Liberty Mutual Insurance announced the appointment of two individuals to newly created leadership positions within Global Risk Solutions (GRS), its commercial and specialty (re)insurance unit. Effective September 1, Crystal Ottaviano will join as GRS Chief Risk Officer, and Chantal Rodriguez will become Liberty Mutual Reinsurance Chief Underwriting Officer. Ottaviano will report to GRS Chief Financial Officer Alison Erbig. Rodriguez will report to both GRS President of Underwriting Matthew Moore and Liberty Mutual Reinsurance President Dieter Winkel.
As GRS Chief Risk Officer, Ottaviano will build differentiated global risk expertise capabilities that support a forward-thinking, risk-aware underwriting mindset designed to deliver exceptional value to Liberty’s partners and customers. Ottaviano, who has more than 25 years of risk management experience, joins from Aspen Insurance Group, where she was Group Chief Risk Officer. Throughout her career, she served in many senior leadership roles, including Chief Risk Officer of Swiss Reinsurance America and Head of Risk Management at Hiscox US.
“Given today’s tremendously complex and interconnected risk environment, a CRO’s key function in implementing and maintaining comprehensive risk frameworks and fostering a strong risk culture has never been more important,” said Erbig. “Crystal plays a vital role in helping deliver superior underwriting performance by creating these frameworks to drive risk-informed decisions. I’m delighted to have her join my team and bring her tremendous risk leadership to GRS.”
As Liberty Mutual Reinsurance Chief Underwriting Officer, Rodriguez is accountable for underwriting performance across its broad set of flexible treaty reinsurance products, delivered through 18 offices across the globe. She is a 13-year veteran of Liberty Mutual, most recently serving as Liberty Specialty Markets Head of Enterprise Risk Management. Throughout her 17 years in the industry, she has successfully shaped and executed reinsurance strategies, delivered robust and consistent underwriting risk assessment and appetite, and led cross-functional international teams.
“Chantal’s proven underwriting, actuarial, and enterprise risk management leadership will drive outstanding underwriting performance across Liberty Mutual Reinsurance,” said Moore. “She, together with the recently announced chief underwriting officers for GRS North America and Global Surety, will help us deliver holistic solutions to clients’ complex and emerging risks by bringing industry-leading products and risk expertise to every client interaction.”
Photo: Liberty Mutual Global Risk Solutions Chief Risk Officer Crystal Ottaviano and Liberty Mutual Reinsurance Chief Underwriting Officer Chantal Rodriguez
