Zurich North America Appoints Four U.S. Energy Executives
The leadership additions will affect businesses seeking energy casualty and power insurance coverage in the United States.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in People
Zurich North America has appointed four new executives to leadership roles within its U.S. energy business. This leadership expansion follows the appointment of Alex Baron as the U.S. head of energy earlier this year.
Why it matters
The appointments signal a strategic consolidation of leadership under the U.S. energy division. Operators working with industrial power and energy insurance partners should monitor these shifts as they often indicate changes in underwriting focus or sector-specific coverage priorities.
Zurich appointed four new executives to its U.S. energy business, which follows a broader leadership shuffle initiated by the naming of Alex Baron as U.S. head of energy four months ago. The team includes staff with tenures ranging from rejoining in 2018 to over 25 years of experience.
The players
Zurich North America
A subsidiary of the global insurance giant providing commercial property and casualty coverage across the U.S. market.
Alex Baron
The current U.S. head of energy for Zurich who oversees the insurer's regional energy sector operations.
Jeanne Jankowski
The newly appointed U.S. energy head of strategic execution and North American energy practice leader.
Rebecca Stepp
The newly appointed senior vice president and head of U.S. energy casualty for the insurer.
Renata Esposito
The newly appointed U.S. casualty head of power and renewables with over 25 years of experience at the firm.
The details
The new appointments cover strategic execution, casualty, and power and renewables sectors. These leaders are split between the insurer's Houston and New York offices, reflecting a geographic strategy aligned with major energy hubs. By distributing these specialized casualty and property roles, the firm intends to bolster its service capacity for power and renewable infrastructure projects.
Timeline
2004: Jeanne Jankowski joined Zurich.
2018: Shawn Runfola rejoined Zurich.
2019: Rebecca Stepp rejoined Zurich.
June 2026: Alex Baron was named U.S. head of energy.
October 20, 2026: Zurich announced the four executive appointments.
Market Landscape
This move follows the industry pattern of realigning senior leadership within insurance units to keep pace with the evolving risk profile of the power and renewables sector. The appointments continue the trend of consolidating energy and power risk underwriting units to manage complex infrastructure liabilities.
Operators in the energy and renewables sector should assess whether these leadership changes impact their current risk assessment and insurance coverage procurement. Expect potential shifts in regional outreach or account management as these new leads transition into their specific property and casualty roles.
The takeaway
Leadership stability within insurance partners is a key metric for managing long-term operational risk in the energy sector. Review your current insurance portfolio to ensure your primary points of contact align with the updated leadership structure.
Further reading
For more on industry leadership trends, visit the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Business Insurance.
