RenaissanceRe makes Marra CUO, as Curtis takes new Chief Portfolio Officer role

RenaissanceRe, the Bermuda-based reinsurance firm and third-party capital management specialist, has made some changes at the top, promoting David Marra to Group Chief Underwriting Officer, while Ross Curtis moves into the new role of Chief Portfolio Officer.

The changes are effective as of January 1st 2023 and see RenaissanceRe (RenRe) leveraging its depth of talent to create a new over-arching portfolio management role, while moving a long-standing underwriting executive up to a Group oversight position.

Marra is currently the Chief Underwriting Officer for the Casualty & Specialty segment and President of Renaissance Reinsurance U.S. Inc. and has worked at the reinsurance company since 2008.

As Group Chief Underwriting Officer, Marra will take on responsibility for developing and executing RenRe’s underwriting strategy, including setting its risk appetite, engaging with clients, and working on business and product development. Marra will also join RenaissanceRe’s Governance Committee.

Curtis is currently RenRe’s Group Chief Underwriting Officer and has held underwriting roles of increasing leadership since 1999.

As Chief Portfolio Officer, a newly created role, Curtis will lead on RenaissanceRe’s execution of its gross-to-net strategy, furthering its expertise at creating attractive portfolios and matching them with the most appropriate capital.

As a result, the Chief Portfolio Officer will have a significant role to play in how RenRe creates portfolios for its joint-ventures, third-party capital partners and insurance-linked securities (ILS) investors.

Curtis will oversee RenRe’s risk tolerance, portfolio optimisation, deployed underwriting capital, and the Claims function, while remaining a member of RenaissanceRe’s Governance Committee.

Kevin J. O’Donnell, President and Chief Executive Officer of RenaissanceRe, commented on the appointments, “We believe we are entering one of the most attractive markets in decades. The appointment of two of our most seasoned leaders to these crucial roles positions us to capitalize on market opportunities and optimize our gross-to-net strategy across underwriting cycles.

“These appointments reflect our deep bench strength. In his 15 years at RenaissanceRe, David has grown our Casualty & Specialty business into an industry-leading franchise and built our U.S. platform from the ground up. His client and broker relationships stretch across our underwriting book, and his risk acumen, coupled with his ability to bring together all aspects of the Integrated System, make him an excellent choice for this critical role. Ross is one of our most seasoned executives, and his underwriting expertise, combined with his deep understanding of our Integrated System, will ensure we remain at the forefront of portfolio construction and capital efficiency as we execute into this attractive market.”