Altamont Capital Partners hires operating partner to focus on insurance investments

Private investment firm Altamont Capital Partners (Altamont) has hired Joe Zuk as an operating partner focused on its insurance and insurance-services investments. Prior to joining Altamont, Zuk was the managing director of corporate development and strategy at Orchid Underwriters, a specialty property insurance managing general agent. He was previously president of the commercial division of Atlas General. Zuk spent the first decade of his career in reinsurance underwriting and brokerage.

Commenting on his new role, Zuk said: “I was particularly drawn both to Altamont’s deep commitment to investing in the insurance space, as well as their uniquely long-term orientation. I’m looking forward to bringing my many years of operational experience at underwriters and distributors into play both in vetting potential new investments and working with existing portfolio companies.”

Sam Gaynor, a principal at Altamont, added: “With our existing investments in Accelerant Holdings, Embark General, Kuvare Holdings, and, pending regulatory approval, Topa Insurance Group, we have a broad franchise in insurance – across carriers and services entities, life and annuity, and property and casualty – that will undoubtedly benefit from Joe’s skillset. We are looking forward to working with him to both scale our existing investments and develop new platforms.”

Keoni Schwartz, a co-founder and managing director of Altamont, said: “We founded Altamont around the premise of generating superior returns through a combination of deep industry expertise and by driving operational improvements at our portfolio companies – Joe’s addition expands our capabilities on both fronts, and we are thrilled to have him join the team.”

Inclusive of Topa, Altamont has completed six platform insurance-related acquisitions since inception and, inclusive of add-on acquisitions to those platforms, 18 overall.