Insurtech Cactus announces the appointment of Keith Bernhard, a seasoned audit and risk management professional with more than 30 years of experience in the insurance, reinsurance and public sector, as its new chief financial officer (CFO) and head of audit.
His appointment will bring rigorous public company auditing to the evolving insurtech landscape, and he will be responsible for leading financial management and reporting as well as related processes, governance and security.
Bernhard will also oversee the efforts required to obtain and maintain independent verification standards such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2, which confirm the security and reliable controls of the Cactus platform.
The executive worked at Hamilton Insurance Group before joining insurtech, where he served as chief audit officer since May 2014. In this role, he developed and executed risk-based internal audit programs at Hamilton and its subsidiaries.
He also led the organization’s Sarbanes-Oxley compliance program, coordinating broader regulatory compliance and supporting the development of the company’s risk and controls culture.
Earlier in his career, Bernhard worked at KPMG and Deloitte. He is also a Chartered Accountant and holds a Certified Risk Management Assurance (CRMA).
James Robinson, CEO of Cactus, commented: “I am delighted that Keith has chosen to join us at Cactus. Having known Keith for nearly ten years and working closely with him for four years, I have seen firsthand the dedication, integrity and infectious enthusiasm he brings to everything he does, and we are fortunate to have him join our team.”
“His appointment is a clear demonstration of the seriousness with which we take governance, controls and trust. Keith’s experience leading audits through the requirements of a public listing will be invaluable as we scale Cactus and continue to demonstrate that we are worthy of the trust of our customers and partners.”
Bernhard added, “I’m excited to join Cactus as they continue to solve tough problems in insurance. I’ve been impressed by their dedication, execution, and focus on issues important to their customers, the industry, and the world at large. I look forward to assisting Cactus in solving more problems in better, safer ways.”
Cactus is an insurance software company formed from the merger of Bermuda-based Cactus and Y Combinator-backed CatX, both graduates of the Lloyd’s Labs accelerator.
The company’s flagship platform, Cactus Risk Studio, is used by clients including Ark, Helix and First Specialty in Bermuda, the United States and London.
