The 2020 Insurance Executives to Watch: The Hartford’s Vince Tizzio

Vince Tizzio played a key role in making sure company cultures aligned after Navigators was acquired by The Hartford. Now he’s leading their Global Specialty Division.
By: | January 15, 2020

From managing high risks to insuring unusual or unique products, specialty insurance can be a tricky space. 

If you’re looking for someone to crack this difficult area, The Hartford’s Vince Tizzio just might be your guy.    

“Specialty is dynamic, it requires a constant learning, continuously improving one’s skill and product knowledge. It demands good analytic and critical reasoning skills, and strong interpersonal skills to deal with diverse intermediaries representing different types of clients,” Vince Tizzo, executive vice president and head of global specialty at The Hartford.  

Tizzio has built his career in the specialty space and as such has brought a unique perspective to The Hartford, where he has helped the company through their acquisition of Navigators. 

As the newly named head of global specialty, he plans to center the company’s operations around three overarching goals and six core areas of interest. 

A Career Focused on Specialty

Prior to joining The Hartford after their acquisition of Navigators, Tizzio’s career focused on specialty insurance. 

He served as president and CEO of specialty insurer Navigators and after the acquisition, he was instrumental in ensuring the company’s cultures and capabilities were aligned. 

“Vince Tizzio was a key player in making sure the acquisition moved forward successfully,” the company said in their nomination. “As head of the Hartford’s new global specialty division, Tizzio is now charged with bringing those capabilities into the marketplace.”

When Navigators was acquired, he was chosen to lead up The Hartford’s global specialty division, a role that is reflective of the direction of his career as a whole, he said.    

“It’s complementary to my specialty background, so it’s an extension, or evolution of where I was going,” Tizzio said. 

“I’ve always worked in businesses that were considered specialty lines. I was exposed to many different types of specialty products, and so was able to develop a very deep and broad expertise.”

His background working in specialty has prepared him for working with The Hartford’s global program. 

“It’s a global business and it’s entirely in the specialty space,” he said. 

“Decades of working in the specialty space, a number of start up responsibilities, and a broad understanding of property casualty insurance, along with strong and substantial relationships with people in the distribution channels we work prepared me for this position.”

In addition to his experience, Tizzio cites his mentors as contributing to his success. His list is long and personal — after all, it was family that got him interested in the industry. 

“I had a number of relatives in the business.  I started as an intern and decided it would be a pretty good place to make my career,” he said. 

“My mentors provided great advice on many different challenges as I’ve grown in the business. Some  life-long friendships stemmed from mentorship relationships. They’re very talented and generous people. They’re very selfless, very giving of their time and very helpful.”    

The Big Picture

In his new role, Tizzio will help The Hartford transition from their acquisition of Navigators and he will lead their global specialty program. 

“I’m responsible for The Hartford Global Specialty business which integrates specialty products and capabilities from Navigators,” Tizzio said. “We offer specialized coverages that require specialized underwriting, no matter what the size or type of business.”

Tizzio’s objectives for this position are tied to three overarching goals: profitably growing their specific solutions for customers and brokers, complimenting cross-sale opportunities between the middle and large commercial business units with specialty products, and delivering international business that enhances operations at The Hartford within the property and casualty space. 

To achieve these goals, Tizzio plans to draw from the talents of his team and data from their actuarial, data and analytics teams. The goals were developed collaboratively with The Hartford after the acquisition of Navigators.   

The global specialty divisions is aligned around six core areas of focus — financial lines, environmental, ocean marine, international, and livestock.  

“I’m excited to see the benefits of The Hartford’s acquisition of Navigators, deepening our underwriting insight, building unique product capabilities, and fueling a culture of specialization at The Hartford,” Tizzio said. &


 

For the full list of Insurance Executives to Watch in 2020, click here.

Courtney DuChene is a freelance journalist based in Philadelphia. She can be reached at [email protected].

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