WILTON, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Signal Mutual, the premier provider of Longshore benefits in the United States, has announced that Justin Gardner has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Justin recently served as Executive Vice President (EVP) and Chief Underwriting Officer and prior to that was an EVP at Willis Re.
As part of the company’s succession plan, Justin will replace Richard Wood, who will continue to serve in an advisory capacity as a Director on Signal’s Board and as CEO of Charles Taylor Insurance Management, maintaining oversight of Charles Taylor’s end-to-end management of insurance programs and its activities and affairs with Signal Mutual.
The company also announced that Phil Schellhorn will assume the role of Chief Underwriting Officer, and Yvonne Poster will join the firm as Chief Financial Officer, both based in Wilton, CT. Phil previously served as Vice President of Underwriting and Member Services for Signal. Yvonne comes from AmTrust Financial Services where she served as the Global Head of Finance Transformation.
Tom Godfrey, Signal Mutual’s Chairman of the Board added, “Signal Mutual has enjoyed over 35 years of remarkable success as the leader in the US Longshore market, much attributed to our superb management team. The Board is excited to congratulate Justin and Phil on their promotions and welcome Yvonne into her new role as CFO. We also gratefully recognize Richard Wood’s twenty years of brilliant work and dedication on behalf of the Mutual.”
About Justin Gardner
Justin joined Signal in 2017 as Executive Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer. He has twenty-five years of experience in the insurance market—both as a senior underwriter and reinsurance broker. Prior to joining Signal, Justin was Executive Vice President and Head of U.S. Specialty for Willis Re. He also worked at General Reinsurance Corporation for twenty-two years, where he served as Global Ocean Marine Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer.
About Phil Schellhorn
Phil is one of four underwriters at Signal and serves as an Account Executive for Members across the US, ensuring appropriate services are coordinated and delivered to Members of the Association. Additionally, Phil manages the relationship with Mutual’s State Act Companion Program carrier and the development of new product offerings for Signal Members. Phil has nearly 15 years of (re)insurance industry experience and is focused primarily on working with Members and Prospects from the US Great Lakes to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.
About Yvonne Poster
Yvonne is a financial executive and CFO/Controller with broad international expertise in the Mutual and Commercial insurance and reinsurance industries. She has over 30 years of experience within the insurance market and a track record of building and managing strong finance teams, partnering with CEOs of growing business units, and leading large finance transformation initiatives. Most recently, Yvonne served as Global Head of Financial Transformation for AmTrust Financial Services, where she led a variety of global systems transformation projects as well as the enterprise financial systems team.
About Signal Mutual
Signal Mutual Indemnity Association Ltd. is the largest self-insured group provider of Longshore benefits in the United States. The Association's Membership is drawn from a broad range of employers throughout the country in the stevedoring, ship repair, and offshore industries. Signal is dedicated to the service and support of these employer Members, who own the Mutual. Signal is a Bermuda domiciled, non-profit mutual organization, authorized by the Department of Labor as a Group Self-Insurer.
About Charles Taylor
Charles Taylor provides insurance services, claims solutions and technology platforms to all parties across the global insurance market. Its technical expertise, technological tools and breadth of solutions enable its clients to outperform, by addressing complexities and challenges across every stage and aspect of the insurance lifecycle and operating model.
Charles Taylor employs approximately 3,100 staff in more than 120 locations spread across 30 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. It has earned the trust of a diversified, blue-chip international customer base that includes national and international insurance companies, mutuals, captives, MGAs, Lloyd's syndicates and reinsurers, along with brokers, distributors and corporate insureds.
Charles Taylor has been the manager of Signal Mutual since the inception of the mutual in 1986.
