Sam Jones

People

Sam Jones, president of property and casualty operations at ABD Insurance and Financial Services, Redwood City, Calif., is retiring from active operating responsibilities to focus more time on his family and the community of Sonoma County. Dan R. Francis has been named president and CEO of ABD Insurance and Financial Services.

Jones has been working with ABD’s executive team and staff for the past several months on the execution of a transition plan, and he will continue to act as an advisor to ABD in 2006.

In his letter to ABD associates explaining his decision, Jones noted, “My time at ABD over the last twelve years has been the most fulfilling and rewarding of my 30 year insurance career. ABD has many dedicated and loyal employees and an outstanding group of committed business partners, and I am proud to not only call them my associates, but my friends.” Jones has been a major contributor to and leader of ABD for more than a decade of the company’s evolution and growth, including the consummation and successful integration of multiple acquisitions across California and the Western United States.

Meanwhile, the company also has announced that Matt McFall has rejoined the firm’s Technology Services Practice. Previously a senior directors and officers broker with ABD’s Financial Services Group, McFall’s new charge will be private equity risk exposures, including mergers and acquisitions and general partnership liability.

Prior to rejoining ABD, McFall was director for the Financial Services Group for Diversified Risk Insurance Brokers. On the insurance side, he has also held positions as a management liability underwriter and regional manager in the Pacific-Northwest region.

Before entering the insurance industry, he worked in the growth capital sector at both Silicon Valley Bank and Comerica Venture Capital Group (fka Imperial Bank, Emerging Growth Group).

Steve Shea, account executive with the commercial insurance department at Barney & Barney, has been elected president of the board of directors of the Independent Insurance Brokers & Agents Association of San Diego. Meanwhile, Managing Principal/CEO Paul Hering will become chairman for Assurex Global, a privately held risk management and commercial insurance brokerage group.

As president of the board of directors, Shea will build interdistrict meetings with state legislators, ensuring there is a direct line of communication that will benefit the industry and consumers.

IIAB of San Diego is part of Independent Insurance Brokers and Agents of America (IIABA).

Cooper Gay & Cashman and Cooper Gay Group in London have appointed Phil Sandercox as a senior vice president.

Sandercox, 42, joins Cooper Gay & Cashman from General Re in Stamford, Conn., where he was vice president and regional manager, responsible for its New England and Mid Atlantic regions of Specialty Treaty. He was at General Re since 1989, where he concentrated on directors and officers (D&O) and employment practice liability (EPL) classes of business.

Sandercox began his reinsurance career at Travelers in 1986.

G.J. Sullivan Co., Orange, Calif., has appointed Mary Nyquist assistant vice president. She will be responsible for the development of a Personal Programs department. Product lines will include personal umbrella, comprehensive, personal liability, dwelling fire and flood.

Nyquist has been in the insurance industry for more than 25 years, and was previously vice president at Anderson and Murison. E-mail: nyquistm@es.gjs.com. Web site: www.gjsullivan.com.

Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Apollo Agencies Inc., a subsidiary of Kinecta Federal Credit Union, has named Marti Simons vice president of sales development. She will oversee the growth of Apollo’s third-party relationship segment in communities throughout California.

Simons joins Apollo from USI of Southern California Insurance Services, where she was vice president, responsible for commercial accounts since 1996. She began her career in the insurance industry in 1982. She holds fire and casualty and life insurance licenses.

Kinecta Financial & Insurance Services LLC, and Apollo Agencies, Inc. are subsidiaries of Kinecta Financial Management Co.

Debra Nicol has joined the Southern California property and casualty brokerage team of Crump E&S of California Inc.

Nicol brings more than 25 years experience in the wholesale surplus lines casualty area. Her experience includes large commercial and residential contractors, tough products, transportation, property and California workers’ compensation accounts.

Encino, Calif.-based NAS Insurance Services has promoted Genevieve Alexander and Rolanda Bell as underwriters responsible for EPLI and tenant discrimination liability insurance coverages. Alexander can be reached at (818) 808-4463 or e-mail: galexander@nasinsurance.com. Bell can be reached at: (818) 808-4462 or e-mail: rbell@
nasinsurance.com.

Sierra Specialty, based in Fresno, Calif., has appointed Misty Haron professional liability specialist for all lines of professional liability and directors and officers liability.

Haron has been in the insurance wholesale business for more than 10 years with experience in both underwriting and brokerage. She will work under the direction of Cindy James. Additional support will come from Mark Schroeder who has more than15 years experience in professional liability and directors and officers, and Cathy Lee with more than 16 years of brokerage experience

Together that team will specialize in: miscellaneous errors and omissions, (including insurance agents, real estate, escrow, lawyers), architects and engineers, employment practices liability, directors and officers liability (for and not-for-profit), allied health care, doctors and hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Topics California Agencies Excess Surplus Market