St. John’s University Names Henry ”Hank” Watkins Executive Director & Associate Dean of Greenberg School of Risk Management

For Immediate Release
Media Contact: Maureen Furlong-Weber, Director, Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, St. John’s University
212-277-5111
[email protected]

(Queens, NY, May 14, 2024) – St. John’s University today announced the appointment of Henry “Hank” Watkins Jr., Regional Director and President of the Americas at Lloyd’s, as Executive Director and Associate Dean of the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (GSRM) at The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.

Mr. Watkins assumes his role on November 1, replacing Brandon W. Sweitzer, who has served as Dean of the Greenberg School since 2011 and who is retiring from the position.

“With GSRM well-positioned for continued growth, the search process focused on finding an effective leader who can steward its overall health, marshal a world-class Board comprised of top industry executives, and build on the School’s success,” said Maciek Nowak, Ph.D., Dean, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business. “I am confident we have found that leader in Henry “Hank” Watkins Jr.”     

A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Mr. Watkins served in client management and leadership positions at Chubb, Johnson & Higgins, Marsh, and HRH before joining Lloyd’s, the world’s largest insurance and reinsurance marketplace, in 2009. Mr. Watkins has more than 43 years of experience in the global property casualty insurance industry and is eager to share his accumulated knowledge with St. John’s students.

In addition to his responsibilities at Lloyd’s, Mr. Watkins serves as a member of GSRM’s Board of Overseers, and the boards of the Insurance Federation of New York, Inc. and the BritishAmerican Business trade association. He is immediate past Chair of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and has served as an Elder at Wilton Presbyterian Church in Wilton, CT.

Dean Sweitzer first joined the Board of Trustees of the College of Insurance in 1998. His contributions to St. John’s include the establishment of the Global Destination Course study-abroad program in 2014; the first annual Insurance Regulation Conference in 2012; and the Graduate Leadership Course in 2020. Dean Sweitzer has raised more than $50 million in gifts, most notably The Starr Foundation endowment of $15 million in 2018, and has been a generous donor to GSRM and to St. John’s.

About the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science

The Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (GSRM) has a rich history and tradition. Initially formed as the Insurance Society of New York in 1901, it became the School of Insurance in 1947 and the College of Insurance (TCI) in 1962. GSRM evolved from the merger of TCI and St. John's University in 2001. The academic programs, faculty, student services, and historic library are located in a state-of-the-art campus at 101 Astor Place in Manhattan.

GSRM is a global leader in risk and insurance education and training and draws candidates from all regions of the world. All of the degree programs offered by The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, and thus by GSRM, are fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

About St. John’s University

St. John’s University is a private, coeducational, Roman Catholic University founded in 1870 by the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians), with its main campus located in Queens, NY. St. John’s University also has campuses and locations on Staten Island, NY (until June 2024); and in Manhattan, NY; Rome, Italy; Paris, France; and Limerick, Ireland.

St. John’s University is comprised of six Schools and Colleges, including the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business (including the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science), The School of Education, and the School of Law.

As of Fall 2023, the University has more than 1,400 full-time and part-time faculty; almost 16,000 undergraduate students; and 3,992 graduate students from 44 states and 119 countries. St. John’s offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs, including 16 doctoral programs.