The Hartford Names Ryan Nally Head of Energy

The Hartford has tapped a seasoned oil and gas underwriter from a competitor to steer its national energy portfolio, bringing in fresh leadership as mid-sized specialist brokers also bulk up their commercial teams.

The Hartford Appoints New Energy Leader

Ryan Nally is taking over as head of energy within The Hartford’s middle and large business organization. In this role, he will guide the strategy, underwriting, and financial performance of the company’s national energy portfolio. His remit covers both traditional and emerging energy segments, which spans oil and gas, power and utilities, and renewables, alongside building out broker relationships and training the next generation of underwriters.

Nally brings more than 20 years of energy underwriting experience to the position. He most recently worked at Travelers as assistant vice president and field practice lead for oil and gas, overseeing its national portfolio. He holds the Energy Risk and Insurance Specialist certification from the International Risk Management Institute. Based in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Nally reports to David DeSilva, The Hartford’s head of construction and energy.

Energy remains a specialized market where seasoned underwriters are hard to find. Bringing in a senior competitor talent to handle traditional operations alongside renewables and power points to an expansion across multiple energy risk categories. This appointment marks the latest specialty leadership change at The Hartford this month.

Virtus Expands Commercial Client Service Leadership

Meanwhile, insurance brokerage and consultancy Virtus added Eric Montgomery as senior vice president, commercial. Montgomery started on October 19 to lead the firm’s commercial property and casualty client service teams.

Montgomery previously served as senior vice president and West region commercial client service director at Risk Strategies, where he directed account teams across the western United States. Prior to that tenure, he spent over a decade at WTW, advancing from associate client manager to director of client service.

“We see a significant opportunity for a brokerage that combines deep industry knowledge with the resources to handle complex risk,” said Andrew Gray, Virtus’s founder and chief executive.

Established in 2013 as a real-estate-focused broker, Virtus now serves businesses across multiple sectors while also providing employee benefits and private client services. Montgomery’s arrival follows the earlier appointment of president Matt Summers.

Mid-sized specialist brokers handling complex accounts face pressure to match the service infrastructure of larger firms. Investing in client service leadership while recruiting producers indicates that Virtus aims to maintain high service standards amid growth.