Zurich Resilience Solutions expands US sustainability services team

Zurich Resilience Solutions (ZRS), a global provider of risk engineering, mitigation and resilience-building services, has expanded its sustainability services team in the US with the appointment of two leaders “adding expertise and capacity to help customers identify and manage ESG-related risks”.

Jessica Balsam has joined Zurich in the newly created role of head of climate solutions and Elise White has recently been appointed as director of workforce resilience services. Both report to Lisa Leftwich, head of sustainability services for ZRS.

ZRS said its sustainability services addresses business risks related to ESG concerns, including traditional risk engineering services such as property and safety assessments, as well as climate resilience (both adaptation and mitigation), workforce resilience (including DEI), business continuity, supply chain and cyber risk services.

“Building on Zurich’s strong risk engineering and technical expertise, we created ZRS to help companies become more resilient amid a dynamic risk environment,” said Tom Fioretti, head of North America Zurich Resilience Solutions. “Zurich has been delivering risk engineering for 75 years, and we will continue to invest in innovative risk services that also reflect Zurich’s sustainability commitment.”

Balsam most recently worked with Ernst & Young climate change and sustainability services, where she led global engagements focused on sustainability, social impact and decarbonisation. She also worked at APL Logistics as head of global sustainability + ESG, at Nike as global sustainability director and at the US Department of Energy as a program and policy adviser.

ZRS said White’s new role expands on ZRS’s DEI consulting service with additional social-related services that help companies attract and retain talent. She previously served as project leader of claims strategy and innovation for Zurich North America

“Companies are dealing with a dynamic risk environment – just look at how climate change and talent have become material business risks,” said Leftwich. “To help customers address these emerging risks, we’ve expanded our team with climate adaptation, climate mitigation and workforce resilience specialists to support customers in their ESG-related resilience journeys, at their own pace.”