation. As well, Becker previously served as President and CEO of McDonough Caperton Insurance Group Inc.

Sources: Liberty Mutual, Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, AXIS Capital Holdings