Two insurance-sector leadership appointments signal continued strategic expansion and technological investment across the industry.
Starwood Capital Group has appointed Rob Allard as chief investment officer for Starwood Insurance Strategies, a new division under its credit platform focused on insurance-related investment opportunities.
The initiative represents an expansion of Starwood’s investment activities into the insurance sector, leveraging Allard’s extensive background in asset-backed finance, private assets, and insurance markets.
Allard joins Starwood Capital with more than 27 years of financial services experience. Most recently, he helped establish Rothesay Asset Management North America, where he held dual roles as chief investment officer and head of Rothesay North America for seven years. Rothesay, originally founded within Goldman Sachs, was later acquired by Blackstone, GIC, and MassMutual in 2017.
Starwood Capital manages approximately $115 billion in total assets and has originated over $100 billion in credit investments since 2010. The firm operates several verticals including Starwood Property Trust, Starwood Infrastructure Finance, and LNR Partners, a commercial mortgage special servicer with $110 billion in assets under management.
In other recent appointments, Jonathan Pollack officially joined Starwood Capital Group as President in April. Prior to this role, Pollack served as Global Head of Real Estate Credit at Blackstone, where he oversaw the growth of the firm's Real Estate Debt Strategies (BREDS) platform
In a separate development, Unum Group has appointed Shelia Anderson (pictured above) as executive vice president and chief information and digital officer. Anderson will lead the company’s digital transformation initiatives, overseeing the design and implementation of technology solutions aimed at supporting growth and customer engagement.
Anderson will report directly to Rick McKenney, Unum's president and chief executive officer. Her prior experience includes executive leadership roles at Aflac, Liberty Mutual, USAA, Hewlett-Packard, and Electronic Data Systems. At Aflac, she served as executive vice president and chief information officer.
She holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Louisiana Tech University and a master’s degree in engineering management from Southern Methodist University. Anderson has been recognized with multiple industry accolades, including her 2025 induction into the CIO 100 Hall of Fame and her listing among the 2024 Top 100 Women in Fintech. She also serves on the board of directors of the Technology Business Management Council.
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