Board of Directors
Thomas A. Bradley
ChairmanThomas A. Bradley currently serves as chief executive officer. Mr. Bradley became a director of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd., in 2018 and was appointed as board chairman in 2020. He previously served as interim chief executive officer between March 2022 to June 2022. Previously, Mr. Bradley served as the chief financial officer and executive vice president of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, a global provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions, from 2012 until 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Bradley served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer for two other public companies, Fair Isaac Corporation and the St. Paul Companies. He also held senior financial and operational positions at Zurich Insurance Group, including chief financial officer for North America and chief executive officer of the Universal Underwriters Group (now Zurich Direct Markets). He currently serves on the board of directors of Horace Mann Educators Corporation and previously served on the board of directors of Nuveen Investments, Inc. Mr. Bradley received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and a masters in business administration from Loyola University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Bernard C. Bailey
Lead Independent DirectorBernard C. Bailey became a Director of the Company in 2020. Dr. Bailey is the President of Paraquis Solutions, a private consulting company focused on corporate governance and strategy. During the period September 2018 to December 2019, he served as President of the Committee for Economic Development, a business-led, nonpartisan economic think tank. Dr. Bailey served as Chairman and CEO of Authentix, a private equity-backed global enterprise focused on anti-counterfeiting and brand protection practices, from 2012 to 2018. Since its sale by the Carlyle Group to Blue Water Energy, he has continued to serve as Chairman of the Board of Authentix since September 2018. Prior to that, Dr. Bailey ran his own consulting company, Paraquis Solutions, LLC. Dr. Bailey also served as President and CEO of Viisage Technology, Inc. Dr. Bailey has a doctorate in management from Case Western Reserve University where his dissertation focused on corporate governance; master’s in business administration from The George Washington University School of Business as well as degrees in engineering and systems management from the University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern California, and the United States Naval Academy.
Dymphna A. Lehane
DirectorDee Lehane's international career includes significant experience dealing with strategic issues and technology-led business change at global insurance companies. She was previously Managing Partner Global Insurance Industry for Accenture, where she worked for over 20 years. She is currently the Independent Chair of the Debt Market Integrator, a Cabinet Office venture serving a number of government departments and Chairman of ORIC International, the Insurance Industry Risk Consortium. She has previously served on the boards of Aviva Life and Pensions Insurance Ireland and Aviva Health Insurance Ireland, including roles on the Audit (Chair) and Risk Committees.
Samuel Liss
DirectorSamuel Liss is managing principal of Whitegate Partners LLC, an advisory firm to operating companies and private equity firms specializing in the financial services and business services sectors. He is a board member of Verisk Analytics, Inc. and J.S. Held. Mr. Liss is also an adjunct professor at NYU Stern School of Business and Columbia Law School, where he teaches courses on corporate governance.
Carol A. McFate
DirectorCarol McFate retired from Xerox Corporation (NYSE: XRX) in October 2017, having served as chief investment officer for more than 10 years. During that time, she was responsible for the insourcing, oversight and management of retirement investments for the U.S., Canada and the U.K. Prior to joining Xerox, McFate served in a number of senior finance and investment management roles in the insurance industry over nearly two decades, including senior vice president, Prudential Investment Corp. (investment subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company); vice president and treasurer of American International Group, Inc. (NYSE: AIG); executive vice president and global treasurer of XL Global Services, the shared services subsidiary of XL Capital Ltd (NYSE: XLC).
Al-Noor Ramji
DirectorAl-Noor Ramji joined Prudential in January 2016 in the newly created role of Group Chief Digital Officer and is responsible for developing and executing an integrated, long-term digital strategy for the group. Before joining Prudential, he worked at Northgate Capital, a venture firm in Silicon Valley, where he ran technology-focused funds. Prior to this, he was at Misys, a financial services group, and has previously held leading technology and innovation roles at BT Group, Qwest Communications, Dresdner Kleinwort Benson and Swiss Bank Corporation.
Executive Leadership
Argo Group International Holdings Ltd.
Chief Executive Officer
Thomas A. Bradley currently serves as chief executive officer. Mr. Bradley became a director of Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd., in 2018 and was appointed as board chairman in 2020. He previously served as interim chief executive officer between March 2022 to June 2022. Previously, Mr. Bradley served as the chief financial officer and executive vice president of Allied World Assurance Company Holdings, AG, a global provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions, from 2012 until 2017. Prior to that, Mr. Bradley served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer for two other public companies, Fair Isaac Corporation and the St. Paul Companies. He also held senior financial and operational positions at Zurich Insurance Group, including chief financial officer for North America and chief executive officer of the Universal Underwriters Group (now Zurich Direct Markets). He currently serves on the board of directors of Horace Mann Educators Corporation and previously served on the board of directors of Nuveen Investments, Inc. Mr. Bradley received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Maryland and a masters in business administration from Loyola University of Maryland and is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive).
Chief Financial Officer
Scott Kirk joined Argo Group in March 2021. As Chief Financial Officer, he is responsible for reporting on the company’s financial standing to shareholders and mapping projections for the company’s financial future.
Kirk previously served as Chief Financial Officer at Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited. Prior to that, he served in several senior finance roles, including Chief Financial Officer of Aspen’s insurance business. Before joining Aspen, Kirk held several senior finance roles at Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., including Financial Controller for the company’s U.K. operations and Group Head of Internal Audit. Kirk graduated from Queensland University of Technology and started his career as an auditor at KPMG, Brisbane. He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England, Wales and Australia.
Chief Administrative Officer
Susan Comparato joined Argo Group in August 2018. As Chief Administrative Officer, she is responsible for overseeing human resources, global business services, innovation, group communications, facilities, digital and technology services, and enterprise security. She also serves as the Executive Sponsor for Diversity & Inclusion at Argo Group.
Comparato previously served as Argo Group’s U.S. General Counsel and as SVP, U.S. Insurance, managing a portfolio of the company’s U.S. business lines. Prior to joining Argo Group, Comparato spent 16 years at Syncora Holdings where she held a number of senior positions, including CEO, general counsel and board member. Comparato started her career as a securitization attorney with Sidley Austin LLP. Comparato received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from Georgetown University and her Juris Doctor degree from William & Mary Law School.
General Counsel and Secretary
Allison Kiene joined Argo Group in October 2020. As General Counsel and Secretary, she is responsible for overseeing the company’s legal and compliance teams.
Kiene previously served as Assistant General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Sompo International Holdings Ltd. Prior to Sompo, she held similar roles at Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., Montpelier Re Holdings Ltd., and Blue Capital Management Ltd. Kiene holds a wealth of experience in all aspects of the insurance industry’s legal, regulatory and compliance environments. She has a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy and a Juris Doctor from the University of Connecticut.
Chief Reserving Actuary
Ron Swanstrom joined Argo Group in September 2009. As SVP, Chief Reserving Actuary, he is responsible for Argo’s reserving function across all business units and lines of business.
Swanstrom previously served in several actuarial and finance roles at CNA Insurance. He was formerly a principal at Coopers & Lybrand in the Casualty Actuarial/Risk Management consulting group. Swanstrom graduated from Benedictine University with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society in 1991 and is a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
Chief Claims Officer
Mark Wade joined Argo Group in December 2015. As Chief Claims Officer, he is responsible for managing and implementing claims programs for all lines of insurance. He also partners with senior executives to formulate strategic plans and policies to consistently meet the claims-handling needs of Argo Group’s clients and policyholders.
Wade previously served as Chief Claims Officer for U.S. Operations before assuming his role as Chief Claims Officer group-wide in June 2020. He previously served as Executive Director of the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and Deputy Superintendent for Property and Casualty Insurance at New York State’s Department of Financial Services. Before entering public service in 2014, Wade served in several senior roles with Arch Insurance Group, Zurich North America and Marsh USA. He began his industry career with Chubb, where he handled directors and officers claims. Wade is a graduate of Georgetown University and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and is admitted to the New York and Pennsylvania state bars.
Chief Investment Officer
Mark Rose joined Argo Group in February 2013. As Chief Investment Officer, he is responsible for overseeing the company’s investment strategy.
Rose previously served as a Senior Credit Analyst at RBC Capital Markets and has held similar roles at Deephaven Capital Management, Goldman Sachs & Co. and Credit Suisse First Boston. He is a CFA charterholder and holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
Chief Internal Auditor
Michael Murphy joined Argo Group in September 2020. As the Chief Internal Auditor, he is responsible for setting and implementing accounting procedures and overseeing the company’s auditing activities.
Murphy previously served as Vice President of Internal Audit (CAE) at Kemper Corporation. Before Kemper, he was Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers and Vice President and Regional Audit Director at Zurich Insurance Group. Murphy led the Chicago Insurance Internal Audit and Governance Risk and Control practice at Grant Thornton. He has lived in the U.S. and Switzerland and has led operations in Europe, Bermuda, Latin America and Asia. Murphy is a CPA with a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the University of Connecticut.
Chief Risk Officer
Marcus Foley joined Argo Group in December 2022. As Chief Risk Officer, he is responsible for the Enterprise Risk Management function as well as capital modeling, ceded reinsurance and the company’s rating agency relationships. He has vast experience in the risk management and capital modeling space.
Foley previously served as Head of Capital Management at Aon. He has also held a variety of roles at Aspen Insurance holdings, including Chief Capital Management and Strategy Officer, Head of Capital Modeling, Head of Capital Management, Chief Risk Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. Foley holds a doctorate in Physics from University College Cork, Ireland.
Chief Accounting Officer
David Chan joined Argo Group in February 2022. As Chief Accounting Officer, he is responsible for global accounting operations and all corporate finance transactions.
Chan previously served as Vice President, North American Controller at AmTrust. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Senior Accounting Analyst at Moody’s. He previously held a senior role at S&P Global Ratings. Chan earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the City University of New York – Queens College and started his career as an auditor at PwC, New York.
U.S. Operations
President, U.S. Insurance
Jessica Snyder joined Argo Group in August 2022. As President of U.S. Insurance, she is responsible for overseeing and pursuing profitable growth across property and casualty insurance in the U.S. market.
Snyder previously served as President and Chief Executive Officer at GuideOne Insurance. Before that, she led the commercial and specialty businesses at State Auto Insurance. Jessica has deep leadership experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, having served as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer at Rockhill Insurance Group and as Chief Financial Officer at Citizens Property Insurance Company.
President, Commercial Specialty
Gary Grose joined Argo Group in September 2014. As President of Commercial Specialty, he is responsible for Argo Pro, Surety, Specialty Programs, Rockwood, and Producer Management across the company, including in the U.S., Bermuda and internationally.
Grose joined Argo from Marsh, where he was responsible for leading all marketing and communications strategy and initiatives across the U.S. He has also held producer/distribution and marketing management positions at Zurich, Allstate and John Hancock.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Frank Mike-Mayer joined Argo Group in January 2016. As Chief Underwriting Officer, he is responsible for driving the company’s U.S. underwriting strategies and implementing policies that support retention, growth and profitability of the company’s total portfolio of businesses. He also leads the U.S. Pricing team.
Mike-Mayer previously served as Head of Technical Underwriting – Global Commercial at AIG Commercial, where he was responsible for guiding key global underwriting excellence strategies, developing and implementing global underwriting standards and establishing a more consistent and robust risk selection framework for underwriters. Prior to AIG, he served in senior roles with Zurich North America, ACE and Reliance National.
President, Argo Pro
Mary Henderson joined Argo Group in April 2017. As President, Argo Pro, she is responsible for overseeing the strong growth and partnership of Argo Group’s professional lines of business.
Henderson previously served as Senior Vice President of the Argo Pro Financial Institutions team before assuming her role as President of Argo Pro in June 2021. Prior to joining Argo, Henderson was Regional Vice President of Travelers. Henderson earned a Bachelor of Arts from the Catholic University of America.
Head of Commercial Programs
Alan Wynn joined Argo Group in January 2001. As Senior Vice President, Head of U.S. Commercial Programs, he is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day functions of Argo’s U.S. businesses.
Wynn previously served in various underwriting management positions at Argo, including as the inaugural team leader for the Alternative Risk Solutions business unit. He earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration with a specialty in accounting from the University of Tulsa.
Head of Excess Casualty
Jayson Taylor joined Argo Group in January 2015. As Vice President, Head of Excess Casualty, he is responsible for developing strategic plans that result in profitable growth of Argo’s unsupported excess business lines.
Taylor’s background includes workers compensation, warranty, and personal lines. He previously served in roles at QBE North America, Wells Fargo, and Employers.
He is a Fellow in the Casualty Actuarial Society. Taylor graduated from the University of Florida, studying Business Administration with a specialization in Statistics and a minor in Actuarial Science.
Head of Primary Casualty
Christopher Schramm joined Argo Group in March 2019. As Vice President, Head of Primary Casualty at Argo Group, he is responsible for guiding the business unit toward profitable growth and innovating new underwriting solutions for emerging risks.
Schramm previously served as AVP of Underwriting at Argo Group. He also served in management and underwriting roles at CapSpecialty. Schramm holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Wisconsin School of Business. He holds CPCU and ASLI designations.
Head of Construction
Jeanna Day joined Argo Group in March 2022. As Head of Construction, she is responsible for maintaining strong relationships with construction partners and expanding Argo Construction’s book of business.
Day previously served as Underwriting Officer for Argo Construction before being appointed Head of Construction in January 2023. Prior to joining Argo, Day led the specialty casualty practice at The Hartford Financial Services Group and held numerous leadership positions in the construction and casualty markets. Day holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Florida.
Head of Environmental
David Corry joined Argo Group in September 2020. As Senior Vice President, Head of Argo Environmental, he is responsible for leading all aspects of the Environmental practice across the U.S., utilizing his 35 years of underwriting experience, deep technical expertise and a strong background in casualty and complex environmental underwriting.
Corry previously served as Senior Director of Environmental and Energy Insurance at Markel. Prior to that, he held management positions at Liberty International Underwriters, Chubb and Crum & Forster. He is also a veteran of the armed forces, having served for 29 years in the Air National Guard.
Vice President, Garage
Sandy Zrimsek joined Argo Group in 2005. As Vice President, Head of Garage, she is responsible for managing business with Argo’s auto dealer and auto service operations partners.
Zrimsek previously served in the insurance industry in the farm and ranch space before becoming a commercial lines underwriter. She transitioned to E&S lines in 2001 and joined Colony Specialty in 2005, becoming Head of Garage in 2014.
Head of Inland Marine
Eric Michel joined Argo Group in April 2021. As Senior Vice President, Head of Inland Marine, he is responsible for strategic direction, including underwriting, distribution and human resource management of the Inland Marine business unit.
Michel previously served as Territory Manager for Berkley Fire & Marine Underwriters. He served in other marine underwriting and related roles at Selective Insurance, The Hanover Insurance Group and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Michel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services from Coastal Carolina University.
President, Rockwood
Kurt Tipton joined Rockwood in 1986. As President of Rockwood, he is responsible for Rockwood operations and managing and developing Argo Group’s workers’ compensation coverage and partnerships.
Tipton previously served as Chief Operating Officer, Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer at Rockwood. He began his Rockwood career as a management trainee in 1986. Tipton received his Bachelor’s in business administration from the University of Pittsburgh and his MBA from Frostburg State University. He was previously a partner in an outdoor adventures school and remains active in community service.
SVP, Chief Operating Officer, Surety
Brendan Keating joined Argo Group in December 2011. As Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer of Argo Surety, he is responsible for driving the growth of Argo Surety with his co-lead, Mark Farina.
Keating previously served in several underwriting and leadership roles within Argo Group. Prior to that, he worked in various underwriting roles at Zurich. Keating has a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from Saint Bonaventure University.
SVP, Global Chief Underwriter Officer, Surety
Mark Farina joined Argo Group in September 2008. As Senior Vice President, Global Chief Underwriting Officer of Argo Surety, he is responsible for leading the Surety team and delivering a thoughtful underwriting approach to Argo’s surety partners with his co-lead, Brendan Keating.
Farina previously served in numerous roles at Travelers Insurance and Chubb. He has more than 35 years of experience in surety. Farina holds a Bachelor of Arts from Ithaca College.
SVP, Group Producer Management and U.S. Marketing
Ken Jaegge joined Argo Group in November 2020. As SVP, Group Producer Management and U.S. Marketing, he is responsible for leading the company’s Producer Management team. His other roles in the company included VP, Marketing and Distribution Manager, where he focused on the Commercial Specialty unit, broker relationships and the company’s career development platform, Ascend With Argo.
Jaegge previously served as Marketing Director and, later, Senior Director of Client and Broker Management at Allianz. Before Allianz, Jaegge served as AVP, Marketing Leader for Aon in the company’s greater New York region and Construction Services Group. Jaegge has a BBA in Marketing from Hofstra University.
International Operations
Managing Director, Argo Managing Agency, Ltd.
Dominic Kirby joined Argo Group in May 2015. As Managing Director of ArgoGlobal Managing Agency, he is responsible for managing and aligning Argo’s international operations.
Kirby previously served as head of Ariel Re U.K. Prior to joining Ariel Re in 2015, he was Managing Director at Torus Underwriting Management Limited. From 2007 to 2011, Kirby served as Managing Director at Flagstone Syndicate Management Limited. He has also held roles at Navigators Group Inc., London, and Navigators Underwriting Agency Ltd. Kirby became a Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute in 2000. He holds a Master of Arts in geological sciences from Oxford University.
Chief Underwriting Officer & Active Underwriter – Syndicate 1200
John Moffatt joined Argo Group in 2010. As Chief Underwriting Officer & Active Underwriter – Syndicate 1200, he is responsible for delegating underwriting strategy, reinsurance buying and management of individual underwriters’ authorities.
Moffatt previously served at QBE European Operations where he spent eight years specializing in international direct and facultative coverholder business. He has more than 25 years of industry experience and has worked extensively in Lloyd’s and the London market.
Head of Argo Insurance – Bermuda
Bill Wharton joined Argo Group in December 2015. As Head of Argo Insurance Bermuda, he is responsible for managing the teams and underwriting activities at Argo’s Bermuda offices.
Wharton previously served as Head of Financial Lines, Asia, at Catlin. Prior to that, he served as Chief Underwriting Officer for XL Group’s professional lines underwriting activities outside the U.S. and Bermuda. He was Vice President, Professional Lines, for XL Insurance in Bermuda, serving U.S. Fortune 500 companies. Wharton holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Pittsburgh.
