Jason Meador, the current head of Zurich’s crop insurance arm, Rural Community Insurance Services (RCIS), will transition to lead the Direct Markets division, which caters to auto dealers and rental operations. This transition follows the forthcoming retirement of Vince Santivasi, the current Head of Direct Markets.
Taking Meador’s place at RCIS will be Dalynn Hoch, who presently serves as the Head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Zurich Insurance Group. Hoch will return to North America to helm RCIS, succeeding Meador in this critical role.
The transition in Direct Markets leadership will take effect on February 1st, with Meador reporting directly to Zurich North America CEO, Kristof Terryn, as a key member of the executive committee. Santivasi will remain onboard until April 5th to facilitate Meador’s smooth transition into the role. Santivasi leaves Zurich after an illustrious tenure of 20 years, during which he played a pivotal role in solidifying Zurich’s stature as a leading provider of Finance & Insurance and Property & Casualty insurance solutions to franchised auto dealers across the United States.
“In honouring Vince’s remarkable twenty-year tenure with Zurich, we express gratitude for his exceptional leadership. With his extensive knowledge and expertise in the automotive industry, Vince has fostered invaluable customer and industry relationships that have been instrumental in our success within the franchised auto dealer space,” said Terryn. “As Vince moves on, Jason, who currently leads our Crop business, will take over as leader of the Direct Markets business. We extend our appreciation to Vince for his exemplary service and anticipate continued success under Jason’s leadership.”
Meador, a Navy veteran, has a rich background in the insurance industry. Most recently, he served as the Head of RCIS, leading the crop insurance business at Zurich. Meador joined Zurich over 10 years ago and has held several leadership roles since that time, including Head of Strategic Execution for North America, Chief Operating Officer of the former Alternative Markets business unit and Head of Captives. Prior to joining Zurich, Meador was a Principal with The Boston Consulting Group serving clients in the Insurance and Financial Services industry.
Meador holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, a Master of Science in Engineering Science from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University.
Dalynn Hoch has been appointed Head of RCIS, Zurich’s crop insurance business, effective February 1. Hoch will report to Zurich North America CEO Kristof Terryn and be a member of Zurich North America’s Executive Committee.
Hoch most recently served as the head of Mergers & Acquisitions at Zurich Insurance Group. Prior to this, she worked as the Chief Financial Officer at Zurich North America for seven years. Previously, she held a position as a Partner with KPMG. Hoch holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Northwestern – St. Paul (Minnesota), with a triple major including international business and accounting.
“We’re fortunate to have strong leaders across North America and our Group, which ensures seamless transitions,” said Terryn. “We’re thrilled to welcome Dalynn back to North America. With her background growing up in the family agriculture business and the wealth of finance and transformation experience she gained during her 14 years at Zurich, Dalynn is a strong fit to lead our Crop business.”
