Former Arch Capital chair and CEO Iordanou dies

Former Arch Capital chairman and CEO and Vantage Risk co-founder Dinos Iordanou has died.

Cyprus-born Iordanou spent almost 15 years as CEO of Arch, helping develop the firm into a worldwide insurance, reinsurance and mortgage insurance company.

He started his insurance career at AIG, where he swiftly rose to the position of senior vice president in its American Home Assurance unit.

Iordanou followed this with a stint as head of commercial casualty at Berkshire Hathaway.

In 1992, he joined Zurich North America as president of specialties. His time at Zurich included several other senior roles, latterly as senior vice president of group operations.

Iordanou joined Arch as president in 2001. He was elevated to CEO in 2003 and added chairman to his responsibilities in 2009.

Arch CEO Marc Grandisson said: “I, along with so many others, was upset to hear about Dinos’ passing. So much of Arch’s success over the past 20-plus years can be directly attributed to Dinos and his leadership.

“Not only was he an insurance industry legend, but his leadership, tenaciousness and larger-than-life personality influenced both me and the company in many ways. We’ve lost a great man. He will be deeply missed.”

After retiring from Arch, he launched Vantage Risk as founding chairman alongside CEO Greg Hendrick in 2020.

In a statement, Vantage said: “We are profoundly saddened by the loss of Dinos Iordanou, Vantage Risk’s non-executive board chairman.

“A friend, mentor, and colleague, Dinos was instrumental in Vantage’s founding and a champion for its success. He was a remarkable businessman, generous philanthropist, and devoted family man. He will be deeply missed.”

Iordanou was also a board member of Verisk Analytics and a senior independent director of the Bank of Cyprus.

A “booming voice for Bermuda”

John Huff, president and CEO of The Association of Bermuda Insurers and Reinsurers (ABIR), commented that the “entire international re/insurance industry mourns the passing of entrepreneur” Iordanou, and described him as “a booming voice for Bermuda”.

“Dinos was a tremendous leader, mentor and industry icon, particularly in his founding role of Arch Capital Group as a Bermuda-based powerhouse since its post-911 start-up,” Huff said.

Iordanou was a long-time board member of ABIR, and former chair from 2011-2012.

“ABIR expresses its sincere condolences to the Iordanou family and all those whose lives were touched by this industry giant,” Huff said.