James River Group Holdings, a Bermuda-domiciled insurance holding company, has appointed Todd Sutherland, current Senior Vice President, Management Liability for the Excess and Surplus Lines (E&S) segment, to succeed Richard Schmitzer as President of the E&S segment, effective May 5th, 2025.

Schmitzer will retire as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the E&S segment on July 31st, 2025, a position he has held since 2010, and retire during the fourth quarter of 2025, after over 45 years in the insurance industry.

In his new role, Sutherland will be based in Richmond, Virginia, the headquarters of the firm’s E&S segment, and report to CEO Frank D’Orazio. Concurrent with the succession plan, the title of E&S segment CEO will be retired in lieu of segment President, explained the company.

Sutherland joined James River in 2023, with over three decades of industry experience, to establish the firm’s management liability division.

Prior to this, Sutherland served as Head of the US Central Zone at AXA XL, overseeing a multi-billion-dollar portfolio of diversified property and casualty lines. Before this, he spent 13 years at Allied World Assurance Company, leading the development and build-out of the US Central Region across all commercial lines.

Sutherland has also held underwriting management roles at Axis Capital and American International Group earlier in his career.

D’Orazio, CEO, James River, commented, “Richard Schmitzer has chosen to retire after a long and highly successful insurance career spanning over four decades. Under Richard’s leadership, we have built a meaningfully relevant and resilient E&S business. We are grateful for his many contributions to the organisation and wish him well in his retirement.”

Schmitzer added, “It has been an honour to serve as President and CEO of James River’s E&S segment, and I am very proud of our team, our relationship with the market and the franchise we have built. I am committed to working with Todd and the leadership team to achieve a seamless transition as we continue to execute on our strategic priorities and plans.”

D’Orazio, said, “On behalf of our entire organisation, I am very excited to announce our plan for Todd to become our next E&S segment President. Todd is a proven leader with a track record of building and leading substantial, profitable businesses at several specialty insurance organisations. Our history together, and his most recent assignment at James River, give me great confidence in his ability to lead and inspire our organisation to achieve continued success and reach new heights in the years to come.”

Sutherland added, “Richard and his team have built a powerful franchise in the E&S marketplace, and I am thrilled to be in a position to lead the business as we continue to execute on our strategic plan of profitable growth. I look forward to working with my colleagues across the Company as we deliver exceptional products and best-in-class service.”

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