Noonan & Sanford join Enstar’s StarStone as Chairman & President

StarStone, the specialty underwriting business owned by insurance and reinsurance group Enstar and investors Stone Point and Dowling Capital Partners, has named industry veterans Ed Noonan and Dick Sanford to key leadership positions.

Ed Noonan, formerly the CEO of reinsurance group Validus the parent of ILS manager AlphaCat, joins as the new Chairman of StarStone Group.

With over 30 years of industry experience in insurance and reinsurance, Noonan brings significant expertise gained at a critical time for the industry, not least in how to engage with alternative capital and ILS strategies.

Most recently he served as as Chairman and CEO of Validus Group  from 2005 to 2018, driving success and growth, at the company up to its acquisition by AIG in 2018. Before that Noonan was President and CEO of American Re from 1997 to 2002, having worked at the firm since 1983. Before that he worked at Swiss Re from 1979 to 1983.

Another reinsurance sector veteran Dick Sanford has been named as the new President of StarStone Group.

Sanford was most recently with PartnerRe, working as Chairman and President of PartnerRe US, Head of P&C North America. Sanford has 35 years of insurance and reinsurance market experience, having started his career as a casualty underwriter at AIG in 1984. Since then he has held roles including, Executive Vice President, TIG Re/Odyssey America Reinsurance and Vice President, Cologne Reinsurance Company of America, before joining PartnerRe in 2000.

Enstar and investor Stone Point, said, “The experience that Ed and Dick bring to StarStone is considerable. Their appointments demonstrate our collective investment and commitment in realising StarStone’s ambitions, and we are very pleased to welcome them to the Group.”

StarStone has also promoted Chris Rash to CEO of StarStone International and Deputy Group CEO.

Rash has been with StarStone since August 2018 and in the new role will lead StarStone’s international business, and operational strategy at Group level. He has more than 20 years of sector experience, including 15 years at RSA, and as Group CFO at MS Amlin, gaining significant financial and operational experience.

John Hendrickson, Group Chief Executive Officer, StarStone, commented, “This is a pivotal moment for StarStone. As we reposition StarStone to deliver profitable growth, Ed and Dick bring a wealth of knowledge. Their respective contribution, together with Chris’s financial and operational expertise, will prove invaluable as we continue to provide highly professional, bespoke specialty solutions to our clients, locally and globally.”

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