Global Indemnity Group, LLC Names Jessica Buss Chief Executive Officer

The leadership transition comes as GBLI’s proprietary Kaleidoscope underwriting, policy and data platform rolls out to agency partners.

Rhea-AI Summary

Global Indemnity Group (NASDAQ: GBLI) appointed Jessica E. Buss chief executive officer of the company and both operating platforms, effective immediately. She succeeds Joseph W. “Jay” Brown, who had served as CEO since 2022. Buss also leads Katalyx Holdings and Belmont Holdings GX and remains a director after joining GBLI’s board on October 26, 2026.

Buss previously served as CEO of GuideOne Insurance, Argo Group and Open Lending. At GuideOne, she doubled premiums. Her mandate at GBLI includes scaling its specialty insurance platform and leading Katalyx’s expansion into excess and surplus lines managing general agencies, which manage insurance business for carriers, across wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer channels. GBLI’s five insurance carriers each hold an A (Excellent) rating from AM Best.

Positive

• Minor point. Forward-looking: it has not happened yet and may not happen.Katalyx’s planned expansion into excess and surplus lines managing general agencies spans wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

Negative

• None.

Historical Context

1 past event · Latest: Oct 27

1 event

1. Oct 27

   Board appointment

   24h Move

   +1.0%

   Buss joined the board before her appointment as CEO of GBLI and its platforms.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

underwriting, loss ratios, excess and surplus lines

3 terms

underwriting financial

"disciplined underwriting backed by competitive technology as AI tools mature"

Underwriting is the process where a financial institution agrees to buy and then resell new stocks or bonds to investors. It matters because it helps companies raise money quickly and smoothly, while the bank takes on the risk of selling those securities at the agreed price. Think of it like a booker guaranteeing to sell all tickets for a concert before opening the doors.

View in glossary

loss ratios financial

"a 23-year record of top-quartile loss ratios"

Loss ratios measure how much an insurer pays out in claims compared with the premiums it collects, expressed as a percentage. Think of it like tracking how much a repair shop spends fixing customers’ cars versus the money received for service: a high loss ratio suggests underwriting or pricing problems and squeezes profit, while a low ratio suggests room for profit or more competitive pricing. Investors use it to gauge an insurer’s profitability, pricing adequacy and risk exposure.

excess and surplus lines financial

"expansion into excess and surplus lines managing general agencies"

Excess and surplus lines refer to insurance coverage provided by specialized insurers for risks that standard insurers consider too unusual, high-risk, or hard to cover. These policies are important for investors because they help protect against rare or unexpected events that could impact financial stability or asset values, filling gaps where regular insurance options are unavailable.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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Specialty insurance builder to lead GBLI, Katalyx and Belmont and put the Company’s proprietary technology and national distribution to work

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Board of Directors of Global Indemnity Group, LLC (NASDAQ: GBLI) (“GBLI” or the “Company”) today appointed Jessica E. Buss Chief Executive Officer of GBLI and of its two operating platforms, Katalyx Holdings LLC and Belmont Holdings GX, Inc., effective immediately. Ms. Buss joined GBLI’s Board on October 26, 2026, and remains a director. She succeeds Joseph W. “Jay” Brown, GBLI’s chief executive officer since 2022.

Ms. Buss spent most of her career building specialty insurance businesses. As CEO of GuideOne Insurance, she doubled premiums. She also led Argo Group and Open Lending as CEO. At Open Lending, she also served as Chairman of the Board and chaired its Audit Committee prior to becoming CEO. Earlier, as COO and CFO of Rockhill Insurance, she led its sale to State Auto Mutual for 1.6x book value, then ran State Auto Mutual’s $1.5 billion commercial and specialty division. She is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the NACD Directorship Certification.

Ms. Buss’s mission is to scale a platform Fox Paine spent 23 years assembling and put GBLI’s A-rated paper to work for agents, wholesale partners and new specialty underwriting teams. GBLI’s five insurance carriers carry an “A” (Excellent) rating from AM Best, unbroken for more than 23 years, and its underwriters own a 23-year record of top-quartile loss ratios. GBLI reaches the market through more than 350 wholesale agency offices, 12,000 retail agents and its direct-to-consumer platform. Over the last four years, GBLI developed Kaleidoscope, its proprietary underwriting, policy and data platform, now rolling out to its agency partners. GBLI also equips Kaleidoscope with AI-enabled underwriting that evaluates and prices risks outside traditional binding authority. Ms. Buss leads Katalyx’s expansion into excess and surplus lines managing general agencies across wholesale, retail and direct-to-consumer channels.

“GBLI built what most specialty insurers can only buy or borrow: proprietary underwriting technology, a national agency network and five A-rated carriers behind every policy we write. A platform like that demands a builder, and Jessica builds. She took GuideOne past $1 billion in premium and created a $400 million E&S business along the way. She knows how to make money in specialty casualty, how to attract first-rate talent and how to use technology to grow faster and run leaner than the competition. That is the leader GBLI needs to turn its platform into a far larger franchise. I thank Jay Brown for his vision, his service and his support of this transition,” said Saul Fox, founder and Chairman of GBLI and founder and CEO of Fox Paine & Company, whose affiliate is GBLI’s largest shareholder.

“Four years ago, Saul Fox asked me to move from GBLI’s Board to the CEO’s office and prepare GBLI for a market that rewards disciplined underwriting backed by competitive technology as AI tools mature,” said Mr. Brown. “With Kaleidoscope now rolling out to our agency partners, Jessica takes over at the right time. As a shareholder, I am confident GBLI has a strong, profitable growth path ahead.”

Ms. Buss said, “GBLI has what matters most in specialty insurance: disciplined underwriting, strong carriers, deep agency relationships and technology built for this market’s future. My job is to build on it. I look forward to working with our team, our agents and our partners to make GBLI one of the leading specialty franchises in the country. I also thank Jay for his leadership and for his help with this transition.”

About GBLI and its subsidiaries

GBLI is a publicly traded holding company with a diversified portfolio of property and casualty insurance-related operating companies.

Katalyx Holdings LLC includes:

• Four agencies focused on sourcing, underwriting and servicing primary and assumed reinsurance business: Penn-America Insurance Services, LLC; Valyn Re LLC; J.H. Ferguson & Associates, LLC (including Vacant Express); and Collectibles Insurance Services, LLC.
• Two specialized insurance service businesses: Sayata, an AI-enabled digital marketplace and agency for small commercial insurance; and Liberty Insurance Adjustment Agency, Inc., a provider of claims evaluation, adjustment and related services.
  
  

Belmont Holdings GX, Inc. consists of five statutory insurance carriers, each rated “A” (Excellent) by AM Best: Penn-America Insurance Company, United National Insurance Company, Penn-Patriot Insurance Company, Diamond State Insurance Company and Penn-Star Insurance Company.

Kaleidoscope Insurance Technologies, Inc. develops GBLI’s proprietary underwriting, policy and data platform, including its AI-enabled underwriting, for Katalyx’s agencies, GBLI’s agency partners, the Belmont insurance carriers, and the Company’s broader digital initiatives.

For more information, visit GBLI’s website at www.gbli.com.

Forward-Looking Information

The forward-looking statements in this press release are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including  statements regarding GBLI’s plans and strategies and including statements regarding: the expectation for the Company’s new CEO to scale the platform and lead Katalyx's expansion; GLBI’s strategy to grow its platform, expand Katalyx, integrate AI-enabled underwriting into Kaleidoscope and roll-out Kaleidoscope to GBLI’s agency partners; and expectations of future results of operations and financial condition. Actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and information available as of the date of this release.

Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, among others, risks related to the timing and execution of GBLI’s strategy, including its growth, technology and distribution initiatives, and other operational or strategic risks. Additional details regarding these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in GBLI’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. GBLI undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

Investor / Media Contact:

Scott Eckstein KCSA Strategic Communications (212) 896-1210 GBLI@kcsa.com

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

Who is GBLI’s new CEO, and when does the appointment take effect?

Jessica E. Buss becomes CEO of Global Indemnity Group, Katalyx Holdings and Belmont Holdings GX effective immediately. She succeeds Joseph W. “Jay” Brown and remains on GBLI’s board, which she joined on October 26, 2026.