Gareth John has been appointed chief executive and director of Itasca MGA, a specialist in underwriting and managing risks within commercial aviation finance, and part of the Pine Walk platform.

He succeeds Kostya Zolotusky, who is retiring from the business.

In his new role, the company said, Mr John will focus on continuing to expand Itasca MGA’s overall reach and capacity within the specialised aviation sector.

He will also continue to support The Fidelis Partnership’s economic lines of business.

The company said his appointments were subject to regulatory approval.

Itasca MGA was launched last October by global alternative investment manager Castlelake LP and Pine Walk, a specialist MGA platform and wholly owned subsidiary of Fidelis MGU, which has since rebranded as The Fidelis Partnership.

Itasca specialises in underwriting, structuring and managing risk associated with secured commercial aviation financing on behalf of The Fidelis Partnership and Itasca Re Ltd, a Bermudian-licensed Class 3B reinsurance company established by Castlelake that specialises in insurance-backed financing solutions for buyers and owners of commercial aircraft assets.