OUR TEAM

Andrew Dudzinski
Chairman & CEO
Andrew is a British citizen, resident of the United States for the past 28 years. He was educated in the UK and is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After worldwide service in the British Airborne Forces, followed by six years in the UAE, Andrew settled in the USA and established an international employee benefits practice in Houston in 1984.

Andrew began his dedication to marine employee benefits in 1991 when he formed a business partnership in Florida which has become the MHG group of companies today.

Throughout the past 20 years, Andrew has provided MHG's lead in relationships with international underwriters and insurers, creating programs relevant to the marine industry's changing needs as well as expanding MHG's global footprint.

In addition to serving as Chairman and CEO for the group, Andrew is also Managing Director of the two main European group members in Hamburg and the Isle of Man.

John Haagensen
President
John began work in the merchant navy in the early seventies and later served in the Royal Norwegian Navy. After completing his tour, John attended Technical School and successfully graduated from a four year Electrical Engineering course. This was followed by a period at sea including employment as an Electrical Engineer at RCCL.

In 1979, John came ashore and joined Sons of Norway, a fraternal organization providing Life and other insurance products targeted mainly at the US Norwegian community. John became a highly successful Agent, a top salesman and was several times a member of the Million Dollar Club in recognition of his results.

In 1991 John met Andrew Dudzinski. With John's established access to the cruise industry and Andrew's extensive connections among European insurance markets they found a potential new market for their joint resources and experience that has become MHG today.

In addition to his duties as MHG's President and with over 30 years experience in US domestic and international insurance, John is responsible for all aspects of the company's sales and the development of new sales strategies.

A native of Norway, John is very active in the local Norwegian community and belongs to the Norwegian Shipping Club and Norwegian American Chamber of Commerce.

Peter Hult
Executive Vice President
Peter joined MHG Insurance Brokers in 2002. He is responsible for corporate business development, finance, public relations and marketing, as well as the day-to-day operation. Originally from Helsingborg, Sweden, Peter has over 15 years of experience in the marine industry. He began his career as the onboard human resources manager for Silversea Cruises, a 5-star cruise line. From there he took a position as the head of onboard human resources for The World of residenSea, an exclusive condominium ship that travels the globe, where he was tasked with establishing and implementing corporate HR policies and procedures, training and professional development, and interviewing and hiring a staff of over 300 employees from 30 different countries.

Peter is passionate about community involvement. He is a board member of the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce, Florida Region and serves as a board member for Kids In Distress (KID), a leading force in the prevention of child abuse and neglect in South Florida. He is also a co-founder and board member of the Marine Industry Cares Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that brings the maritime business community together with the local community in order to raise money and awareness for local charities that support children and families.

Mark Abba
General Manager, Employee Benefits Division
Mark has over 20 years of combined experience working in the cruise and hospitality industry in various corporate management capacities, notably casino operations. He feels that working in casinos with percentages and numbers has put him in good stead for risk and insurance writing. Project and risk management are two areas that Mark has always been involved in and carried through to his appointment as General Manager with MHG, heading the Employee Benefits Division. Aside from providing benefit solutions for corporate groups, he believes one the main roles of his division is to offer guidance and support to families and individuals during this complex time of Health Care Reform.

Mark is a firm believer in community involvement and outreach and serves as Membership Director for the British American Chamber of Commerce for Broward as well being a member of several notable community centric groups such the Fort Lauderdale River Walk Trust.

Tracie Abba
Director, Operations
Tracie worked in the cruise industry, both ashore and at sea, for over 20 years. She began her career in the P&O Cruises reservations department in London, later moving into sales. Her seagoing career spans ten years aboard P&O/Princess Cruises ships where she reached the position of Deputy Hotel Manager, providing her with an excellent background for the transition into Operations Management.

Tracie gave up her seagoing career to get married, initially settling in California and, in 2003, relocating to South Florida. At that time, she joined Sixth Star Entertainment & Marketing as Manager, Entertainment Programs, but took a break when her twins were born 2006.

Tracie used her extensive experience to support MHG's Cruise Division, before moving into her operations role and, has been involved with MHG Medical Consulting, from its inception. Tracie is involved with the local community and participates in many different charitable functions throughout the year. She enjoys being involved with the Marine Industry Cares Foundation, which raises funds for local children's charities and, is a member of the local British American Chamber of Commerce.

Mark Bononi
Director, Yacht Division
Mark joined MHG in 2005 and is the Director of the Yacht Division. Prior to joining MHG, Mark was a professional pilot which offered a similar lifestyle to that of yacht crew. This experience helped him to identify the specific challenges that crewmembers face in comparison to shore-based workers. Mark is able to provide sound advice and support because he understands the unique needs of those who work in the yachting industry. He uses this knowledge and combines it with a caring approach and a dedicated effort to providing service at the very highest level.

Mark is very involved with the maritime community and participates in many different events throughout the year. He also takes part in educational seminars in an effort to inform crewmembers, as well as industry professionals, about crew health insurance. In addition, Mark is on the membership committee for the Southeast region of the US Superyacht Association, heavily involved with the Marine Industry Cares Foundation annual Spin-A-Thon and a member of the Fort Lauderdale Mariners Club, the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and Seakeepers International.

Originally from the Midwest, Mark has a degree from St. Louis University.

Peter Dudzinski
Manager, Underwriting & Broking
Peter is responsible for MHG's Hamburg office and oversees all broking activities for the MHG Group of Companies. Peter joined MHG in Miami in 2003, working initially in support of cruise industry clients. In 2006, he returned to Europe to open and manage MHG's office in Hamburg where he now focuses on developing customized crew insurance solutions across all industry sectors. Peter's extensive knowledge of the different areas of the business has made him invaluable to the Cruise and Yacht divisions.

Peter graduated from the University of Nottingham in 2003.

Steve Jackson
Business Development Manager, Luxury Yacht Division
Steve is based on the Cote d'Azur where he has been representing MHG's luxury yacht division since early 2010. With a diploma in financial services, Steve worked for the Prudential in the UK for several years before becoming an independent financial consultant. In 2000, he decided to take a sabbatical, after traveling across Europe this eventually lead him to the Mediterranean coast and the yachting industry. Almost eight years later with Atlantic, Pacific and Indian ocean passages to his name, Steve had become a familiar face in the world of yachting. Working exclusively on sailing yachts he participated in many regattas such as the Super yacht cup Palma, Millennium cup New Zealand and Voiles de St Tropez. Steve is still very active within the yachting industry and is called upon several times a year to race as part of a crew. Returning to land over two years ago and re-establishing his career as a Financial Consultant, Steve enjoys the lifestyle on the Riviera along with activities such as cycling, snowboarding and of course sailing.

Kevin Knorr
Director, IT
A native of Philadelphia region, Kevin began his IT career managing Delaware Valley Telephone Company, which provided business telephone systems. After selling the company a few years later, Kevin joined Maxwell Systems where he learned many new skills while serving as support analyst and was later promoted to the title of MIS Director. Wanting an escape from the cold winters of the northeast, Kevin relocated to South Florida where he joined MHG as IT Manager and all around computer guru. In 2013, Kevin was promoted to IT Director where he continues to manage the IT resources for the MHG Group of companies.

Kevin is a board member of the Wilton Manors Development Alliance which is a non-profit organization in Wilton Manors that works with the city on economic development, the local businesses to promote them and civic groups on events and beautification projects.

Cathy Lane
Operations Manager, European Business Unit
Cathy joined the MHG team in January 2011 to expand and manage the European office based in the Isle of Man. Having initially trained as a costume designer at college, she diverted into a career as a ladies footwear designer based in London. On returning to the island in 2000 and given that the footwear industry was on the decline in the UK, a career change was in order. She decided to re-train for the financial services sector and has spent 8 years as a local Independent Financial Adviser, specialising in mortgages and all forms of personal insurances. In her most previous position, she set up and launched a new department within a general insurance brokerage, specialising in life assurance, private medical insurance and income protection. Ever adaptable, she is now learning about the marine industry and is enjoying it immensely. In her spare time she enjoys baking, DIY, is a huge movie buff and for 2 weeks every year is a camera assistant with the TV company that come over to film the Isle of Man TT motorcycle road races.

Laura Lieberman
General Manager, Business Insurance Division
Laura actively runs the Business Insurance Division of MHG, focusing on property and casualty insurance for businesses of all sizes. She holds licenses in Life and Health, Property and Casualty and Surplus Lines.

Laura has more than 18 years of experience in sales and business development, including shipboard and shoreside appointments with Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Regency, Holland America Line, Costa Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line and International Voyager Media. Most recently she served as the Director of Broker Relations for BVG Incorporated, a luxury real estate developer and destination club operator in Tampa, Florida. Previously, she held a variety of key management positions at Wannado City and Anheuser-Busch.

Laura presently serves on the board of directors of the 17th Street Causeway Alliance as VP of Marketing. The Alliance was formed by a group of concerned 17th Street business and property owners seeking ways to improve, enhance and sustainably develop the 17th Street Causeway Corridor and to promote such efforts for the benefit of our businesses, residents and visitors. Laura is also a member of EWGA which connects women to learn, play and enjoy golf for business and for fun.

Sheree Lynch
Director, Cruise Division
Sheree has nearly 30 years experience in the cruise industry. Her seagoing career spans twenty years with P&O/Princess Cruises where she reached the position of hotel manager before coming ashore in 1997 to work with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines as Hotel Operations Manager and then Orient Lines/NCL as Hotel Operations Director.

She joined MHG in May 2006 to head up the Cruise Division and feels that her experience in the cruise industry allows her to relate to her cruise line clients whether they are seagoing or corporate management. Sheree is also a member of WISTA (Women's International Shipping and Trade Association), a worldwide networking organization for women at management level in the maritime industry. WISTA pursues and supports the creation of both national and international business relationships among WISTA members, and there are currently over 1,300 members in 29 different countries.

Kent Mittet
Director, Finance
Kent began his career in Norway with the National Insurance Organization where he served as a Senior Finance and Accounting Officer. During a leave of absence that included six months with the United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon and a student exchange program at the University of Texas where he graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, Kent decided to leave his job in Norway and remain in the US to continue his studies. Kent earned a Master of Science in Finance, Investment and Banking in 2000 from the University of Wisconsin and went on to work with BlackRock Financial Management as a Credit Analyst in New York City. In 2003, Kent relocated to South Florida and joined MHG where he now serves as the Director of Finance.

Clayton Swart
Manager, Business Development
Clayton joined MHG in 2013 where he is responsible for promoting and marketing yacht crew insurance in addition to developing business and cultivating relationships for the US Insurance Division.

Born and raised in South Africa, Clayton completed his marketing degree at the Varsity College of Natal, Durban. He relocated to the US over ten years ago to pursue his passion for international travel and yachting and spent seven years working aboard numerous yachts in various capacities. In 2007, Clayton joined The Sacks Group as Yacht Sales Coordinator, International Yacht Collection in 2010 and then most recently Y.CO in 2011.

Clayton is very involved in the marine community and is a member of the Florida Yacht Brokers Association and Young Professionals in Yachting. He also volunteers with the Freedom Waters Foundation.

Stephen Beck
Account Executive, Employee Benefits Division
Stephen joined the MHG team in 2013 as Account Executive for the Employee Benefits Division where he is responsible for managing the day to day administration of our Life & Health client accounts. Stephen hails from St. Croix, USVI, where he studied Business Administration at the University of the Virgin Islands. Following the completion of six years of service with the US Navy Submarine force, Stephen began his career in the insurance industry in St Croix. He has held positions in both financial and insurance fields since that time, acquiring a good deal of knowledge in Life & Health plans in the process. Most recently, he was responsible for supervising a team of junior agents and conducting health insurance presentations to individuals and business owners.

Joanna Drysdale
International Insurance Specialist
Joanna grew up near Glasgow in Scotland and started out in the workforce working for a supermarket chain. She moved to the Isle of Man in 2003 and started working for a local insurance broker, gaining skills and knowledge which helped her towards gaining her Certificate in Insurance from the Chartered Insurance Institute. She came to work for MHG in April 2011 and is delighted to be working in such an interesting and varied industry, with friendly and knowledgeable colleagues. In her spare time Joanna enjoys playing flute, piccolo and piano- as well as being a player she also serves on the committee of the Isle of Man Wind Orchestra. She also enjoys reading, keeping up with current affairs & politics, and is learning German.

Melissa Gribas
Marketing
Melissa joined the MHG team in July 2005. She is responsible for all advertising and marketing for the MHG Group of Companies, which includes marketing campaigns, website development, collateral and events. She is also the Marketing Chair for the Marine Industry Cares Foundation, a non-for-profit organization that brings the maritime business community together with the local community in order to raise money and awareness for local charities that support children and families.

Prior to joining MHG, Melissa worked for Delta Airlines and Carnival Cruise Lines. Melissa has a Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Travel and Tourism from Florida International University.

JW Haagensen
Account Executive, Inside Sales
JW began his insurance career at MHG in 2003 and has played an important supporting role in the company's growth ever since. Initially tasked with providing insurance solutions and account administration to individual marine crew clients and their families, JW's client base has expanded to include the expat community and marine contractors and concessionaires. Working in conjunction with all MHG business units and distribution partners, JW is also responsible for all inside sales for a range of individual lines as well as some group business opportunities.

Janine Jeffries
Broker, Business Insurance
Janine has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, from being involved in sales at large life insurance companies and group insurance for small business, to creating and sustaining profitable Property & Casualty divisions for several agencies, including her own. She is licensed in Property & Casualty as well as Life & Health insurance.

Originally from New York, Janine moved to South Florida at a young age, and has lived in the area most of her life. Janine is active in the South Florida community and participates in various 5k charity runs, including those for Broward Fire Fighters and the Susan G. Komen race for The Cure. She is also a supporter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. An avid animal lover, Janine is a Certified Equine Sports Therapist, as well as an active member of the Plantation Acres Saddle Club and the American Quarter Horse Association.

Janine joined MHG in 2011 as a Business Insurance Broker. Her primary responsibilities include placing worker's comp accounts, prospecting new business opportunities and offering general support to the General Manager of the Business Insurance Division.

Johanna Karlsson
Account Executive, Yacht Division
Since joining MHG in February 2007, Johanna began supporting the cruise and yacht divisions. In the past year, Johanna has focused exclusively on the yacht division and works as Mark Bononi's right hand. Johanna handles all the day-to-day activities such as claims and benefit inquiries as well as account administration for MHG's yacht clients.

Originally from Sweden, Johanna has lived in the US for 10 years. Before coming to the US, Johanna spent a year in Aix - en - Provence where she studied French. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a B.A. in International Communications. Johanna's previous work experience includes work with a weekly Swedish magazine. In her free time, Johanna enjoys reading biographies, learning about holistic nutrition and traveling.

Leandro Leon
International Accounting Intern
Originally from Venezuela, Leandro is scheduled to graduate from the Universidad Tecnológica del Centro in December with a Bachelor's degree in accounting and human resources. He joined the MHG team in 2012 to participate in the accounting internship program where he is receiving hands on training and practical experience in accounts payable and accounts receivable functions and full-cycle accounting functions, including reconciliations, month-end closing processes, and preparations of financial reports.

Leandro was very involved in school activities and participated in the student organization Vida UNITEC which introduces and supports new students during their first year at university. A lover of martial arts, Leandro has a black belt in Karate Do and was a karate instructor while in university.

Katherine Pajor
Senior Accountant
Katherine joined the MHG team in 2012 bringing over 25 years of accounting and finance experience. Originally from Budapest, Hungary, Katherine grew up in NYC, where she graduated from Baruch College of CUNY with a Bachelors of Accounting. Having had enough of the cold weather of NY, she moved to South Florida in the late 80's. Katherine's career has spanned from large publicly held hospitality corporations to small privately held manufacturing firms, but always up for a new challenge, she decided to plunge into the world of insurance.

Katherine keeps busy with her family and friends. She loves traveling - discovering new places and meeting people from all walks of life. She is a dual citizen of the United States and Hungary.

Heather Tole
Account Executive
Heather joined MHG in 2011 as Broker for the Employee Benefits Division where she focused on acquiring new group accounts in the local South Florida business community in addition to providing client support for designated accounts. In 2012, she was promoted to Account Executive in a support role to the Employee Benefits and Business Insurance Divisions handling account administration and client relations.

Prior to MHG, Heather began her career in the health and fitness industry. A native of Miami, Heather has a BA in Public Communication from Florida Atlantic University.

Jan E. Andreasen
Benefits Adviser
Jan Andreasen has over 30 years experience as an international professional adviser.  His career has spanned law, stock brokerage, investment advice and financial planning in both Europe and the United States.  Jan has lived in the US, UK, France and Denmark and maintains close contacts with providers in the field of international investments and savings.  Jan provides MHG his extensive expertise in advising on international retirement and investment programs. 

Joe Flynn
Benefits Adviser
Joe joined MHG in early 2008 after serving a distinguished 37 year career with JP Morgan Chase. Following his promotion to Vice President Treasury Services in 1987, Joe held key management positions in Information Technology, Financial Planning and Analysis and Project Management. Joe successfully led several key strategic JPM initiatives that included the implementation of the JPM Global Billing platform and the merger of technology platforms across several major money center banks. Joe has a Bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from Pace University. He lives in New York with his wife Liz of over 30 years.

Mattias Hallberg
Benefits Adviser
After studying economics in Sweden, Mattias started his career in the insurance and banking industry at age 20. At age 26, he joined the cruise lines to see the world and has since visited 140 countries. In February 2008, Mattias joined MHG as a Benefits Adviser. In this role, Mattias visits our cruise ship clients onboard and supports corporate group benefit plans in addition to providing individual financial and insurance advice.

Svein Mentzen
Benefits Adviser
Svein is one of our latest additions to the team of Benefits Advisers. He comes to MHG with years of experience at sea and an in-depth knowledge of life at sea and on cruise ships in particular. He started his career on cargo ships in 1968, but for a number of years now he has been working for various cruise companies as a deck officer. Svein has been travelling for MHG for a couple of years, but plans to increase his frequency of ship visits in the time to come.

Svein hails from Norway and did his nautical education at the Nautical school in Oslo, which he completed in 1981. Since 2003, he has been living in Waterlooville, UK with his partner.