About Us

Reinsurance, When You Need it Most

Bay Harbor is domiciled in the Cayman Islands with offices in Florida.  

Unlike most large reinsurers, Bay Harbor’s model is fueled by being entrepreneurial, willing to be disciplined in our underwriting but flexible in our product offerings. With leading underwriting expertise with both traditional carrier and MGA backgrounds, Bay Harbor staff is designed to understand the entire insurance vertical, not just reinsurance. This allows Bay Harbor to understand risks, ways to customize coverages, and how to price risks to ensure efficient expense structures. This partnership and customizable product approach supports long term profitable relationships. 

Dedicated to carrier, captive, and program reinsurance. Bay Harbor is a US tax paying entity.

Meet the Team

Keith Plummer

President

Chris O' Connor

COO/CFO

Joe Wicks

Sr. VP of Underwriting

Nick Zielinski

Chief Actuary

Mark LaManna

Sr. VP of Casualty Underwriting

Keith Plummer

President

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

19 + years of Insurance Experience

Biography

Keith Plummer holds a Bachelor degree from Michigan State University and Masters degree from the University of Colorado in Business. Plummer started in underwriting before transitioning into insurance leadership roles centered on corporate strategy, acquisitions, and new product development. This included capital investments supporting reinsurance syndicates, and several organic insurance product launches. Recently, Plummer led an $800 million premium division focused on supporting captive, fronting and reinsurance underwriting products.

Chris O' Connor

COO/CFO

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Accounting

Licensed P&C Agent

Certified Public Accountant

Licensed 220 Insurance Agent

Biography

Chris O’Connor holds a Bachelor degree from Michigan State University and Certified Public Accountant in the State of Michigan. O’Connor worked as an Area Senior Vice President for Arthur J Gallagher Risk Management Services, responsible for the Leadership, Customer Relations, Data Analytics and Merger & Acquisition Due Diligence services to their PEO Division. O’Connor was a founder and chief financial officer of Stonehenge Insurance Solutions, Inc. (P&C brokerage firm) that was sold in 2019. Prior to Stonehenge, O’Connor spent 10 years with Ernst & Young LLP in their M&A Due Diligence practice, consulting on over 100 transactions. His professional experience includes management of Property, Casualty & Workers’ Compensation insurance program placement, consultation and advising clients about appropriate risk assumption, as well as buy and sell side due diligence services.

Joe Wicks

Sr. Vice President - Underwriting

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

16 + years of Insurance Experience

Biography

As the leader of Bay Harbor’s Underwriting and Marketing operations, Joe Wicks brings more than 16 years of experience in insurance to his role. Before joining Bay Harbor, Joe spent time as retail underwriter, underwriting strategist, and managed reinsurance backed commercial programs. Experience throughout the insurance distribution channel will allow for Bay Harbor to develop solutions for many different risks and opportunities. Joe gets satisfaction through building collaborative relationships to overcome challenges and solve problems — with our teammates, cedents and brokers.

Joe is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and served on the board of the Greater Detroit Chapter of CPCU for 6 years including a term as President in 2019. Joe received his bachelor’s in finance from Michigan State University and his MBA from the University of Michigan. While at Michigan State Joe studied abroad on the Oslo, Norway campus of BI-Norwegian Business School.

Joe lives with his wife, Abby and their two children in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. In his personal time Joe enjoys coaching his daughter’s youth soccer team, working on Cub Scout service projects with his son and enjoys playing golf and hockey.

Nick Zielinski, FCAS, MAAA

Chief Actuary

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (B.S.) - Actuarial Mathematics

10+ years of Insurance Experience

Biography

Nick Zielinski has over a decade of expertise in the insurance and reinsurance industry. Nick boasts a comprehensive background encompassing commercial and personal lines, with broad experience in program business, captives, and catastrophic reinsurance.

Nick is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Mathematics from the University of Michigan.

Nick lives in the Detroit suburbs with his wife, Emma, and their son, Jamie. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, running, golf, pickleball, and fantasy novels. 

Mark LaManna

Sr. VP, Casualty Underwriting

Qualifications

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

35+ years of UW Management Experience

26+ years of Treaty UW Experience

Biography

Mark LaManna is a highly experienced treaty reinsurance underwriting leader with an excellent reputation for casualty expertise, collaborative problem solving, client relationship development, strategic thinking and portfolio management. Mark’s 35 years of underwriting management spans casualty primary insurance underwriting, niche specialty program management and both property and casualty treaty reinsurance underwriting. Mark’s 26 years of treaty underwriting were with QBE Re, Swiss Re, GE Re and Hart Re, covering Global and National Carriers, Regional Carriers and Hybrid Program Carriers and MGAs, his personal favorite sector.

Mark has a Bachelor of Arts from Fairfield University, and both Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and Associate in Reinsurance designations. Mark lives in the Hartford, CT area, is married with 2 children, and has 2 dogs. He coached his kids in soccer for many years, but now, in his personal time, enjoys his own professional sports fandom, a good game of cribbage, occasional golf, wine and travel.