Bishop Street Underwriters, a RedBird Capital Partners portfolio company, has announced the promotion of Richard J. Fiato to Chief Business Officer.
Bill Wilson will be succeeding Fiato as Chief Executive Officer of Conifer Insurance Services, LLC (CIS) and President of Aerospace Insurance Managers (AIM).
In this newly expanded role, Fiato will lead legal, compliance and human resources across Bishop Street and its operating companies, supporting the organization’s continued growth.
Fiato brings more than 33 years of business experience, including 28 years across the insurance industry, having joined the Conifer organisation in 2013 and serving as Senior Vice President and Corporate Counsel of Conifer Holdings, Inc.
Following Bishop Street’s acquisition of CIS in 2024, he served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Counsel and Secretary of CIS before being named President in 2025 and Chief Executive Officer in 2026.
Chad Levine, Chief Executive Officer of Bishop Street, said: “As the Bishop Street platform continues to expand, we are investing in the leadership and infrastructure needed to support our operating companies at greater scale.
“Rick has been instrumental to Conifer’s success and has a deep understanding of our business, from insurance operations to the legal and regulatory functions that support them. As Chief Business Officer, he will extend that experience across our broader platform, helping our companies navigate growth while allowing their teams to focus on underwriting and serving their partners.”
“I am grateful for the opportunity to take on this expanded role at Bishop Street,” said Fiato. “Conifer and AIM have extraordinary teams and I am proud of what we have accomplished together. I look forward to working with the companies across the platform and build on their momentum.”
Wilson steps into the roles of Chief Executive Officer of CIS and President of AIM with more than 25 years of experience building and scaling specialty insurance programs.
Most recently, the executive served as President of Commercial Lines at a specialty insurance MGA. He spent also over a decade in leadership at VGM Insurance, where he built an agent and broker network spanning all 50 states and expanded specialty programs in healthcare, golf and hospitality.
During his tenure, he delivered sustained double-digit premium growth and led the modernization of the company’s underwriting operations through automation and data-driven processes.
Fiato will remain on the boards of CIS and AIM and will partner closely with Wilson to ensure a smooth leadership transition.
“Bill brings a strong combination of specialty underwriting expertise, distribution relationships and operational leadership to the table,” said Chad Weber, President of Bishop Street. “He has demonstrated an ability to scale programs, strengthen agency and carrier partnerships and enhance underwriting operations. That experience makes him well suited to advance our plans for Conifer and AIM and guide both businesses into their next chapter.”
“I am excited to join Conifer and AIM and lead such talented and experienced teams,” said Wilson. “Bishop Street has built an impressive platform with a clear vision, and I am proud to be a part of its future. I look forward to working with Rick, our employees and our partners to build on the foundations already in place.”
