Bermuda insurer and reinsurer Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd has hired Jose Ribeiro to the newly created position of head of international. Mr Ribeiro’s appointment is effective immediately and he will be based in the company’s London office.

“We charted a strategy seven years ago to become an international specialty business,” said Argo Group chief executive officer Mark Watson.

“Since that time, we’ve built a profitable Bermuda platform, acquired a syndicate at Lloyd’s that is delivering strong results, established a business in Brazil, and expanded our local presence to Dubai, Continental Europe and Asia.

“Combined, these international businesses account for nearly 50 percent of our gross written premium. We’ve been looking for the right person to bring all of these businesses together, and I’m very excited to add Jose to our executive team. His global experience, particularly with respect to the Lloyd’s market, Brazil and Asia, will help ensure the profitable growth of our international operations.”

Mr. Ribeiro joins Argo from Generali where he served as CEO of Generali Brazil. Previously he served as Director of International Markets at Lloyd’s of London with responsibilities spanning Europe, Asia, Australasia, Africa and Latin America. Prior to Lloyd’s, he served as Managing Director for Willis Group in Latin America and the Caribbean and as president and CEO of AIG Life Companies in Brazil. Mr. Ribeiro began his insurance career more than 25 years ago as an actuary with a subsidiary of AIG in Portugal.