NAME: Anthony Codding Jr.
NEW JOB TITLE: Boston-based regional head of strategy & portfolio steering for financial lines, North America, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty
PREVIOUS POSITION: Boston-based global head cyber & tech, Swiss Re Corporate Solutions
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: In the financial lines segment, I expect to see a continued increase in the level of competition, with the exception of cyber. The ability to differentiate and meet customer needs will be critical to be a top-tier insurer.
GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: Working collaboratively with my colleagues to develop data-driven insights and anticipate future trends to inform portfolio strategy and deliver profitable growth.
CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: The availability of credible data to inform risk selection and pricing is always problematic for financial lines, which tends to be more severity-driven than frequency. Further, historical data is not a reliable predictor of changes in loss patterns due to issues such as inflation (social and economic), ESG, ransomware and the U.S. political climate.
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: My cousin, Bob Sanford, was an insurance broker in New York. He arranged an interview for me with AIG and they hired me as a directors and officers insurance underwriter. I didnt really understand what the coverage was, but I liked the fact that I would be analyzing corporate financial statements. I started in a hard market with no appreciation that there was any other market condition.
ADVICE: Be open to opportunity, even if it seems somewhat outside of the mainstream. Be willing to push outside your comfort zone.
OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: I dont have the math skills, but I would have enjoyed becoming an astrophysicist exploring the structure and origins of the universe.
COLLEGE MAJOR: I went to Colby College in Waterville, Maine, and graduated with a double major of economics and business.
LOOKING FORWARD TO: Continuing to work on cyber insurance and also getting back to working on coverages from earlier in my career including management and professional liability.
FAVOURITE MEAL: Steamed lobster
BOOK: Any book by Stephen Hawking
HOBBIES: Cycling is the hobby about which I am most passionate; I enjoy road, gravel and mountain biking. I am also learning to play the guitar.
TV SHOW: Ted Lasso
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Take the dog for a walk in the woods, go for a bike ride and then visit a local beer garden.
