USI Holdings Appoints Gardner as Compliance Director

USI Holdings Corporation has appointed Mark L. Gardner to the newly created position of director of compliance. In his new role, Gardner will lead the further design and implementation of a Board of Directors approved plan to solidify the company’s legal regulatory compliance program while further institutionalizing the company’s code of business conduct and the industry’s evolving business practice standards.

Gardner will report to Ernest J. Newborn II, USI’s senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, as well as the Audit Committee of the USI Board of Directors.

Gardner joins USI from General Star Indemnity Company, where he served as vice president and chief compliance officer. While overseeing all regulatory compliance requirements at that company, he also managed litigation, negotiated regulatory actions, and responded to a wide variety of regulatory inquiries. Prior to General Star Indemnity Company, Gardner served as deputy superintendent for the New York State Insurance Department. Gardner received a B.A. from University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from New York Law School.

Commenting on the appointment, David L. Eslick, USI’s chairman and CEO said, “With the completion of the search for USI’s director of compliance, we can accelerate the implementation of this significant corporate initiative. We firmly expect our enhanced program to provide the framework essential for ensuring effective implementation of our compliance objectives and ultimately enable us to better serve our clients.”