TigerRisk hires UK retrocessional specialist

TigerRisk Partners has named Martin Bartell as head of its UK-based retrocessional and specialty reinsurance practice. He joins from Aon Benfield’s Global Re Specialty team where he focused on per-risk and catastrophe business placed with traditional reinsurers and ILS markets.

“We are delighted that Martin will be joining us and we look forward to welcoming him in early 2014,” said John Goldsmith, chairman and CEO of TigerRisk Partners UK. “Martin has a great reputation in the business, is held in very high regard by both clients and markets and will add considerably to our presence in the retrocessional arena.

“His many years’ experience and his creativity in this field very much complement what we are trying to achieve at TigerRisk in London and the USA as we continue to challenge the big three.”

Bartell said: “TigerRisk is an extremely dynamic and innovative firm with tremendous potential. I feel privileged to have been asked to join a firm with so many distinguished professionals. Moreover, TigerRisk is known for its creativity and innovation and I look forward to contributing. I believe the influx of new capital from the financial markets will offer us opportunities to create new, more sophisticated, value-added products for our clients.”

Bartell began his insurance industry career in 1986 at Alexander Howden as a member of the LMX placement team. From there he went to Ellinger Heath Western, which was acquired by Benfield in 1996, and which through a series of acquisitions, eventually became Benfield Blanch in 2001. Later, while at Gallagher Re, Bartell originated and co-led the team that partnered with the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX) to launch a series of catastrophe derivatives traded on the exchange.