Sompo has appointed Cédric Wells (pictured above) as head of claims for its insurance operations in Continental Europe, effective immediately.
Wells will be based in Paris and will oversee claims relationships and strategy across the region, which includes Germany, Austria, France, Iberia, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
According to a company statement, Wells brings more than 25 years of experience in the insurance sector, with a career focused largely on claims management at several major international reinsurers. His most recent role was at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, where he served as head of claims for France, Iberia, and Italy for over 13 years. During his tenure, Wells was also a member of the SRI France executive committee and the EMEA claims leadership team.
Prior to joining Swiss Re, Wells worked at SCOR Global P&C as legal and claims manager. In that capacity, he managed large property and casualty claims, including facultative losses with individual reserves up to €50 million.
Wells is a CEDR-accredited mediator and has held this qualification since 2022. He is also a co-founder of the Bookbridge Learning Center in Bayankhonghor, Mongolia, a role he has held since 2018.
Earlier in his career, Wells served as legal counsel at La Réunion Aérienne, where he drafted and negotiated policy wordings, managed claims, and advised on regulatory issues. He began his legal career as a trainee at Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales and FG Associes Attorneys at Law, where he analysed satellite launching contracts and legal issues related to internet law in France.
Sompo has also made changes at the board level, appointing Nicholas Walsh as independent non-executive chairman. Walsh, who brings over five decades of experience in the insurance industry, succeeds James Shea, who was recently named CEO of Sompo Property and Casualty (Sompo P&C). The board has also welcomed Monica Cramér Manhem and Yoshihiro Uotani, who add further expertise in underwriting, risk management, and international markets.
In February, Sompo Holdings announced a significant restructuring of its global operations, dividing the business into two main segments: Sompo Property and Casualty and Sompo Wellbeing. The new structure consolidated the group’s insurance and reinsurance activities under Sompo P&C, led by James Shea.
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