QBE Re has announced key executive director appointments across its EMEA, International, and North America markets, as well as global product lines, to enhance agility and consistency amid a strategic structural overhaul. The reshuffle also features Liberty GTS leadership changes, reflecting broader shifts in reinsurance and M&A insurance sectors.
QBE Re has announced a series of senior leadership appointments as part of its ongoing organisational restructuring, aimed at streamlining operations across its global markets and product areas. The group has adopted a simplified leadership structure divided into three key markets—EMEA, International (Lloyd’s & Bermuda platforms), and North America—and three principal product categories: casualty, specialty, and property.
In the market leadership segment, Abdallah Balbeisi has been named executive director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), overseeing QBE Re’s offices in Dubai, Brussels, and Dublin. Balbeisi, who joined QBE in 2020 from Aspen, brings over 25 years of industry experience. Mark Jackaman was appointed executive director of International markets, including Lloyd’s and Bermuda platforms. Previously general manager in London, Jackaman has accrued more than 27 years in the sector, with 13 years specifically at QBE Re. Salvatore Sama, based in New York, steps into the executive director role for North America, building on his decade at Swiss Re and extensive financial services expertise.
These leadership roles are charged with guiding underwriting teams across QBE Re’s respective markets and executing the reinsurer’s global strategy.
On the product leadership front, Jane Farren has taken on the role of executive director, Global Casualty, having been global head of Financial Professional Lines. Farren has served at QBE Re in New York for four years, with past roles at Aspen and Swiss Re. Shane Lawlor leads as executive director, Global Specialty, encompassing accident and health, life, marine and aviation, and other specialty lines. He joined QBE in 2015 from Catlin, having previously headed Specialty in London. Andy Richardson heads Global Property as executive director; he joined QBE Re in 2023 from Aeolus Capital Management and holds prior experience at Lancashire Insurance and Guy Carpenter. Richardson concurrently serves as general manager of QBE’s Bermuda office.
These positions are responsible for setting global product appetites, managing product portfolios, and capacity allocation. All six executives report to Chris Killourhy, managing director of QBE Re. The appointments complement a strengthened underwriting leadership team that includes figures such as Jamie Cook, chief partnership officer, Debbi Wood, head of Claims, and Andrew Guarnori, head of Underwriting Oversight. Speaking on the new structure, Killourhy emphasised confidence in the internal promotion strategy: “I am delighted that the roles have been filled from our existing bench of internal talent. The new leadership model ensures all products and markets are represented by an empowered team, allowing QBE Re to be a more agile, consistent, and relevant partner for our brokers and cedants.”
Additionally, Tracey Gibbons has been appointed to the newly created global head of Strategic Development, bringing over four decades of experience. She previously served as general manager of Bermuda and joined QBE in 2021 from SiriusPoint.
QBE Re maintains a global presence with offices across Bermuda, Bogota, Brussels, Dubai, Dublin, London, and New York, alongside market presence in Japan, Argentina, and the United States.
In related moves within the insurance sector, Liberty Global Transaction Solutions (GTS), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance, has named Nick Lunn as the head of the UK, Central Eastern Europe, Middle East, and Africa, while Barbara Magni takes the helm for Southern Europe. Both report to Markus Messinger, head of EMEA at Liberty GTS. Lunn, who joined Liberty in 2020 and previously led Southern Europe, has a background spanning underwriting management and corporate law, having qualified as an M&A lawyer before moving into the warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance market. Magni, a dual-qualified M&A lawyer with pedigree at Clyde & Co. and top Italian firms, has been with Liberty since 2016, specialising in Southern European transactions and will continue to be Milan-based.
Liberty GTS is known for its extensive expertise in M&A insurance, supporting over 1,500 deals globally each year with products including representations and warranties insurance and tax liability insurance.
Together, these appointments at QBE Re and Liberty GTS signal a strategic focus on leadership stability, sector expertise, and regional market strength, aligning with the evolving demands of global reinsurance and M&A transaction insurance markets.
Reference Map:
Source: Noah Wire Services
- https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2025/07/10/831132.htm – Please view link – unable to able to access data
- https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/international/2025/07/10/831132.htm – This article details recent leadership appointments at QBE Re and Liberty Global Transaction Solutions. QBE Re has announced a group of appointments as part of its simplified leadership structure, split across three markets and three product areas. The following individuals will lead QBE Re’s EMEA, international and North American markets: Abdallah Balbeisi has been appointed executive director of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with oversight of QBE Re’s Dubai, Brussels, and Dublin offices. He joined QBE in 2020 from Aspen and has over 25 years’ experience in the industry. Mark Jackaman has been appointed executive director of International (Lloyd’s & Bermuda platforms). He was previously general manager, London, and brings over 27 years’ experience to the role, including the past 13 years with QBE Re. Salvatore Sama has been appointed executive director for North America. He was previously responsible for leading the casualty business globally. Based in New York, Sama has more than 20 years of financial services experience and spent 10 years at Swiss Re prior to joining QBE. These roles are responsible for leading the underwriting teams across QBE Re’s three markets and executing on QBE Re’s global strategy. Meanwhile, QBE Re has appointed the following to lead casualty, specialty and property: Jane Farren has been appointed executive director, Global Casualty, as of July 1, having previously held the position of global head of Financial Professional Lines. Farren has worked at QBE Re in New York for four years, with previous experience at Aspen and Swiss Re. Shane Lawlor has been appointed executive director, Global Specialty, which encompasses accident & health, life, marine & aviation and specialty lines. He was previously head of Specialty, London, and joined QBE in 2015 from Catlin. Andy Richardson has been appointed as executive director, Global Property. He joined QBE Re in 2023 from Aeolus Capital Management, Bermuda, where he was portfolio manager and has experience in senior roles at Lancashire Insurance and Guy Carpenter. He was previously head of Underwriting for QBE Re’s Bermuda office. These roles are responsible for setting global product appetite, managing QBE Re’s global product portfolios and allocating capacity. All six roles will report directly to Chris Killourhy, managing director, QBE Re. Along with other recent appointments, including Jamie Cook as chief partnership officer, Debbi Wood, head of Claims, Andrew Guarnori, head of Underwriting Oversight, and Ash Ahluwalia, head of Performance & Portfolio Management, these roles form a critical part of QBE Re’s underwriting leadership team. “Having previously announced the simplified underwriting structure, it is great to have all six roles filled with such high-quality leaders,” commented Killourhy, in a statement. “I am also delighted that the roles have been filled from our existing bench of internal talent. The new leadership model ensures all products and markets are represented by an empowered team which allows QBE Re to be a more agile, consistent and relevant partner for our brokers and cedants.” In addition, Tracey Gibbons has been appointed to the newly created role of global head of Strategic Development for QBE Re, while Andy Richardson has been appointed general manager of Bermuda, in addition to his role as executive director, Global Property. Gibbons was previously general manager of Bermuda, having joined QBE in 2021 from SiriusPoint. She brings over 40 years’ experience to the role. QBE Re has offices in Bermuda, Bogota, Brussels, Dubai, Dublin, London and New York, as well as a presence in Japan, Argentina and across the US. Liberty Global Transaction Solutions, part of Liberty Mutual Insurance, has appointed Nick Lunn as head of the UK, Central Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Barbara Magni as head of Southern Europe. Both will report to Markus Messinger, head of EMEA. Lunn joined Liberty GTS in February 2020 and spent five years as its head of Southern Europe. Before joining the Liberty GTS team, Lunn spent three years at Willis Towers Watson as executive director within the M&A Transactional Risks team. He also spent three years at another leading underwriter as its UK underwriting manager. Prior to joining the warranty & indemnity (W&I) market in 2013 from an in-house corporate counsel role at EDF Energy PLC, Lunn spent eight years training and qualifying as an M&A lawyer in the corporate department of international law firm, Dentons. In addition to his new role, Lunn will continue to oversee the EMEA tax team. Magni leads the Liberty GTS team for Southern Europe. She is a dual-qualified M&A lawyer, having trained with Clyde & Co. in London, and later spent six years in the M&A department of a leading Italian law firm. Magni has been with Liberty GTS and its subsidiary Ironshore since 2016, focusing on Southern European transactions. Magni will continue to be based in Milan, Italy. About Liberty Global Transaction Solutions With more than 90 specialists, Liberty Global Transaction Solutions (GTS) has one of the largest global M&A insurance teams in the industry. GTS helps facilitate more than 1,500 M&A deals a year on average. GTS offers specialized products and services to help facilitate M&A transactions for buyers and sellers, including representations & warranties (R&W)/warranty & indemnity (W&I) insurance and tax liability insurance.
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative was published on July 10, 2025, and has not appeared elsewhere prior to this date. The content is original and not recycled. The article is based on a press release from QBE Re, which typically warrants a high freshness score. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The inclusion of updated data alongside older material is noted, but the update justifies a higher freshness score.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The direct quotes from Chris Killourhy, managing director of QBE Re, are unique to this narrative and have not been found in earlier material. No identical quotes appear elsewhere, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from Insurance Journal, a reputable organisation known for its coverage of the insurance industry. The report is based on a press release from QBE Re, a well-established company in the reinsurance sector. All individuals and organisations mentioned are verifiable and have a legitimate public presence.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The appointments and organisational restructuring detailed in the narrative are plausible and align with QBE Re’s recent strategic initiatives. The claims are supported by information from reputable outlets, and the narrative includes specific factual anchors such as names, institutions, and dates. The language and tone are consistent with corporate communications in the reinsurance industry. There is no excessive or off-topic detail, and the tone is appropriately formal and informative.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is original, timely, and sourced from reputable organisations. The claims are plausible and supported by specific details, with no signs of disinformation or recycled content. The language and tone are appropriate for the subject matter, and all entities mentioned are verifiable.
