5 March 2013Executive Appointments

SPARTA announces new CEO and COO


SPARTA Insurance Holdings has announced Ralph Jones as the company’s new CEO and Brian First as president and chief operating officer.

George Estes III, SPARTA’s former CEO who continues to serve as executive chairman, said: “I am pleased to be able to pass the torch to these two highly talented executives.

"We have an experienced team in place dedicated to the programme and alternative risk insurance market, and I look forward to working closely with Ralph and Brian as we continue to build enterprise value.”

Jones joined SPARTA in September 2012 after working at insurance companies including Chubb and Arch Insurance.

First was SPARTA’s executive vice president and chief underwriting officer, and is a member of the initial management team who launched the company in 2007. He previously headed the alternative risk programmes at Travelers and The Hartford.

“I think it’s important that our vision has remained consistent since the company’s inception,” he told Captive International.

“As president and chief operating officer, I intend to keep our team focused on expanding our specialty and ART programme writings by leveraging our recognised strengths of underwriting expertise, breadth of product, ease of doing business, and excellent program administrator distribution,” he said.

He added that the company’s priority is expanding the company surplus through “patient” and “profitable” programme underwriting.

First continued: “we expect continued expansion in our targeted classes in the transportation, food service and retail franchise sectors and are also expanding our professional lines appetite as that market shows signs of price firming.”