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Former long-time Chubb executive Dino E. Robusto assumes the roles of CNA chairman and chief executive officer on Nov. 21, succeeding Thomas F. Motamed, who is retiring after eight years in those positions.

The succession plan, which was announced last year, sees one former Chubb executive replacing another at the helm at CNA.

Motamed joined CNA in 2009 as chairman and CEO after 31 years with Chubb. He was vice chairman and chief operating officer when he left Chubb.

Robusto had been with Chubb for 29 years, beginning in 1986 as a commercial lines underwriter. He was elected executive vice president of Chubb and president of commercial and specialty lines in January 2014 after serving as president of personal lines and claims from 2011 through 2013.

Robusto retired from Chubb about a year ago in anticipation of assuming his CNA position.

Insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh has hired Rich Drab as CEO of Dovetail Insurance, which provides insurance technology services tailored to the U.S. small commercial market.

Drab is based in Chicago and will report to Kevin Tobin, president of Marsh’s Insurance Services Group.

Drab brings to Dovetail more than 25 years of leadership, consulting and technology experience, primarily focused on the insurance industry.

He joins from IBM, where he most recently served as a partner in its Global Business Services practice. Prior to joining IBM in 2012, Drab held several leadership roles at Rosetta, Sapient and Accenture.

Marsh is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marsh & McLennan.

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies named Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., as the association’s Federal Legislator of the Year.

Paulsen was recognized for his work to include the Small Mutual Inflation Update in omnibus spending legislation last year, ensuring that small, community-based mutual insurers in often underserved rural areas will be better able to serve their policyholders.

The provision, originally enacted as part of the 1986 tax overhaul, allowed property/casualty insurers with direct written annual premiums not exceeding $1.2 million to elect to be taxed on their net investment incomes.

However, the threshold for this tax election was not indexed to inflation and had remained static for the past 30 years. Paulsen’s work updated the provision to reflect three decades of inflation and prevents future problems by indexing the threshold to the inflation rate going forward.

NAMIC also named Ohio state Sen. Bob Hackett as the association’s State Legislator of the Year.

Hackett was tapped as the top state legislator for 2016 for his leadership in sponsoring and passing multiple bills addressing insurance public policy. These bills covered topics such as transportation network company insurance coverage, captive insurance, terrorism insurance, and portable electronic insurance. He is also active in the National Conference of Insurance Legislators and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Hackett serves as vice chair of the Ohio Senate Insurance Committee, a position he was named to in April after being appointed to fill the vacant seat for Ohio’s 10th Senate District. Before his appointment to the Senate, Hackett represented Ohio’s 74th House District since 2009, serving as chairman of the House Insurance Committee.

Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), based in St. Louis, Missouri, promoted Robert Qaoud to Alliance coordinator.

Qaoud will be responsible for ensuring the alliance’s compliance, as well as seamlessly facilitating the additions of new members. He will serve as the liaison between the alliance and its members.

Prior to his promotion, Qaoud served in a variety of capacities for VIAA and sister company POWERS Insurance and Benefits including processing specialist, resource facilitator and accounting specialist.

Founded in 2006, VIAA is the regional founding member for the Strategic Insurance Agency Alliance (SIAA).

Barbara Walker joined the national board of the insurance industry classroom-to-career education program, InVEST, as an agent member. Walker is vice president of Hartland Insurance Agency Inc., in Hartland, Michigan.

Walker has more than 35 years of experience in the independent agency system. She joined Hartland Insurance in July 1981 and currently serves as vice president responsible for management and sales.

Walker has also been active in the state and national association levels. She currently serves on the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA) board of directors, is chair of the MI Future board and is a recipient of two prestigious MAIA awards, the Ashom Education Award and the Henry Forsetlund Award. Walker has served on the IIABA Virtual University Committee.

InVEST also added Charles Hilson to its national board as an agent member. Hilson is president of the Talent Pipeline Division of Risk Management Solutions of America Inc. (RMSOA) in Chicago.

Hilson joined RMSOA in August 2016 and is responsible for strategic planning, client services, recruitment and development of millennial talent. Prior to joining RMSOA, he was the chief executive officer of GBG Inc., an independent insurance agency with offices in three states. His industry experience also included underwriting, office management and field marketing positions with St. Paul Insurance Cos. (now Travelers), as well as national program management and agency development for CNA.

Hilson has served in numerous state association leadership capacities including previously serving as chairman and president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois. At the national level, he is a past member of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) Diversity Task Force and national board member of the National African American Insurance Association.

Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson promoted Lynn Sansone to assistant property/casualty underwriter in Madison, Wisconsin.

Sansone will focus on binding property/casualty business for commercial accounts. Her primary responsibilities include providing customer service and handling inquiries for agents as well as binding and preparing renewal and new business accounts.

Sansone was hired in 2003 as a property/casualty underwriting technician. Prior to joining the J.M. Wilson team she held roles in the construction industry as an administrative assistant and office manager.

Brightway, The Lambert Family Agency added Camber Gilleland as an agent in Muskegon, Michigan. Gilleland joined the agency from the healthcare industry, where she worked in administration and finance for 15 years.

Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised independent agencies throughout the country.

Cameron, Mo.-based Cameron Mutual Insurance Co. appointed Pat Conboy, as chief financial officer/treasurer.

Conboy joins Cameron from MAG Mutual in Atlanta, Ga., where he served as vice president of Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to his 16-year career with MAG, he worked for 19 years in the finance and accounting operations at Shelter Mutual in Columbia, Mo.

He is a Certified Management Accountant and an Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance. His insurance professional designations include Chartered Life Underwriter, Chartered Financial Consultant, and Associate in Reinsurance.

Cameron Insurance Cos. is a multi-line property/casualty insurance group operating in Arkansas, Iowa and Missouri. The group’s operating entities include Cameron Mutual Insurance Co., Cameron National Insurance Co. and the CIC Agency.

CNA appointed Dieter Korte as senior vice president, Customer Segments. In this role, Dieter will be responsible for the profitability, growth and strategic direction of CNA’s Commercial customer segments, including Construction, Manufacturing, Technology, Financial Institutions, Professional Services, General and Emerging Segments, and Programs. He will report to Julie Stephenson, chief underwriting officer, CNA Commercial.

Dieter joined CNA earlier this year to lead the company’s Manufacturing segment. He joined CNA from Chubb where he served in a variety of roles over his 25-year tenure.

Leavenworth, Kansas-based Armed Forces Insurance (AFI), which serves current and retired members of the uniformed services, their children and Department of Defense civilians, promoted Lori L. Simmons to chief marketing officer and vice president, Marketing and Corporate Communications.

Simmons, who has been with Armed Forces Insurance for 21 years, was formerly the company’s assistant vice president of Marketing and Communications.

Elizabeth Hizmi was appointed legislative liaison and public information officer (PIO) at the Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI).

Prior to her appointment as legislative liaison and PIO, Hizmi served as the division administrator for Policy Development at the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS).

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