People – West

Denver, Colo.-based Van Gilder Insurance Corp. named Don Woods its new president.

Woods is co-founder and CEO of Community Bankshares Inc. and its subsidiaries.

Under Woods, Community Bankshares Inc. grew to over $2 billion in assets and had 42 branches in Colorado and northern California.

A privately held insurance brokerage firm, Van Gilder is in its fourth generation of leadership by the Van Gilder family.

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund named Marjorie Hutchings its chief information officer.

Hutchings, who was senior vice president for infrastructure engineering at State Fund, will transition to her new role as chief of the division that provides IT operations support to California’s largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance.

As State Fund’s new CIO, Hutchings will lead the implementation of a comprehensive technology platform for the organization. She has more than 20 years of experience in the technology field.

Prior to State Fund, Hutchings was vice president of internet operations with Esurance from 1999 to 2012. She began her information technology career in 1989 as a project manager with Electronic Data Systems (EDS). She has also worked with Dallas-based Sterling Software and NEON/Convoy in Emeryville, Calif.

Novato, Calif.–based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. named Antonio Derossi its chief operations officer. The firm also named Paul Fuegner vice president of brand management.

Derossi will be responsible for operations at Fireman’s Fund and will be based in Novato at the corporate headquarters.

He most recently served as the COO of Allianz Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMA) where he was responsible for IT, operations, claims, and strategic direction and management of project portfolios and budgets.

Derossi joined Allianz in 2008 as the senior vice president of the Global Life Unit at Allianz SE and prior to that held consulting roles with Andersen Consulting and McKinsey & Co.

Fuegner will be the steward of the Fireman’s Fund brand and identity. He will be responsible for maintaining and protecting the company’s brand as well as developing and implementing strategies to further strengthen the brand.

Fuegner comes from ViVa Beverages, where he served as chief marketing officer. He also held executive marketing roles with The Griffin Group, SKYY Spirits and Diageo. Throughout his career, Fuegner has managed a variety of global and start-up brands across multiple distribution channels.

Fireman’s Fund is a member of the Allianz Group.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. named David Richter vice president of executive benefits and succession planning.

The firm also named Jeff Robinson an associate producer for its Southern California Practice.

Richter will focus on high net-worth individuals and small- to medium-sized corporations and their executives.

Richter has over 26 years of experience working as a broker, and he has focused on co-marketing with wealth managers and property-casualty brokers for the last 23 years.

Before Woodruff-Sawyer, he was the owner and founder of Richter Insurance.

Robinson will focus on business development, retention and client relationship management. He has a background in sales and marketing, and a long track record of sales, management, and marketing experience throughout the last decade.

Prior to Woodruff-Sawyer, he was a sales representative a health insurance carrier.

Woodruff-Sawyer has offices throughout California and in Portland, Oregon.

Terry Brandt was named Lockton San Francisco’s executive vice president and director of the Lockton Alliance for Ministry Protection (LAMP) practice.

Brandt will lead LAMP, Lockton’s non-profit and religious organization practice, by providing risk management advice and consulting to large parachurch organizations, church denominations, educational institutions and faith-based businesses.

Brandt will be based in Lockton’s San Francisco office, but will reside in Minneapolis. He will have a lead role in expanding Lockton’s presence throughout the United States.

For more than 30 years, Brandt has amassed risk management and captive experience in leadership roles at Aon Risk Solutions. Prior to Lockton he was a resident director at Aon in Minneapolis.

Reno, Nev.-based EMPLOYERS named Bryan Ware senior vice president and chief actuary.

Ware will be responsible for EMPLOYERS’ reserving, pricing, and risk analysis and will work with executive management to develop and implement strategies and initiatives that support operational and strategic goals. He will be based out of EMPLOYERS’ corporate offices in Reno reporting to CEO Douglas Dirks.

Ware has 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, with experience in workers’ compensation. Ware joins EMPLOYERS from KPMG, where he led an actuarial consulting team.

Employers is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers’ compensation insurance and services focused on select small businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries.

Folsom, Calif.-based Edgewood Partners Insurance Center added Joe Costamagna as a principal in their Petaluma office.

EPIC also added Jessica Bentson as a senior account manager in its Folsom office, and named Sarah Ledbetter as a property-casualty insurance account manager in its Fresno office.

EPIC added Ryan Yoo and Ricky Choi its Los Angeles office.

Costamagna has 10 years of experience in insurance and risk management, working with a range of businesses and specializing in the construction industry.

Costamagna’s responsibilities include acquiring new clients, growing existing accounts and managing the insurance and risk management programs of current clients.

Prior to EPIC, Costamagna spent more than three years as an account executive with Woodruff-Sawyer & Co., handling risk management strategies, client relations, loss control analysis, and claims management for clients in construction and related industries. Before joining Woodruff-Sawyer, he was a vice president and commercial lines producer for Willis HRH.

Bentson’s responsibilities at EPIC will include providing clients with benefits planning and program design support. She will also focus on developing employee benefit communication programs, and coordinating client service team resources.

Bentson has eight years of experience in the healthcare and wellness insurance sector, including six years with Tevis Insurance Solutions as a senior account manager. Before that she was an account manager for Chandlee Insurance Agency.

Ledbetter’s responsibilities as an account manager will include marketing, negotiations, client program management, and the supervision of account assistants. She will report to EPIC Principal Patrick McCaleb.

Ledbetter brings extensive experience in customer service and the management of commercial insurance and risk management programs to EPIC.

Yoo and Choi are focused on growing EPIC’s presence in the Korean business community and they have a combined 40 years of industry experience.

Yoo and Choi will be responsible for expanding EPIC’s footprint as well as leading client services. Additionally, they will design, place and manage insurance and risk management programs.

Prior to EPIC, Yoo spent six years with a regional insurance brokerage where he was a senior vice president. Yoo also worked with Wells Fargo Insurance Services. Choi joined Yoo’s team after eight years with the same regional insurance brokerage where he served as director.

EPIC is an employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm operating from eight offices across California: Los Angeles, Irvine, Fresno, Folsom, San Francisco, San Mateo, Petaluma and San Ramon.

Concord, Calif.-based Jenkins Insurance Group named Michael Sukle as a vice president.

Sukle’s primary focus will be personal and financial insurance and risk management solutions for high net worth clients.

Sukle has a background in banking and insurance.

Jenkins Insurance Group, as part of the Leavitt Group, has offices in Concord, Sacramento and San Jose.

San Diego, Calif.-based Atlas General Insurance Services named Lance Daschle as senior network administrator.

Daschle will oversee Atlas’ IT infrastructure.

Prior to Atlas, he was the head system administrator for a large company datacenter. He also worked as a consultant, and worked as a network administrator for University of California San Diego’s administration and student affairs.

Tustin, Calif.-based Yates & Associates named Lisa A. Foley to its team.

Foley, a 16-year veteran of E&S broking, will be charged with expanding the footprint of Yates in the San Diego and surrounding areas.

Dan Cullinan has joined Yates in their Roseville office. Having spent the last nine years at a national wholesale MGA/brokerage, Cullinan specializes in property and casualty.

Kyle Ramstetter has joined Lockton as a producer based in the insurance broker’s Denver, Colo. office.

Ramstetter will be responsible for client advocacy and new business development in property and casualty insurance for commercial clients.

Most recently, Ramstetter worked as a commercial real estate broker at Cassidy Turley-Fuller Real Estate. He also held positions at Vaco LLC and Clayton Fixed Income Services. as vice president and unit manager.

Lockton is the world’s largest privately held insurance broker.

Topics California Allianz