TEAM

ARUN BALAKRISHNAN

Chief Executive Officer Arun Balakrishnan has built his career around promoting innovation and transformation in the insurance business. He has more than 10 years of experience launching start-ups in the industry. Arun’s vision and industry experience are rooted in a desire to revitalize processes, streamline operations, and provide growth opportunities. Before founding Xceedance, he served as the chief executive officer for Berkshire Hathaway Insurance in India. In this role, Arun established and executed the company’s market entry strategy by building a superior team, skilled in insurance processes, technology, and back-office operations. Having initiated and nurtured business relationships with various insurance and reinsurance companies over the years, he has gained an intimate understanding of how insurance businesses operate, underlined by in-depth knowledge of the different functional areas within insurer organizations, as well as hands-on experience with business strategy and planning. Prior to Berkshire Hathaway India, Arun founded and functioned as chief executive officer for an insurance aggregation portal company that secured venture capital funding from one of the top internet companies in India. Originally, he started his career in the Merchant Marine as a deck officer on cargo ships and oil tankers. Arun graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Nautical Science from Mumbai University and completed his master's degree in business administration at the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad.

AMIT RANJAN

Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer Amit Ranjan is the chief administrative officer at Xceedance. He is responsible for corporate services, including human resources, learning and development, facilities, IT infrastructure and security, and client onboarding and transition. He is also responsible for new strategic initiatives within the organization. With more than 20 years of diversified experience, Amit has strong knowledge of various disciplines in the insurance industry. He has cross-functional expertise, including capability development, client relationship management, building centers of excellence, leading successful operations, and directing diverse workforces. Through his analytical and operational expertise, Amit brings steadfast leadership focused on driving innovation and delivering superior value for clients. Amit has worked with leading organizations such as RMS, GE Insurance, Flagstone Re, and Starstone, supporting clients in the Americas and across multiple geographies. He has an M.Tech degree from IIT Roorkee.

AMIT TIWARI

Chief Operating Officer – India and Poland Amit leads all re/insurance services, platforms, and products across the India and Poland service centers for Xceedance. Amit has more than 17 years of technical and functional experience in the insurance and retail banking industries. In previous roles at Xceedance, he led consulting services, technology delivery, product ideation, and global IT infrastructure management. Prior to helping launch Xceedance, Amit led the technology team for Berkshire Hathaway India. He was responsible for architecting and implementing the IT infrastructure for online sales, customer support, payment processing, digital marketing, and MIS. With several years of technology and insurance experience at IBM and RBS, Amit executed strategic projects spanning several geographies and operating entities. He transformed a rating platform, implemented a Solvency II regime, and managed legacy claims management system replacements for flagship UK insurance brands such as Direct Line, Churchill, Tesco, Prudential, Green Flag, and NIG. Amit graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai (IIT).

MANISH KHETAN

Chief Operating Officer – North America Manish Khetan is a chief operating officer at Xceedance, with 15 years of experience in transforming insurance operations. He leads the North America business and is responsible for business growth and service delivery at Xceedance. He focuses on identifying growth drivers, business planning, capability development, client relations, organizational learning and development, and alternate channels of expansion, including partnerships and acquisitions. Prior to helping start Xceedance, Manish was a founding team member at Berkshire Hathaway Insurance in India, leading operations, sales, and strategic partnerships. Over his career, he has built an intimate understanding of the insurance business and its various functional areas, through his deep-rooted relations with various senior executives of insurance and reinsurance companies. Manish started his career as an operations and strategy consultant. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Technology from HBTI Kanpur and completed his MBA at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

NARENDRA MARWAH

Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Narendra Marwah is responsible for the finance and administration functions at Xceedance. He brings more than 27 years of diverse experience, managing Indian and international accounting, taxation and finance operations. Throughout his career, Narendra has worked with leadership teams on strategic business planning, process streamlining, and management of funds and budgets. His contributions have helped to improve operations, impact business growth and maximize profitability. Narendra has in-depth knowledge and experience in the implementation of U.S. GAAP, Indian GAAP, M&A, transfer pricing policy, and transfer pricing assessments at TPO, CIT, DRP, ITAT and High Court levels. He has worked on SEC and SOX compliance, SEZ and STPI related regulations. Previously, Narendra headed the India finance division at Host Analytics Software. He has also worked at Price Waterhouse, HCL Limited, Interra IT, ADP Pvt. Ltd., Mentor Graphics and Avantha Business Solutions. Narendra has functioned as a member of the Tax Committee in IACC, PHD Chamber of Commerce, CII and NMA. He was a guest faculty member at Amity Business School, Bimtech, IILM, IIPM, JRE and Northwest University. Narendra is a chartered accountant and earned his doctorate degree in commerce.

JUSTIN DAVIES

Senior Vice President, Region Head – EMEA Justin Davies is tasked with building the Xceedance brand and expanding the team within the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) region. His interactions with clients focus on adding value to their business through services, products, and partner offerings. Justin has more than 25 years of financial services and insurance experience with a background in exposure management, CAT modeling, spatial analytics, and geocoding. He joined Xceedance from Xuber, where he was director of the business unit that developed and launched the Xposure software platform. Prior to Xuber, Justin spent more than five years at EQECAT, where he ran the client-facing side of the business for the U.K. and Asia Pacific region. He was also at Pitney Bowes for three years, where he managed the U.K. and Ireland financial services team for the spatial analytics product lines.

MAREK KASZCYC

Senior Vice President, Country Manager – Poland Marek Kaszczyc is head of Xceedance Poland, where he leads a multifaceted Xceedance service team in Krakow that supports operations and European expansion for key clients. He brings 20 years of experience and proven capabilities in IT operations and leadership. In his additional capacity as global head of learning and development, Marek focuses on leading the construction and delivery of a global learning strategy for Xceedance. By promoting professional growth and Xceedance core values, he focuses on the most efficient and effective learning solutions to help further develop teammates and leaders across the Xceedance organization. Prior to Xceedance, Marek served as head of the Aon Business Centre in Krakow, Poland. He has led teams through major consolidation projects, while defining the vision and setting the direction for strategic transformation programs. Marek holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Bogdan Janski College of Management and Enterprise in Poland and an advanced diploma in GBS from Hackett Institute.

MONALISA SAMAL

Senior Vice President, Risk Management and Innovation Monalisa Samal oversees actuarial services, along with catastrophe and exposure management solutions, at Xceedance. Her team serves global business operations of clients across the U.S., Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia — providing a range of actuarial, exposure management, and catastrophe modeling practices, including account modeling, technical pricing, process efficiency, portfolio reporting, profitability analysis and more. Monalisa brings 16 years of experience in client and operations management, individual risk-based pricing, overall portfolio optimization, and management and model validation. She has assisted in the application of models in decision making, designed custom solutions for clients, and managed strong and expanding teams of analysts. As one of the first leadership members, Monalisa joined Xceedance just two months after its launch. Prior to Xceedance, she worked in diverse areas of risk management and modeling for various perils and regions.

SACHIN KULKARNI

Senior Vice President, Country Head – North America Sachin Kulkarni leads the Xceedance business development and account management teams in North America and Bermuda. His interactions with clients focus on building trusted relationships and adding value to insurance organizations through services and products. Sachin has more than 20 years of experience in technology and operations across insurance, distribution/supply chain, and other service industries in multiple geographies. His experience encompasses all aspects of IT delivery. Sachin has held roles as global head of IT architecture at Westcon and head of IT strategy for the U.S. and Canada at Marsh. He led delivery activities for all Marsh global applications, including business intelligence, financial systems, client and market applications, and sales and marketing. Sachin received his B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Pune, India, and completed graduate studies at Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey, U.S. He is a registered volunteer with Taproot Foundation and presently volunteers with Girl Rising.

KAUSHIK GOHAIN

Senior Vice President, Global Operations Kaushik Gohain manages one of the key client relationships at Xceedance. His insurance-knowledgeable team — based in India and Poland — provides end-to-end support in the areas of operations, credit control, analytics, finance, claims, cat modeling, and technology. With 18 years of experience providing services to the insurance industry, Kaushik has managed large scale operations and transition initiatives for clients. His teams drive results by transforming critical processes such as underwriting, accounting, finance, claims, analytics, and compliance. Prior to joining Xceedance, Kaushik was responsible for managing service delivery for a leading reinsurance client at Genpact. Kaushik holds a master’s degree in business administration from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies in India. He is Six Sigma green belt certified and maintains certifications in lean management and property/casualty insurance from the Insurance Institute of America. .

MASSOOD ABOLFAZLI

Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications Massood Abolfazli leads the marketing and communications team at Xceedance. With 33 years of experience in the insurance and financial services industry, Massood has directed strategic communications, marketing, media relations, and thought-leadership initiatives for private and public companies. He has contributed to revenue generation and enterprise growth through digital and conventional marketing programs for brand awareness, product positioning, and sales enablement. Massood has also led corporate communications, industry relations, and event management. Prior to joining Xceedance, he served as vice president of marketing at FirstBest Systems after a decade as head of communications and media relations at Verisk Analytics and its flagship ISO subsidiary. Before joining Verisk, he was vice president of marketing at ISO Insurance Technology Solutions (formerly AscendantOne). Previously, Massood served as financial services industry marketing director at Lawson Software, and he worked in marketing leadership roles at Allenbrook, Vertafore/AMS Services, Delphi Information Systems, and McCracken Computer.

GEORGE FREIMARCK

Managing Director – Europe George Freimarck is based in Munich, Germany and responsible for managing business development and expanding the Xceedance client base in Europe. He has an extensive background of over 35 years in providing solutions to the risk transfer industry, with a focus on reinsurance, risk syndication, and advanced analytics. George was a practice leader with CoreLogic, providing business development and account management leadership for the EQECAT suite of CAT modeling analytics for global insurers, reinsurers, MGAs, ILS managers, and brokers. Previously, he was senior vice president at Munich Re where he was intricately involved in risk syndication for financial market clients, operating an intra-group brokerage service, and recommending reinsurance solutions for P&C insurers and reinsurers. George began his career as a reinsurance broker with Guy Carpenter (a division of Marsh) with client responsibilities for Japanese, Swiss and U.S. insurers. He attended Columbia University, earning bachelor’s, master’s, and Master of Philosophy degrees in modern European history.

VASUDHARA SRIVASTAVA

Senior Vice President, Human Resources Vasudhara Srivastava leads the human resources function at Xceedance, with responsibilities for people management, including talent acquisition and people practices in India. She has more than 20 years of diverse work experience across HR and operations at global service provider organizations. Before Xceedance, Vasudhara was at Quatrro Global Services, where she served as vice president of human resources, leading talent management, acquisition, and compensation functions. As a strategic partner with the business, she managed talent requirements, developed retention practices, and designed innovation triggers to enhance business impact. In addition, she directed a robust team engagement strategy — including programs for top talent, which were integral to developing high performing teams. In previous roles, Vasudhara has worked at GE Money and as a member of the talent acquisition team at Genpact. An economics post-graduate from Delhi School of Economics, she attained an honors degree in economics from Lady Shri Ram College at Delhi University.

BINU NAIR

Vice President, Administration and Facilities Binu Nair oversees the administration and facilities team at Xceedance. He has more than 17 years of experience in office administration and policy formulation, real estate management, travel/transport, purchasing and vendor management. Prior to joining Xceedance, Binu worked as associate director of administration and facilities at PwC where he headed the northern region of the PwC India operations. Binu has also worked at Thales, IBM, Patni Computers, Oriflame India, Zee Turner. He has extensive experience in strategy planning, estimation and costing, procurement, negotiations, analysis and budgeting, new office set up and people management. Binu holds a bachelor’s of commerce degree from Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India.

PRATEEK VIJAYVERGIA

Senior Vice President, Technology Services Prateek Vijayvergia leads the technology team at Xceedance and spearheads large-scale transformation programs across insurance functions such as underwriting, catastrophe modeling, policy service, and claims for re/insurers worldwide. He brings more than 16 years of proven property/casualty insurance domain experience in managing enterprise technology, data science, automation and insurtech initiatives. With specialization in advancing strategic technology-driven initiatives for insurance industry participants, Prateek has successfully delivered numerous projects, including new business launch, customer-centric platform design, post-merger and separation IT consolidation, legacy platform overhaul, and geo-specific regulatory compliance. Prior to Xceedance, Prateek worked at organizations such as IBM, RBS, and Syntel, and was responsible for the design and delivery of major digital transformation programs.

SAURABH MEHTA

Vice President, Insurance Products Saurabh Mehta is responsible for managing and growing the Xceedance delivery center in Bangalore. He also manages the development of insurance/reinsurance platforms offered by Xceedance. Saurabh brings extensive experience in supervising various aspects of technology solutions, including applications, infrastructure and software. Prior to joining Xceedance, he worked for over 11 years managing solution sales and client relationships at IBM. He has a deep understanding of the technology solutions that are deployed in the financial services industry, and worked closely with banking and insurance clients, consulting on the latest technologies and helping identify strategic areas for technology investments. Saurabh holds a bachelor’s degree from IIT, Madras.

GOURAV MAHAJAN

Vice President, Insurance Finance and Accounting Gourav Mahajan manages the insurance finance and accounting team at Xceedance. He is a qualified chartered accountant with more than 16 years of experience in handling accounting, audit and SOX controls and procedures in the re/insurance industry worldwide. Gourav brings extensive understanding of reporting requirements to credit rating agencies and local finance and accounting regulations in Bermuda and the United States. Prior to Xceedance, he led investment accounting for a U.S. reinsurer. Gourav has also worked as an external auditor at global consulting firms, focused on captive insurance and SEC clients in property/casualty and life reinsurance markets.

TRAVIS MACMILLIAN

Executive Vice President, Chief Business Officer Travis MacMillian leads the global business development, account management, solutioning and partner management teams, with a focus on expanding Xceedance services worldwide. An insurance expert focused on the property/casualty industry, Travis brings 30 years of experience with strong acumen in underwriting, operations, marketing, business development, claims, reinsurance, analytics, and technology. He has extensive leadership and management experience, building and running teams in insurance companies and at service providers to the industry. Prior to joining Xceedance, Travis was the vice president of insurance at Genpact International. He has also served in leadership roles as a regional vice president at FirstBest Systems (now part of Guidewire), president and chief operations officer at Greater New York Mutual, and the vice president of commercial insurance and business development at OneBeacon Insurance Group. Travis began his insurance career as an underwriter trainee at Commercial Union. Travis holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in accounting from Woodbury University. He also attended the High Potential Management Development Program at CEDEP in Fontainebleau, France.

PRASHANT TEKCHANDANI

Senior Vice President, Underwriting, Operations, and Finance and Accounting Prashant Tekchandani is responsible for the underwriting, operations, finance and accounting, and claims teams at Xceedance. Prashant brings 18 years of experience in re/insurance markets and has supported operations for multiple insurance organizations. Prior to joining Xceedance, Prashant served as assistant vice president at Genpact, where he oversaw the reinsurance operations division for a global insurance firm. His responsibilities included supporting the accounting, reporting, and operations functions for clients in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Africa. He also led reengineering projects in accounts payable, accounts receivable, and travel and expense processes at a major insurance company. Prashant holds a bachelor’s degree in insurance and is a certified Lean Six Sigma black belt. He is certified by TARN (The Accounts Receivable Network) as an accounts receivable manager and maintains certification from the Insurance Institute of India for property/casualty insurance claims.

AMAR GOMBER

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer Amar Gomber is responsible for the finance, legal, and compliance functions at Xceedance. A Chartered Accountant, Company Secretary, and CISA, Amar has nearly 20 years of experience in managing various facets of finance and compliance across diverse industries, including manufacturing, FMCG, financial services, and IT. Prior to joining Xceedance, he was vice president - finance at Quatrro Global Services. Amar has also held positions at LeasePlan, GE Money, Aditya Birla Corporation, and UB Group.

STEPHEN BROWNE

Vice President, Region Head – Australia and New Zealand With an international background in business and technology, Stephen Browne has delivered insurance solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets for more than 30 years. His focus in identifying core solutions for organizations and assessing appropriate delivery models has ensured the most strategic outcomes for his clients. Creating successful teams and building businesses by leveraging technology solutions, Stephen has managed large multi-country implementations. He has secured significant new business across regions in customer-facing solutions and systems of record, and established knowledgeable teams to ensure cost-effective solution delivery. Before joining Xceedance, Stephen was director for insurance at CSC Australia. He previously held senior roles with Lumley Technology, SSP in Australia, and Computer Power Group in both Australia and the United States. He started his career implementing technology solutions. Stephen’s consulting engagements to assess business requirements and packages for organizations stem from his experience in delivering technology solutions. Stephen holds qualifications in computer programming and a Master of Business Administration from Curtin University, Western Australia.

MICHAEL PARCELLI

Senior Vice President, Head of Global Solutioning and Business Process Consulting Michael Parcelli is responsible for building innovative solutions and business process consulting engagements for Xceedance clients. As a seasoned insurance expert with 35 years of experience, he applies a technology-centric consulting approach to business problems, driving profitable growth and operational excellence for insurance organizations. His underwriting knowledge and in-depth technical understanding of automation enable Michael to provide holistic and future-ready solutions across the insurance lifecycle. Prior to joining Xceedance, Michael was vice president of insurance underwriting at Genpact and a senior property/casualty E&O underwriter at Zurich North America and CNA Insurance. His contributions spanned various functions of the insurance value chain, including underwriting, claims, and technology. Michael has delivered digital transformation and process excellence for clients worldwide, and has proven expertise in insurance product innovation and technology enablement. A certified CPCU, ARM, CRIS, PMP, and Lean Six Sigma green belt, Michael earned his Master of Science degree from DePaul University in Chicago, U.S. He holds an insurance license for life, health, and property/casualty lines of business. Michael has been a lifelong student and a volunteer in youth sports for his community.

MARK LUCAS

Senior Vice President, Head of Life Reinsurance Mark has 35 years of experience in the reinsurance business and extensive knowledge of global reinsurance markets. In his wide-ranging reinsurance career, Mark has worked at Guy Carpenter in Denmark, U.S. RE in Switzerland, and most recently as the general manager of JLT Re, Switzerland. Among his accomplishments, Mark introduced broker-based life reinsurance to the Danish and Icelandic life and pension markets, and successfully placed and managed a portfolio of catastrophe and per-person reinsurance business. He is the architect of several new reinsurance concepts, including true balance-sheet reinsurance protection, as well as the world's first life reinsurance protection methodology for consumer products, used by a Swedish insurance company. Mark has been a regular speaker for IAIS in Switzerland, Mexico, and Lebanon, and assisted in the training of local insurance regulators in reinsurance-related matters. He also served as a keynote speaker for the Danish Association of Insurance Auditors.

MARKUS BRUGGER

Senior Vice President, Head of Life Insurance Markus Brugger brings nine years of experience in life reinsurance and 20 years in the life insurance business to Xceedance. He is a full qualified member of the Swiss Association of Actuaries (SAV) and a highly connected professional in the insurance world, primarily in the DACH region. Before joining Xceedance, Markus worked at Winterthur Re (Switzerland), Cologne Re (Germany), and at Partner Re in Zurich as the head of the life reinsurance team. In 2000, he moved to the direct insurance business and founded PrismaLife. Afterwards, he was also the CEO of Liechtenstein Life and managed the turnaround of the company. He was also the head of the insurance advisory practice at Grant Thornton, Liechtenstein. Markus has been the innovator and driving force behind the success of PrismaLife and Liechtenstein Life. He has developed several insurance products, won four innovation awards together with reinsurance clients, and been involved in various start-up projects across geographies. Markus has been a board member of the Liechtenstein Insurance Association for many years and served as the president of the board from 2012 to 2014.

MATT PIASEZCNY

Vice President, Insurance Operations Matt has more 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, starting at the agent level as a servicing and writing P&C agent and agency manager. Prior to Xceedance acquiring Activer Solutions, Matt was the vice president of business services for Activer Solutions and oversaw all BPO services. Joining Activer Solutions in 2007, Matt has been focused on customer service and insurance business operations, leading or managing many aspects of the servicing teams while promoting customer satisfaction and innovative solutions for agents and insurance carriers nationwide.

BRIAN CARIGNAN

Senior Vice President, Country Manager – United States With more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Brian Carignan has led many aspects of the insurance industry, including operations, claims, and budgeting. Brian has built strong teams, looks for efficiencies in all aspects of business operations, and motivates employees to do their best by providing guidance and showing appreciation. Prior to the Xceedance acquisition, Brian was the chief operating officer of Activer Solutions, where he had oversight for all customer support operations. Before his role at Activer Solutions, Brian led project management, compliance, and operations teams in the insurance industry.

MATTHEW DUKE

Senior Vice President, Chief Actuary - Head of Global Actuarial Services Matthew Duke leads global actuarial services at Xceedance. He brings 15 years of leadership in actuarial and analytics with expertise in strategy execution, facilitating organizational change, and solving business challenges with analytical insights that directly impact profitability. Prior to joining Xceedance, Matthew worked at Blackboard Insurance as head of pricing and growth analytics, where he developed actuarial pricing infrastructure, led state filing initiatives, redefined the role of an actuary, and recruited top talent. In addition to interim head of risk at Blackboard, Matthew held positions at Freedom Mortgage, Guy Carpenter, and Arch Insurance Group. He started his career at Travelers, as a participant in the company’s Actuarial Leadership Development Program. Matthew is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries, an associate of the Casualty Actuarial Society and is recognized as an associate in reinsurance by The Institutes. He holds a master’s degree in business administration from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and has a bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University in applied mathematics and statistics, and economics, and a minor in business.