Aon and Optio Group have announced new leadership appointments in their commercial insurance teams. These changes highlight both companies’ efforts to strengthen their expertise and services in key areas of the industry.
At Aon, Phil Smaje has been named the new Global Industry Specialty leader for Transportation & Logistics. His appointment starts on October 1, 2025. Phil takes over from Lee Meyrick, who will shift to chair a newly created Risk Capital Transportation & Logistics unit. Meyrick will hold this role until he retires at the end of 2026. Lee has spent eight years in leadership positions within Aon’s Global Specialty division after a long career that included senior roles at XL Catlin and AIG.
Phil Smaje joined Aon in 2023 and currently serves as the chief broking officer for Transportation & Logistics. He brings a strong background with leadership roles such as CEO of Aerospace and global head of Broking at WTW, as well as CEO of Piiq Risk Partners. Joe Peiser, CEO of Commercial Risk at Aon, expressed confidence in Phil’s skills to advance their offerings in transportation and logistics and continue delivering value to clients.
Across the pond, Optio Group, a specialty managing general agent based in London, has appointed Carrie-Ann Hallett as head of insurer partnerships. Carrie-Ann, who starts immediately, will report to Optio’s chief underwriting officer, Gary Head. Previously, she worked at Deloitte, where she helped many clients with underwriting-related projects. She is well-known in the world of delegated authority insurance.
Before Deloitte, Carrie-Ann gained experience at Hiscox, working in different underwriting and operational roles across various business areas and channels. Her new role at Optio supports the company’s goal of maintaining solid underwriting profits for its insurer partners.
Both Aon and Optio’s appointments bring experienced leaders to key positions, reflecting their commitment to enhancing services and supporting clients in the commercial insurance space.