Captive International Cayman Awards: reinsurance specialist

Winner: Phil Giles, vice president, sales and marketing, QBE

Highly commended: Brian First, executive vice president, Arch

Highly commended: Vivian Koelsch, underwriting specialist, Arch

Phillip Giles is personally experienced in most forms of alternative risk transfer, including captive, risk retention group and rent-a-captive, programme business and self-insurance in property and casualty, captives, programme and self-funding, employee benefits including: self-funding and medical stop loss, voluntary benefits and IRS section 125 programmes, and Texas non-subscription.

Brian First is executive leader, experienced in launching, developing and managing specialised commercial insurance companies, divisions and products on a national scale. His strong and diverse professional background includes responsibilities as president, COO, CUO, managing director and chief marketing officer at national insurance companies. He specialises in leading and developing underwriting teams, management, underwriting, marketing and design of sophisticated US and international captive insurance and specialty programmes.

Vivian Koelsch is an underwriting specialist who has been with Arch since 2016, having also worked at Travelers and The Hartford. She was educated in Connecticut, where she still resides, but is well known in the Cayman captives community, where she is highly regarded, well liked and admired. Respondents describe her as motivated and trustworthy.