Marsh has appointed Herman Brito (pictured) as marine, cargo, and logistics practice leader for the US and Canada, effective October 1.
Brito, based in New York, will report to Michael Pellegrini, head of specialty for the US and Canada at Marsh Risk. He succeeds Janice Kowell, who held the role since November 2023 and will remain part of the senior executive team.
Brito joined Marsh in 2012 and has spent nearly 15 years in marine insurance brokerage, most recently serving as Canada and US East Zone Marine, Cargo and Logistics Practice Leader.
"Herman brings the expertise and perspective clients need in today's increasingly complex and interconnected marine risk landscape," said Pellegrini.
Kowell, who joined Marsh's Marine and Energy Practice in 1981, brought more than 40 years of marine insurance experience to the role she's now departing, having previously led the practice's western region for Canada and its US west zone.
Unlike some US-Canada dual-market leadership appointments where the incoming leader's experience skews heavily American, Brito moves into this role directly from leading the practice's Canada and US East Zone segment, meaning Canadian marine, cargo and logistics clients are getting a leader with recent, direct responsibility for their market rather than someone building Canadian familiarity from scratch.
That continuity matters given how much of Marsh's own messaging around this practice centres on cross-border supply chain risk, an area where a leader's working knowledge of Canadian port, customs and carrier dynamics has practical value.
Brito's own comments point to where Marsh expects this practice to focus.
"Today's marine, cargo, and logistics organizations face a risk environment shaped by geopolitical instability, supply chain disruption, inflationary pressure, AI and cyber exposure, climate-driven events, and evolving regulatory expectations," Brito said.
That list isn't abstract for Marsh specifically. The firm recently partnered with Convex, Blenheim and Altana on a $50 million data-driven trade disruption solution, and its Sentrisk platform is being positioned to give clients earlier signals on trade disruption risk.
For brokers and clients currently working with Marsh's Canadian marine, cargo and logistics team, this is a leadership transition with continuity built in rather than a disruptive change, given Brito's immediate prior role covered the Canadian market directly.
The more relevant question for clients is less about the individual transition and more about whether Marsh's stated focus areas, trade disruption modelling, cyber and AI exposure in supply chains, and carrier liability risk following Montgomery, translate into concrete new advisory offerings or program structures under Brito's leadership over the coming months.
