Gallagher Re hires FedNat’s Fest in Florida for SE property treaty focus

Reinsurance broker Gallagher Re has hired Scott Fest from insurance carrier FedNat, who joins the company to have a focus on broking treaty business for south east US insurance carrier clients.

Fest joins Gallagher Re as an Executive Vice President (EVP) based in its Tampa, Florida office.

His work will see him primarily focused on south east property insurance carriers, but he also brings additional expertise in workers compensation and auto carriers.

Fest was most recently Vice President of Reinsurance at Florida-headquartered coastal property focused carrier FedNat, where he’d worked for more than six years.

Before that, Fest worked at parametric insurance and reinsurance risk transfer specialists New Paradigm Underwriters for more than three years, becoming Chief Underwriting Officer.

He worked at reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter in his earlier career, working in the Florida market.

Fest also spent time working at Benfield and EW Blanch, as well as property cat focused John B. Collins Associates, in his earlier reinsurance broking career.

With roughly 30 years of experience, much of it gained in the Florida and south east US property insurance and reinsurance market, Fest will be a strong addition to the Gallagher Re operation in Tampa.

Adam Schwebach, Executive Vice President – Tampa branch manager, commented on the hire, “We’re thrilled Scott has chosen to join Gallagher Re.

“His extensive and diverse experience gives him an unparalleled level of expertise that will be hugely valuable to our clients as we prepare to help them navigate the complexities, demands and opportunities of the current market.”