Cytora hires former Hiscox chief operating officer

Commercial insurance software organisation Cytora has appointed former Hiscox staffer Juan de Castro as its new chief commercial and operating officer.

De Castro has joined from Hiscox, where he has worked since 2014 – his most recent position there was chief operating officer, where he led the insurer’s digital transformation project.

Prior to that, he was a senior manager at McKinsey’s Silicon Valley office, where he led growth strategy and operational improvement engagements for Fortune 100 companies.

De Castro’s appointment is designed to help Cytora expand its global operations, as well as to continue driving customer success.

He said: “Cytora is the pioneer in commercial insurance platforms, enabled by unique technology and data models.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join such a great team, driving the commercial strategy and development of the business through marketing, sales, customer service and operations as we expand into new geographies.”

‘Exciting time’

The company has also appointed Dr Liuben Siarov as chief data scientist, to lead data strategy and innovation.

Richard Hartley, chief executive at Cytora, added: “We’re delighted to welcome both Juan and Liuben to the team at a really exciting time for Cytora.

“As we look to grow into new markets and expand our technology offering, their breadth of experience and industry knowledge is set to propel us - and our customers - to the next level.”

Cytora works with global insurers such as QBE, AXA XL and Starr Insurance Companies, and is backed by over $40m of leading venture capital.