Crum & Forster names CEO for new Pethealth business

Crum & Forster Accident & Health, a national property and casualty insurer, has named a CEO of its newly acquired Pethealth Inc. business, it announced Tuesday.

Eatontown-based Crum & Forster’s acquisition of Pethealth, a provider of animal management software and pet health insurance, is expected to close by year-end, at which time the company will become part of the Crum & Forster Holdings Corp. Accident & Health division, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd.

In anticipation of the acquisition’s closing, C&F named its chief of staff, Nicole Bennett, as Pethealth’s new CEO, it said. Bennett has 27 years of experience in the property and casualty insurance industry, playing a number of leadership roles with C&F, including serving as a thought leader on long-term innovation and strategy and as senior executive leader of the Digital Partners unit.

“I’m one of the few people who started out knowing I was going into insurance,” Bennett said in a prepared statement. “But to be presented with the opportunity to apply that initial instinct to a career that serves to protect pets across regions is a true privilege. I’m looking forward to seeing Pethealth solutions continue to anticipate the needs and improve the lives of pets and pet families everywhere.”

While Bennett will give up the chief of staff role after her move, she will remain in charge of the Digital Partners unit, reporting to Gary McGeddy, president of C&F Accident & Health.

“Welcoming Pethealth to the A&H family earlier this year was tremendous for C&F, moving our combined position to fourth in the pet insurance market in the U.S.,” McGeddy said in a statement. “Securing Nicole at the helm of this new vertical positions us for synergies within our growing pet insurance ecosystem and allows us to scale with confidence as we continue to meet insurance needs of pet families across North America and the U.K.”