New practice will be hub for North American clients.
Willis has announced the launch of a North American Yacht practice within its Marine Group, and appointed a practice leader and team.
The new practice will serve the insurance needs of the owners of North America’s most prestigious luxury yachts, and will be based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
To head the team, Willis named Nancy Poppe Senior Vice President, North American YachtPractice Leader. She will report to Brian Fuller, chief executive of Willis Marine, Willis North America. P
oppe brings more than 13 years of experience to her new position. She entered the insurance industry as a commercial property and casualty generalist in 1988, and joined Marsh Yacht in 1995, heading the practice for the last 10 years. Together with Shawn Kucharski, vice president of Hull, Marine North America, Willis now has one of the most recognizable yacht teams in North America.
Reporting to Poppe are Christel Mohr and Diana Fabozzi, both vice presidents in the practice. Mohr spent five years with Marsh Yacht and the past year as office head in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. She joined Marsh after completing her MBA, including international studies and residency in Spain. Fabozzi has spent 10 years with Marsh Yacht. The fourth member of the team is Kathy Shea, also formerly with Marsh.
Willis Marine’s Yacht practice currently handles insurance for more than 20 of the world’s 100 largest luxury yachts. The new North American Yacht practice will serve as the hub for North American clients.
Fuller said: “We look forward to leveraging Nancy’s industry-leading expertise to provide our clients with dedicated yacht risk management and insurance capabilities in North America. As the world’s largest Marine insurance broker, we are now able to offer unparalleled risk management and claims services to the yacht industry around the world.”
