NAIROBI, 30 September, 2016 – The African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI) announced today the appointment of Mr. John Lentaigne as the company’s new Chief Underwriting Officer (CUO).
“After a comprehensive recruitment process, we are confident that we found the best person to head our business department,” noted Mr. George Otieno, CEO of ATI. “John brings over thirteen years’ of experience in political and credit risk underwriting. Combined with his deep industry knowledge and networks, he is uniquely qualified to successfully lead ATI toward continued profitability.”
Mr. Lentaigne joins ATI at a critical juncture in its development. While ATI is on a clear growth trajectory, the company is currently assessing its corporate strategy in order to capitalise on existing opportunities and to prepare the organisation for future challenges.
In 2015, ATI’s results showed a continued 5-year growth trend during which premium income has more than doubled from $10 million in 2011 to $23 million. In 2015, ATI also posted a record $1.7 billion in gross exposure and a 36% increase in profits over 2014 with record claims payments of $8.7 million.
Prior to joining ATI, Mr. Lentaigne served as the Co-head of Political & Credit Risks at Brit in London. He succeeds Mr. Jef Vincent, the current CUO, who is scheduled to retire early next year. Mr. Lentaigne and Mr. Vincent will work closely together during a transition phase from October to Q-1, 2017.
During his three years at Brit, Mr. Lentaigne established the syndicate’s underwriting team in the Political and Credit Risk market and it was during his tenure that Brit was the first syndicate at Lloyd’s to obtain permission to underwrite non-trade business on Lloyd’s paper. Prior to joining Brit, John established a strong underwriting reputation and track record at both AXIS and at Catlin working in both Bermuda and London. He began his underwriting career working for John Charman at Ace Global Markets (now Chubb). He also has entrepreneurial experience in both the film and music industries.
