People and Places

Barbara Doerning

Pasadena, Calif.-based Bolton & Company announced the hiring of Barbara A. Doerning as vice president of Bolton’s Risk Services Department. She began her insurance career in 1986, specializing in commercial insurance as an account manager and has spent the majority of her career in a management capacity. Her management experience includes commercial lines, claims, general management, loss control, administration and special programs for various brokerages, including USI and Aon Risk Services. As vice president of risk services, she will oversee the ongoing development of the Risk Services Department. In addition, she will direct the company’s service plan initiative, which focuses on the daily service needs of large accounts.

Robbie McKinney

Irvine, Calif.-based R.E.Chaix & Associates announced the new hire of Robbie J. McKinney, the newest underwriter/broker at Chaix’s Irvine facility. With more than 20 years of experience in the wholesale/surplus lines industry, she will be responsible for new property/casualty business in the Inland Empire, parts of San Diego and portions of Northern California. She previously worked at Orion Risk in Corona, Calif. and as an underwriter/broker at Aris Insurance Brokers in Southern California.

Brian Cohen

Brian S. Cohen has been named senior vice president and chief marketing officer by Farmers Insurance Group. Cohen will be based in Los Angeles and will be responsible for the company’s marketing and sales efforts. Most recently, Cohen served as president of Farmers Financial Solutions L.L.C., where he was responsible for starting up Farmers’ financial services division. He joined Farmers in 1997 as vice president of corporate development after a career in securities law.

Steve Darwin

Stephen H. Darwin joined New York-based Willis Re as a senior vice president. He will be responsible for producing and placing casualty treaty business for the Northeast region of Willis Re and has joined Willis Re’s New York office. Darwin most recently served as vice president and E&S and umbrella manager at Converium Reinsurance (North America). He spent the past 10 years at Converium and was responsible for re-underwriting its Special Casualty book as well as producing and underwriting new business. He also managed its national Casualty Facultative certificate business and opened and managed the Zurich Re Boston Branch. Darwin began his reinsurance career as a casualty facultative underwriter at Skandia America Reinsurance in 1985 in New York City.

Barry Gates

Bankers Insurance Group has promoted Barry Gates to senior vice president and chief underwriting officer for Bankers’ property and casualty companies. Gates joined Bankers in 2003 as vice president and chief underwriting officer. He has more than 30 years of experience in underwriting and operations management, including executive positions with insurance and reinsurance companies. Prior to Bankers, Gates was a senior vice president at Colony Insurance Group in Richmond, Va.

The law firm of Lord, Bissell & Brook LLP welcomed Norris W. Clark, former deputy commissioner of the California Department of Insurance, to its insurance and reinsurance practice group. Clark joined Lord, Bissell & Brook in its Los Angeles office as a non-attorney financial and regulatory specialist who will focus on insurance and insurer-related financial transactions, regulatory compliance, mergers and acquisitions, statutory accounting, reinsurance risk transfer, restructuring and corrective action plans. Clark has more than 30 years of experience with the California Department of Insurance, most recently as deputy commissioner of the Financial Surveillance Branch, where he was responsible for all aspects of insurer financial regulation and monitoring. Clark also was a member of and chaired numerous National Association of Insurance Commissioners committees, task forces and working groups for more than 20 years.

ABD Insurance and Financial Services announced appointments within the company’s property/casualty leadership and construction industry practice.

Jeff Rodriguez has been named executive vice president and executive director of property/casualty operations – Redwood City. In this expanded role, Rodriguez will continue to oversee ABD’s overall construction strategy as well as assuming responsibility for revenue growth, staff management, profitability and establishing and maintaining consistent standards and practices throughout all P/C operations in ABD’s Redwood City Branch.

David Alvarado has been appointed director of construction services. In this new role, Alvarado will work closely with Rodriguez and all of the ABD regional branches to further expand the company’s construction and real estate practice. Alvarado’s responsibilities will include sales oversight, product development and promoting the consistent delivery of services to clients.

Bryan Martin will assume responsibility for day-to-day management of the Redwood City Construction unit in addition to his ongoing responsibilities as surety practice leader.

Beth Ward has been appointed practice leader of the real estate segment of the construction and real estate practice, a role she had been informally performing since the beginning of 2004.

Acordia Inc., a Wells Fargo Company, announced that Stuart Young has been appointed managing director in Acordia’s Central Region. Based in its Salt Lake City office, Young will be responsible for overseeing Acordia’s Idaho, New Mexico and Utah operations. Young began his insurance career in 1973. He most recently held the position of interim managing director, vice president and commercial account executive for Acordia’s Salt Lake City office. Young has also managed the P/C department of the Salt Lake City office and was interim manager of the office from 1996-1997. He came to Acordia through a series of mergers and acquisitions from First Security Insurance to Wells Fargo Insurance and finally to Acordia.

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