Meet the Team: Research & Development

This team of doctors and scientists creates state-of-the-art catastrophe models that help Argo underwriters optimize their risk selection.

Federico Waisman, SVP – Research & Development

What is your expertise or area of focus?

Educated as a structural earthquake engineer, I did my first steps post-Ph.D. retrofitting large structures such as water reservoirs in California. But I soon moved into working with other perils and building insurance models for hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, terrorism, hail, frost, etc.

Greatest R&D innovation of the past decade: Electric cars.

What project are you most proud to have been part of?

The U.S. Flood Model Showcase we did at Lloyd’s.

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about?

Competitive tennis has been my passion since childhood.

Favorite catastrophe movie: The Wizard of Oz – I’m still afraid of tornadoes!

 

Elizabeth Harris, VP – Research & Development

What is your expertise or area of focus?

I was a meteorologist at the Bermuda Weather Service for eight years. My expertise is in atmospheric science, particularly hurricanes.

What do you think is the greatest R&D innovation of the past decade?

Great strides are being made in affordable renewable energy, which is critical to solving the climate crisis. I just installed solar panels on my roof and am thrilled with their performance.

Who are your creative inspirations?

Hurricane scientists Gabriel Vecchi, James Elsner and Suzana Camargo.   

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about?

I love being in or on the ocean. Last fall I did a 10K ocean swimming race.

Favorite catastrophe movie: The Impossible.

 

Evgenia Agroti, Research & Development Assistant

What is your expertise or area of focus?

I am a geophysicist by training.

Greatest R&D innovation of the past decade: Putting a seismometer on Mars in 2018 with the NASA InSight Mission!

What project are you most proud to have been part of?

One of our biggest projects involves monitoring natural catastrophes around the world in real time. Last autumn, we were able to deliver an improved version of our U.S. hurricane monitoring tool just in time for Hurricane Dorian.

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about?

I do competitive Latin American dancing.

Favorite catastrophe movie: The Core – it’s both a disaster movie and a disaster of a movie.

 

Marco Carenzo, Ph.D., Research & Development Associate

What is your expertise or area of focus?

I’m a civil engineer with a Ph.D. in hydrology and water resources management.

Greatest R&D innovation of the past decade: The development of a multi-peril wind and flood catastrophe model accounting for fluvial, pluvial and coastal flooding is a crucial R&D enhancement and a great support to the risk management activity. We need these comprehensive tools to capture the complexity of the problems and improve our view of the risk.

What led you to the insurance industry?

I was looking for a position at the interface of science and business.

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about?

Spending time with friends, traveling and attending wine tasting events – I’m also a sommelier.

Favorite catastrophe movie: Despite my job, I’m not a big fan of catastrophe movies.

 

Michael Johnston, Ph.D., Research & Development Assistant 

What is your expertise or area of focus?

Meteorology – hazardous weather.

What led you to the insurance industry?

I’ve been led to insurance by my interest in meteorological hazards. I think a career in the insurance industry is a direct and satisfying way to apply a formal understanding of a scientific discipline to solving real-world problems.

If you weren’t in insurance, what would you be doing?

You couldn’t keep me away from meteorology. I’d probably be researching a weather-related hazard, either in an academic or forecasting capacity.

Outside of work, what are you most passionate about?

Cooking (or baking) and running.

Favorite catastrophe movie: The Day After Tomorrow.