XL Catlin has appointed Richard Abizaid as head of the Americas and regional product leader for political risk and trade credit (PTRC).

Based in Washington DC, he will head XL Catlin’s PTRC insurance business in the Americas, managing various teams across the continent.

He joins from Zurich, where he spent eight years, first as Asia Pacific regional manager, and most recently as head of Americas credit and political risk. Before that, he held senior roles at the US Trade and Development Agency and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Dan Riordan, XL Catlin’s global head of PTRC, says: “Richard is an experienced leader and an excellent addition to our global team. He brings in-depth knowledge of the industry and of the Americas which strengthens our position as one of the leading PRTC providers in the world. [He] brings a wealth of experience in emerging markets, which will further strengthen our capabilities to partner with banks, multinational organisations, export credit agencies and investors who see the unique growth opportunities in the region.”

XL Catlin’s PTRC policies can feature tenors of up to 15 years and limits of up to US$200mn.