Applied Underwriters Promotes Justin Smith, Jing Hong, Joan Klucarich and Jordan Comacchio in Expansion of Actuarial Faculty and Resources

Omaha -- March 1, 2021 -- Mr. Steve Menzies, Chairman, Applied Underwriters, today announced the promotions of four members of the Company’s actuarial leadership and plans to develop actuarial resources to accommodate the Company’s current and protracted growth. Mr. Justin Smith was named Chief Underwriting Officer; Ms. Jing Hong, Chief Actuary; Ms. Joan Klucarich, Chief Reserving Actuary; and Mr. Jordan Comacchio, Chief Pricing Actuary – Reinsurance.

According to Mr. Menzies, these promotions reflect both the ongoing refinements in leadership that evidence the Company’s commitment to advancement from within its ranks, as well as developing talent to expand the enterprise through extraordinarily accomplished professionals applying intelligence, creativity and experience to key decisions and decision-making: “We have long treated our leadership as a kind of faculty in which our intelligentsia may flourish in a creative, yet demanding environment that often simulates a think tank as much as a C-Suite. This approach has proved successful and has attracted great talent to Applied Underwriters, such as the highly accomplished professionals we have promoted today. We are continuing to hire and to seek top talent in each insurance discipline,” he stated.

Mr. Justin Smith, named Chief Underwriting Officer, joined Applied Underwriters in 2006, having held several roles for over twenty years in insurance pricing, underwriting, reserving and R&D. Previously, he taught at Oxford University and worked as an economist for the UK Government. He holds ten patents in the insurance field. Mr. Smith is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He holds a Bachelor of Arts with first class honors in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and MPhil, MA and PhD (Economics) degrees from Oxford University.

Ms. Jing Hong, named Chief Actuary, joined Applied Underwriters in 2009 following ten years in the insurance field at Aon Hewitt and Kaiser as an actuarial consultant and health actuary respectively, with concentration in pricing, filing, underwriting, reserving, and researching. Ms. Hong is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, an Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society, and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from Xiamen University and a master’s degree in Actuarial Science from the University of Iowa.

Ms. Joan Klucarich, named Chief Reserving Actuary, joined Applied Underwriters in 2005. Highly experienced, she has been in the insurance field for 35 years, including service at Fireman’s Fund and Milliman prior to joining Applied Underwriters. Ms. Klucarich is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. She was graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison with a Bachelor of Science in mathematics.

Mr. Jordan Comacchio, named Chief Pricing Actuary – Reinsurance, recently joined Applied Underwriters. Previously he was the Corporate Actuary at Greenlight Re. He brings reinsurance experience in both underwriting and actuarial science. An Associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and the Society of Actuaries, Mr. Comacchio was graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and economics, before earning his Master of Business Administration from Georgia State University.

For further information contact:
Ryan Gerding, Public Relations, at +1 (913) 602-8531 or at press@auw.com.

Applied Underwriters (www.auw.com)
Applied Underwriters® is a global risk services firm that helps businesses and people manage uncertainty through its business services, insurance, and reinsurance solutions. As a company, Applied Underwriters has been distinguished by its innovative approaches to client care and by its strong financial strength. Applied Underwriters operates widely throughout the US, UK, and EU. Its operational headquarters is located in Omaha, Nebraska.