People & Places

Dan Carmichael

Ohio Casualty Corporation has completed a new five-year agreement with its current president and chief executive officer, Dan R. Carmichael. The prior contract with Carmichael was to expire on Dec. 31, 2005. Carmichael joined Ohio Casualty Corporation in December, 2000. From 1995 until his employment with Ohio Casualty, he served as president and chief executive officer of IVANS Inc., Greenwich, Conn., an industry organization that provides electronic communications services to insurance, health care and related organizations. Prior to his tenure at IVANS, he served eight years as chairman, president and chief executive officer of Anthem Casualty Insurance Group (Shelby Insurance and Anthem Casualty). Ohio Casualty Corporation is the holding company of The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company, which is one of six property/casualty subsidiary companies that make up Ohio Casualty Group. The Ohio Casualty Insurance Company was founded in 1919 and is licensed in 49 states.

Karen Cora

The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agentselected its new slate of officers and directors recently. The new officers and directors sworn in at MAIA’s Annual Convention, The Big Event, included Chairman Karen Cora, Chairman-elect Timothy J. LaRovere, Vice Chairman Richard P. Jones, State National Director Vincent P. Sylvia, Immediate Past Chairman Joseph P. Leahyand directors John J. Olivieri Jr., David G. Bedard, Lawrence J. Hall and Thomas C. Rogers. The following directors are continuing their service on the board: Thomas B. Chisholm, Betsi A. Corea, Gary K. Costello, Scott W. Foster, Raymond D. Gallant, Robert L. Hollis Jr.; Brian J. Kaveney, Edwin C. Lucey, Albert J. Marchionne Jr., Richard A. Perras, Henry S. Risman, John E. Toole, John J. Walsh and John Zawilinski.

Kirk Jensen

Kirk Jensen has joined William Gallagher Associates in its Boston office as senior vice president and leader of the Risk Management Practice Group. He brings more than 20 years of risk advisory experience to the firm in the area of complex risk management. Prior to joining WGA, Jensen served in a variety of leadership roles at Marsh, Inc. including leadership of that firm’s Alternative Risk Finance and FINPRO (Management Liability) practices. WGA is an independent brokerage firm with offices in Boston, Princeton, N.J.; Albany, N.Y.; Columbia, Md.; Atlanta and Paris, France.

Patricia Goudarzi

ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, has opened a Washington, D.C. branch office. Leading this new office is Patricia Goudarzi, who has been appointed Washington, D.C., branch manager. Goudarzi will work closely with brokers and clients in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore area to expand ACE USA’s local presence. She also will oversee the branch’s production plan, distribution, product sales and marketing, and general operations. Goudarzi most recently served as executive vice president of ACE Select Markets, responsible for the underwriting and marketing of specialty insurance products targeted toward specific insurance buyers, affinity groups, small businesses and niche industries. Prior to this role, she was senior vice president of ACE USA Power Products.

Edward Murray

Edward Murray, chairman of Murray and Zuckerman, a Schenectady, New York-based wholesale life insurance brokerage agency, received the Douglas H. Mooers Award for Excellence at the 24th annual meeting of the National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies recently in Phoenix. Named after a founding member of NAILBA, the Mooers Award recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated a lifetime of service to Murray and his partner, Gordon Zuckerman, built the Murray and Zuckerman agency into a leading wholesale life brokerage agency.

Murray is a former chairman of NAILBA and served for several years as treasurer. He currently represents NAILBA on the board of directors of the LIFE foundation. He is also involved with other brokerage organizations such as Sub-Centers and serves as treasurer of The Marketing Alliance.

Alliance Insurance Agency Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Alliance Bank Corporation in Anandale, Va., announced the promotions of Daisy Newberry, Bradley Rothermel, Gregg Siegal and Bill Smith to vice presidents of the company.

Newberry currently has responsibility for the agency’s commercial operations, including business development and commercial account management. She has more than 17 years of service at the company. Rothermel is responsible for the agency’s employee benefits division as well as supervising the sale and service of life, health and annuity products. Siegal is responsible for commercial account development and the coordination of insurance/bank activities. Smith manages the personal insurance operation at the company. He brings 38 years of experience to his position, both at the carrier and agency levels.

Alliance Insurance Agency Inc. was formed on Nov. 15, 2005, through Alliance Bank’s acquisition of Danaher Insurance Agency. Prior to the acquisition, Danaher Insurance had been in operation for 42 years and provided insurance and a full array of financial services to a broad range of small and middle market businesses, professionals and consumers.

Lenny Bellet recently joined Gowrie, Barden, & Brett in Westbrook, Conn., as a sales agent specializing in home, auto and yacht insurance. Prior to GBB, Brett was employed by Windward Marine Underwriters in the yacht division. He has marine experience having worked on historic schooners, commercial oyster vessels, and research vessels.

GAB Robins, an international claims services firm, announced that Alan N. Mansfield has been named executive vice president and chief financial officer of the GAB Robins Group of Companies. Mansfield, who will be based at GAB Robins’ headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., will be responsible for the financial management of the GAB Robins Group of Companies globally. Before joining GAB Robins, Mansfield was with ESIS, a risk management services company that is part of ACE USA. He began his career in 1980 with Coopers & Lybrand and then held senior management positions at Cigna Corporation, ACE USA and ESIS.