Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) has announced that Thomas Houlihan has been named the permanent regional head for the Americas at AGCS’s Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) division. Houlihan will be based in New York and will report to Grant Maxwell, global head of alternative risk transfer.

Houlihan has served in the role on an interim basis since May as ART refocused its risk appetite and strategy, targeting scalable innovation for corporate clients with an emphasis on structured insurance (including reinsurance for captives) and fronting (for captives and other corporates), AGCS said.

Houlihan joined the company in 2014 as an executive underwriter in liability, and then served as Northeast team leader and regional practice group leader for construction liability national accounts before joining ART last year. Prior to joining AGCS, Houlihan held positions at Allied World Assurance, The Navigators Group and Arch Insurance Group.

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“Thomas has certainly hit the ground running and already made significant inroads as our new ART leader for the Americas region,” Maxwell said. “He is most deserving of attaining this role on a permanent basis, and we all look forward to his continued success and the prospects for continued growth of our line of business across North America going forward.”