He joins the business seven months since it was launched

Managing general agent (MGA) Itasca has appointed Gareth John as its new chief executive.

In his new role, John will focus on expanding the firm’s reach and capacity within the specialised aviation sector.

He succeeds Kostya Zolotusky, who is stepping down as he prepares to retire.

John joins the business seven months since it was established by Castle Lake and Pine Walk Capital Limited, which is part of The Fidelis Partnership.

As part of the move, John will also become head of bespoke economic lines at Fidelis.

This will see him take additional responsibility for the strategy, growth and development of aviation financing, asset-backed financing and credit and political risk businesses.

Experience

John joins the firm from Natixis, where he was most recently head of investment banking.

His career has also seen him work as a director at UBS Investment Bank and be the senior vice president at GE Capital.

John’s appointments at Itasca and Fidelis are subject to regulatory approval.