Former insurance head joins AIG to oversee government affairs

Thomas Leonardi

American International Group Inc. on Tuesday said it has named former Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Thomas Leonardi to the newly created position of executive vice president for government affairs, public policy and communications, effective Nov. 1.

Based in New York, Mr. Leonardi will report to CEO Brian Duperreault and oversee AIG’s global public policy and government affairs, AIG said in a statement. Mr. Leonardi will also work closely with executive vice president and general counsel Lucy Fato, who will continue to oversee global regulatory matters and the company’s legal and compliance departments.

Mr. Leonardi joins AIG from Evercore Partners Inc., where he was senior adviser to the firm’s investment advisory business with a focus on the insurance industry. Mr. Leonardi also was head of the Connecticut Insurance Department from February 2011 to December 2014. Additionally, he has served as a member of the executive committee of both the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and the International Association of Insurance Supervisors. He was a member of the U.S. Treasury’s inaugural Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance, and was selected to serve on the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Insurance and Asset Management, according to the statement.

“I served alongside Tom on the Board of the Federal Advisory Committee on Insurance, and I know him to be both an excellent businessman and accomplished entrepreneur,” Mr. Duperreault said in the statement. “His knowledge of the insurance industry and the regulatory environment gained during his time in the private and public sectors will be an asset to AIG as we position the company for future growth.”