Following the passing of CEO Michael van der Straaten in July, Antares Global, the specialist re/insurance group, has announced its new leadership structure.
Oversight of the Antares Global’s business will remain with Ahmed El Tabbakh, QIC’s group chief business officer – International. The leadership team will report directly to El Tabbakh. (QIC is a major insurer in the Middle East and North Africa region).
- Mark Graham will continue to lead the Antares Commercial division as Commercial CEO. This division comprises AMAL Syndicate 1274 and Antares Re in Bermuda.
- Pantelis Koulovasilopoulos will continue to lead the Antares Retail division, as Retail CEO. This division comprises Antares Insurance Co. Ltd. and Scorpius MGA.
- Kevin Wenzel, chief financial officer, will take on an expanded finance and operational brief, becoming CEO of the Antares Global Management central service company.
- The Antares Legacy division will remain under the leadership of Jagdis Barber as Legacy CEO, reporting to Wenzel.
- As part of the new structure, some currently shared functions, notably claims, actuarial, compliance and risk, as well as certain operational functions, will be separated to directly support the separate Antares Retail and Antares Commercial business units under the leadership of Koulovasilopoulos and Graham, respectively.
Antares said these changes will deliver a more focused and dedicated level of specialist support for its business units.
Antares, the international operations of Qatar Insurance Group (QIC), provides local and international re/insurance capacity, risk transfer solutions and products through brokers and MGAs, using its Lloyd’s and company-market platforms. The company operates primarily out of the UK, Bermuda and Singapore, covering the whole spectrum of risks from complex international business risks to local retail SME and consumer personal lines.
A tornado that caused severe damage in northeastern Wisconsin on July 27 has been preliminarily ruled as an EF3, the National Weather Service said.
The tornado stayed on the ground for more than 20 minutes, damaging homes and businesses in Neenah, Menasha and Appleton. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
The tornado developed two miles northwest of Appleton and tracked southward into Fox Crossing and Menasha, the NWS said. EF3 tornadoes carry wind speeds of 136-165 mph.
“If you experienced any damage, it’s important to notify your insurance agent or company right away to begin the claim process,” Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Nathan Houdek said.
The Office of the Commissioner of Insurance recommends the following tips for processing storm damage:
- Make a list of damaged items, including cracks in walls, damage to siding or shingles, spoiled food due to a long-term power outage, etc.
- Take photographs of the damage before you begin to clean up.
- Don’t throw out any damaged property without the claim adjuster’s agreement.
- Keep all receipts that document the cost of the repairs or the replacement of damaged items.
Wisconsin has experienced an unusually active storm season. Through mid-July, the state had 39 documented tornadoes, which tied it with 2025 for the sixth-most in an entire since 1950, according to the NWS.
On average the state experiences 23 tornadoes throughout the full year.
