Meet Ricardo Gonzalez Ariemma, AVP, Senior Underwriter – Iberia
Please tell us about your career journey and your path to Sompo.
After graduating in Venezuela in 2011, I moved to London to join my sister and began working at Allied World as an underwriting assistant. Three years later, I accepted a position in Miami as an assistant underwriter for P&C. Then, I transitioned to New York, spending four years in the multinational unit, facilitating policies between the US and Europe. In 2020, I returned to London with Sompo. Within a year, they offered me a lead role in Madrid for the expanding middle market.
Tell us about your day job.
As a senior underwriter in Madrid, I’m laying the groundwork for our expansion in this market and across Europe. Sompo has been in Spain for several years, mainly catering to Japanese business in the region. With our European specialty hub in Barcelona, we have a strong foundation to build upon, but much relationship-building is still required. The bulk of my business centers on property, complemented by some casualty.
What’s happening in your part of the industry?
It’s an exciting time in the Spanish market. Many major companies are either starting up here or expanding their offerings. We’re still a relatively new player, but there’s strong demand for our services. In the Spanish P&C market, rates are much thinner compared to the UK and US markets. This presents a challenge, but we’re making internal adjustments to achieve our planned growth.
Tell us about an initiative at Sompo that you are most excited about.
The expansion of Sompo’s presence in Europe is bringing plenty of opportunities. Growing the P&C operation in Madrid offers the chance to hire more talent, obtain additional resources, and hopefully open a new office. I’m very excited about our future expansion here.
Last word
I’m very lucky that insurance has allowed me to travel around the world, trying new things and meeting people from different cultures and backgrounds. The industry is both small and large at the same time, packed with opportunities to learn new things and face new challenges. It’s a great industry to get into, and I can’t recommend it enough!