Thomas J. Vargo, Esq.
About Thomas J. Vargo, Esq.
Thomas J. Vargo, Esq. is a Claims Manager at AXA XL with extensive experience in claims management and litigation, having previously held positions at XL Catlin and Dow Chemical. He holds a J.D. from New York Law School and has expertise in managing complex wrongful death cases related to aircraft accidents.
Current Role at AXA XL
Thomas J. Vargo serves as a Claims Manager at AXA XL, a division of AXA, since 2018. He is based in New York, New York, and has been in this position for six years. In his role, he leads a team of six adjusters responsible for managing Aerospace and other Specialty Lines losses across North America. Vargo partners closely with Underwriting and Actuarial business partners to provide real-time claims feedback that informs underwriting decisions and pricing.
Previous Experience at XL Catlin
Vargo has extensive experience with XL Catlin, where he held multiple roles. He worked as a Claims Representative from 2009 to 2014 in New York, New York, for five years. He later advanced to Vice President - Senior Claims Specialist from 2016 to 2018 in the Greater New York City Area, serving for two years. Additionally, he briefly held the position of Claims Manager - Aerospace for two months in 2018 in Summit, New Jersey.
Education and Expertise
Thomas J. Vargo earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, Cum Laude, from New York Law School, studying from 2010 to 2014. Prior to law school, he obtained a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Biophysics from the University of Scranton, where he studied from 1993 to 1997. Vargo has expertise in managing complex litigated multi-party wrongful death products liability cases arising from aircraft accidents, as well as a strong focus on problem file resolution strategies, mediation/ADR, and trial management.
Early Career Background
Before entering the insurance and legal fields, Vargo worked as a Research Engineer at Dow Chemical from 1997 to 2000 in Bound Brook, New Jersey, for three years. He also held the position of Technical Service Engineer at Elf Atochem for eight months in 2000-2001 in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. Additionally, he served as Captain / Check Airman at Colgan Air, Inc. from 2007 to 2009 in Newark, New Jersey, for two years.