Tony ursano biography

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Conclusion: A Board Move with Tangible Payoffs

Tony Ursano’s appointment is more than a governance tweak—it’s a strategic bet on Assured Guaranty’s future. Additionally, Assured Guaranty began to administer the reinsured portfolio on behalf of Syncora.

  • November 2018 | Assured Guaranty combined the portfolios and operations of its four U.K.

    and European financial guarantee insurance companies when it merged Assured Guaranty (UK) plc, AGLN, and CIFGE with and into Assured Guaranty UK Limited (AGUK), with AGUK as the surviving entity.

  • July 2019 | In preparation for the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit), Assured Guaranty established Assured Guaranty (Europe) SA (AGE) in France to service current business in the European Economic Area (EEA) and continue expanding its activity in Europe.
  • October 2019 | Assured Guaranty acquired asset management firm BlueMountain Capital Management LLC to be the core of its asset management platform.
  • September 2020 | Assured Guaranty rebranded BlueMountain Capital Management LLC as Assured Investment Management LLC.
  • October 2020 | AGUK transferred certain of its financial guarantees to AGE to service them more effectively in light of Brexit.
  • July 2023 | Assured Guaranty contributed to Sound Point Capital Management, LP (Sound Point) most of its asset management business, other than that conducted by Assured Healthcare Partners LLC (AHP) and received approximately 30% of the common interests in Sound Point and certain other interests in its investment management affiliates.

    With his blend of insurance acumen, capital markets savvy, and institutional knowledge of AGO’s operations, he’s poised to strengthen the company’s competitive edge. It would become Assured Guaranty Municipal Corp. Ursano began his career as an analyst at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette and went on to work at SG Warburg & Company and Merrill Lynch before heading the Global Financial Institutions Group at Bank of America Securities for 10 years and then being named a Vice-Chairman.

    Ursano’s appointment comes at a time when the financial guaranty market faces dual pressures: rising interest rates and shifting regulatory demands. Assured Guaranty’s exposure to volatile municipal markets—where defaults could spike if economic growth stalls—requires cautious risk management. At BOAS, he helmed the Global Financial Institutions Group, where he structured deals for banks, insurers, and asset managers.

    For instance, the company could issue guarantees for bonds tied to measurable environmental outcomes, a growing niche in public finance. It would ultimately become Assured Guaranty Corp.

    The data backs this up: AGO’s stock has outperformed the S&P 500 by 12% over the past five years, reflecting its steady underwriting discipline.

    At the time of the acquisition, CIFG had a European operating subsidiary, CIFG Europe S.A. (CIFGE), which became a subsidiary of AG upon CIFG’s merger with and into AG.

  • January 2017 | AG acquired MBIA UK Insurance Limited, the European operating subsidiary of MBIA Insurance Corporation, and subsequently renamed it Assured Guaranty (London) plc (AGLN).
  • September 2017 | Assured Guaranty made its first investment in the asset management sector, acquiring a minority interest in Wasmer, Schroeder & Company, which it held until 2020, when The Charles Schwab Corporation acquired the firm.
  • June 2018 | AG assumed substantially all of the insured portfolio of Syncora Guarantee Inc.

    (Syncora), and AGM commuted the reinsurance on a book of business it had previously ceded to Syncora. Ursano’s advisory expertise could help AGO expand into emerging markets or novel credit products without overextending its balance sheet.

    Additionally, competition from private equity-backed guarantors and fintech entrants is intensifying.

    His experience in both insurance and investment banking (he was also CEO of TigerRisk Capital Markets) gives him a unique lens to balance these factors. Cities and states increasingly demand guarantees for green infrastructure projects, such as renewable energy systems or flood-resistant housing. As the founder of Insurance Advisory Partners (2021–present), he has advised on mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises for insurers—a skill set directly aligned with Assured Guaranty’s ambitions.

    Ursano’s track record in advising on complex transactions suggests he’ll push AGO to innovate in ESG-linked credit products.


    Assured Guaranty’s stock has trended upward since 2021, reflecting investor confidence in its credit portfolio. Mr. Ursano also serves on the board of directors of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Fund at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
     

  • Public Finance

    William J.

    Hogan Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Public Finance

    Christopher Chafizadeh Senior Managing Director, Co-Head of Public Finance

    Bernard Bailey Managing Director, Business Development

    James Binette Managing Director, Business Development

    Evan Boulukos Managing Director, Secondary Markets

    Jason Falzon Managing Director, Pricing and Head of Tax-Backed Group

    Jason Kissane Managing Director, Revenue

    Gregory Larson Managing Director, Marketing

    Marc Livolsi Managing Director, Head of New Issue Marketing & Business Development

    Leigh Nader Managing Director, Healthcare & Higher Education

    Lorne Potash Managing Director, Head of Infrastructure & Project Finance - Americas

    Michael Walker Managing Director, Marketing

    Structured Finance

    Nicholas J.

    Proud Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Origination

    Steven Kahn Senior Managing Director

    Daniel S. Bevill Senior Managing Director

    Jeffrey Farron Managing Director

    Steven Tremblay Managing Director

    International

    Nicholas J.

    Proud Senior Managing Director, Global Head of Origination

    Dominic Nathan CEO of Assured Guaranty UK Limited (AGUK) and Head of International

    Reinsurance

    Gary Burnet President, Assured Guaranty Re Ltd.

    Credit Underwriting

    Stephen Donnarumma Chief Credit Officer

    James Doyle Credit Officer, Public Finance

    Peter Cardinale Credit Officer, Structured Finance

    Gustavo Lopez Managing Director, Chief Economist

    Risk Management

    Jorge A.

    Gana Chief Risk Officer

    Surveillance

    Holly Horn Chief Surveillance Officer

    Geoffrey Durno Chief Surveillance Officer, Infrastructure and International Public Finance

    Errol Uhr Chief Surveillance Officer, Structured Finance

    Daniel Weinberg Chief Surveillance Officer, U.S.

    Public Finance

    Treasury

    Alfonso Pisani Senior Managing Director and Treasurer

    Information Technology

    Chris Gibbons Chief Technology Officer

    Kirk Edmunds Chief Information Officer

    Legal

    Ling Chow General Counsel and Secretary

    William Duffy Deputy General Counsel, Regulatory

    Kevin J.

    Lyons Deputy General Counsel, Public Finance

    Edward M. Newman Deputy General Counsel, Global Structured Finance and Infrastructure

    Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

    Robert S. Tucker Senior Managing Director

    Human Resources

    Dawn Jasiak Head of Human Capital Management

    Ivana M.

    Grillo Senior Managing Director

    Assured Guaranty Ltd. (NYSE: AGO) has bolstered its leadership with the addition of Antonio (Tony) Ursano, Jr. to its Board of Directors.

    Risks on the Horizon—and How Ursano Mitigates Them

    No board appointment is without risks. Mr. Ursano subsequently became Head of Corporate Development for Willis Group and Founder and CEO of Willis Capital Markets & Advisory, and then President of TigerRisk Partners and Founder and CEO of TigerRisk Capital Markets & Advisory.

    Mr.

    tony ursano biography

    The Ursano Advantage: A Decades-Long Insurance Playbook

    Ursano’s career is a masterclass in financial innovation.