Meet Our Leadership Team

ASIC is operated by Shevawn and Simon Barder, who each have over 30 years of experience in successfully operating profitable businesses in the excess and surplus lines market, with over 80 years combined experience working in insurance. Both have Lloyd’s of London expertise and training in the excess and surplus market, with Simon having run excess and surplus syndicate operations successfully at Lloyd’s for over 20 years.

In 2000, the Barders launched MarineRe. Shevawn Barder was the Chief Operating Officer and Simon Barder was the Chief Executive Officer. Together, the Barders’ built the agency from a start-up to its acquisition by Ironshore in 2008. MarineRe was incorporated as a division of Ironshore, which the Barders’ ran successfully until they sold out in December 2012 to embark upon creating AM Holding Company and its subsidiaries.

Prior, Simon was SVP at Gerling Global and Cologne RE, after being an active underwriter and deputy managing director at Barder & Marsh Agency Syndicate at Lloyd’s of London.

The Barders’ have had longstanding careers in management positions and have an excellent reputation in the U.S. market. More specifically, the Barders’ have long standing relationships in the primary U.S. market, the London market and with international brokerage firms and the reinsurance markets.

Shevawn Barder

Founder & CEO

Shevawn has more than 30 years’ experience in the re/insurance industry. Shevawn is the Chief Executive Officer and Principal of AM RE and ASIC. Prior to this, Shevawn was the President of Ironshore Marine Re. Shevawn has held roles at Marine Re, Sedgwick, Alexander & Alexander and Willis.

Simon Barder

Founder & Chairman

As Chairman and Principal of ASIC, Simon has more than 30 years' underwriting and leadership experience in the re/insurance market. Prior to this, Simon was Chief Executive Officer of Ironshore Marine Re. Simon has held roles at Gerling, Cologne Re and Barder & Marsh.

Dominick Tassone Jr.

Chief Underwriting Officer

Dominick has over 40 years of primary insurance experience, with the most recent 25 years managing programs for three large carriers. Prior to joining AM Specialty Insurance, Dominick served as VP of Underwriting for Spinnaker Insurance Company, Executive Vice President, Head of Programs for Aspen Insurance Group, and in various underwriting management capacities at QBE the Americas. His responsibilities include developing and maintaining underwriting strategy, division profit and tactical growth, as well as developing underwriting standards for program business.

Renee Montgomery

Chief Financial Officer

Renee has over 25 years of experience serving in senior finance roles at specialty insurance companies. Prior to joining AM Specialty Insurance, she served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Houston International Insurance Group's (now Skyward Specialty Insurance Group) insurance companies. Renee's career began at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). She graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance and is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Anne Hoffmans

SVP, Program Underwriting

Anne serves as SVP of Program Underwriting for AM Specialty Insurance. She has over 15 years of experience in the insurance / reinsurance industry. Before joining AM Specialty, Anne was a Director of Program Underwriting for Spinnaker Insurance Company. Prior to Spinnaker, Anne worked at State National in program risk management, and at Arch Insurance, primarily as a ceded reinsurance buyer. Anne is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame, and holds the CPCU and ARe designations.

Grant Miller

General Counsel

Grant serves as General Counsel for AM Specialty Insurance. Prior to this, Grant practiced as a senior litigation attorney in high value, catastrophic injury and medical malpractice lawsuits for several years in the UK. After moving to the United States in 2018, he passed the New York State Bar Exam and is duly licensed to practice law in New York, Texas, and the UK (Scotland).

Rita Courtney

Controller

Rita serves as Controller at AM Specialty Insurance. She has over 25 years of experience in the insurance accounting industry. Rita started her career in the accounting department at HCC Insurance Holding and most recently served as Assistant Controller at Skyward Specialty Insurance Group (formerly Houston International Insurance Group).

The Barder Backstory

2000

Seizing the US Market Opportunity

Shevawn and Simon Barder recognized the opportunity in establishing a presence in the US market and decided to capitalize on their Lloyd's of London experience, founding Marine Re. Marine Re, the sole reinsurance MGA in North America at the time, wrote on behalf of a panel of Lloyd's of London and North American capacity.