Two major players in the global insurance market have announced board appointments this week, bringing fresh expertise to their governance structure as veteran directors step down.
International General Insurance Holdings (IGI) confirmed that Thomas Collett joined its board of directors on March 19. Collett brings over four decades of reinsurance experience, having previously served as managing director of Guy Carpenter in Dallas, Texas.
His career includes leadership positions at Willis Re, Benfield, General Re and Munich American Re. He currently serves as a director of Dallas Specialty Insurance Company, alongside other advisory and educational board roles. Collett will also serve on the Nasdaq-listed insurer's compensation committee.
The appointment coincides with the retirement of David Anthony (pictured, left), who served on IGI's board since March 2020. Anthony chaired the compensation committee and sat on the audit and risk committee during his tenure. His involvement with IGI dates back to 2018, when he joined the board of IGI Holdings Dubai Limited.
Andrew J. Poole, an IGI director since March 2020, has been appointed chair of the compensation committee and has joined the audit and risk committee, taking on expanded responsibilities following Anthony's departure.
Global broking business Brokerslink has announced that James Kalbassi (pictured, right) will join its board as the new representative of shareholder The Ardonagh Group.
Kalbassi brings more than 30 years of insurance broking experience and currently serves as executive chair of Price Forbes, part of The Ardonagh Group. Before the combination with Ardonagh in 2024, he co-founded and co-led Paragon International Insurance Brokers and later served as an executive director of PSC Insurance.
He has built a reputation as a specialist professional liability broker, leading the development of innovative insurance and risk management programmes in the global marketplace, particularly for law firm and design firm sectors. Earlier in his career, he held a divisional director role at Willis Faber & Dumas PLC in London.
Antony Erotocritou is stepping down from the Brokerslink board after joining in 2023 as The Ardonagh Group's representative. During his tenure, he supported the company's strategic direction and strengthened collaboration across Brokerslink's global network.
IGI executive chairman Wasef Jabsheh thanked Anthony for his service. "David's insights and experience, particularly from his many years as a senior insurance ratings analyst, have proven to be an important contributor to the strategic development of IGI," he said.
On Collett's appointment, Jabsheh added: "We are confident that his demonstrated leadership and reinsurance knowledge acquired over more than 40 years will serve as a valuable resource to IGI as we continue to grow, evolve and fulfil our primary goal of delivering long-term sustainable value to our shareholders."
Meanwhile, Kalbassi said he was "delighted" to join Brokerslink's board.
"Brokerslink has built a strong international network of independent brokers, and I look forward to contributing to the board's work as the company continues to expand its global capabilities and deliver value to its partners and clients," he said.
The concurrent board changes reflect ongoing governance evolution across the insurance sector as organisations seek to align leadership expertise with strategic priorities in an increasingly complex global market.
