Minnesota’s Western National Insurance Announces New Management Roles

Western National Insurance Group (WNIG), headquartered in Minnesota, has partially realigned its management team. The following members of WNIG’s management team have assumed new roles:

• Jeff Couchman, formerly vice president – Corporate at Western National Mutual Insurance Co. (WNM) and senior vice president and general manager at Western National Assurance Co.(WNA), has assumed the role of vice president – Marketing & Business Development at WNM. Couchman has been with the group for four years. He began his insurance career in commercial lines underwriting and prior to joining WNIG he specialized in risk analysis and reinsurance.
• Cindy Doble, vice president – Personal Lines since 2004, will assume the new role of chief underwriting officer – Personal Lines. Doble has been with the company for 35 years and will now lead the entire group’s Personal Lines underwriting and support efforts.
• Brian Jermeland, formerly the group’s vice president – Commercial Lines Operations, will assume the new role of chief underwriting officer – Commercial Lines. Jermeland has been with WNIG since 2007. He previously worked in specialty lines for Northland and Travelers after beginning his career in loss control. He brings more than 20 years of specialty lines underwriting and management experience to the position. He will also retain the position of senior vice president and general manager of Pioneer Specialty Insurance Co.
• As part of the Commercial Lines Underwriting restructuring, Eric Ellefson, will be promoted to assistant vice president – Commercial Lines Underwriting. Ellefson has been with the company since 1989 and has taken on progressively greater roles in underwriting management.
• Mary Manley, who has served WNIG for the last seven years as Senior Vice President – Corporate Affairs & Administration, assumes the role of executive vice president of WNA, in addition to her role as executive vice president of Umialik Insurance Co. Manley’s responsibility will encompass the group’s Northwestern U.S. operations. She has served Western National in a variety of leadership positions since joining the company in 1973.
• Steve Richards, formerly vice president – Commercial Lines Underwriting for WNA, will be promoted to the role of senior vice president and general manager of WNA. Richards has been with WNIG for 27 years and has overseen the Commercial Lines Underwriting staff as well as the day-to-day operations of the group’s Seattle office since 2003.

Western National Insurance Group, headquartered in Edina, Minn., is a super-regional group of nine active companies serving the property and casualty insurance needs of individuals, families, and businesses. The group’s products are sold exclusively through professional independent agents in 13 states in the Midwestern, Northwestern and Southwestern United States.

Source: Western National Insurance Group

Topics Underwriting Minnesota