Insurance Firms Announced Leadership Appointments

XS Brokers, RLI, and Starkweather & Shepley have made several executive changes to bolster their regional growth.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in People

Insurance Firms Announced Leadership Appointments

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XS Brokers, RLI, and Starkweather & Shepley announced a series of leadership changes across their organizations. These appointments reflect strategic efforts to grow expertise and expand market presence within the insurance sector.

Why it matters

The appointments aim to help firms like XS Brokers cultivate specialist product knowledge while competitors like Starkweather & Shepley push into financial services. These personnel shifts highlight a broader industry focus on internal promotions and the recruitment of industry veterans.

Key hires include John Head, who brings 30 years of industry experience, and Ross Edwards, who has 18 years in law and insurance. These moves support firms' long-term strategies to build out specialized brokerage teams.

The players

John Head

He is the new managing partner of growth and strategy at XS Brokers.

Bryan Sanders

He joined the XS Brokers board as an independent strategic adviser following his retirement from Markel.

Ross Edwards

He was promoted to vice president and claim counsel at RLI.

Mike Bradica

He is a new business development risk adviser at Starkweather & Shepley.

The details

XS Brokers recruited John Head as managing partner of growth and strategy, while RLI promoted four leaders including Ross Edwards and Kathleen Taylor to senior roles. Separately, Starkweather & Shepley hired Mike Bradica to assist in its expansion into the financial services sector.

October 11, 2026: The companies announced the personnel moves.
2025: Bryan Sanders retired from Markel.
2017: Ross Edwards joined RLI.

Market Landscape

These appointments signal an intensified competition among regional firms to secure specialized talent in the New England market. By elevating internal leaders and recruiting seasoned industry veterans, these organizations are positioning themselves to capture more share in complex product lines.

Clients of these insurance firms may experience changes in point-of-contact representatives or shifts in how specialized insurance products are managed. For the average policyholder, these corporate moves largely represent internal strategic realignments rather than immediate pricing changes.

The takeaway

Insurance firms often cycle through leadership changes to align internal expertise with emerging product-specific opportunities. Observing these appointments can help stakeholders identify which sectors of the market are likely to see increased development or new service offerings.