Also, Phillip Hill was elected chief financial officer and vice president of operations. Hill has been part of Ogilvy-Hi

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Ogilvy-Hill Insurance elected Mark Shipp president and CEO. Shipp has been with Ogilvy Hill for 11 years. In addition to his new role as president/CEO he will continue to build new relationships in the field.

The Professional Insurance Agents of Washington/ Alaska (PIA) recently elected new officers and board of directors. Officers include: president – Heidi Duncan-Yonker, Duncan & Associates Insurance Brokers, Olympia; president elect – Rich Biggs, Biggs Insurance Agency, Vancouver; vice president – Mark Balcos, Balcos Insurance, Seattle; treasurer – David Babbitt, Babbitt Insurance Group, Enumclaw; secretary – Barbara Kaiser, Sunset Insurance Agency, Olympia; PIA Western Alliance representative – Jack McCalmant, Big Bend Insurance, Davenport; national director – Scott Campbell, Insurance Services Group, Edmonds; and past president – Dick Fournier, Fournier Insurance Group, Montesano.

Directors include: Linda Fox, Ashford McAloon, Roberts Insurance, Lakewood; Michael Fredrickson, Whitman Insurance Agency, Pullman; and Michael Schrader, Spectrum Insurance Agency, Vancouver.

Jerry Kiser, president of Potter, Leonard & Cahan in Lynnwood, was named PIA Washington/Alaska Agent of the Year. Kiser was president of the association in 2001-2002. The award recognizes a special individual whose accomplishments exemplify integrity, dedication to customers and toward bettering the industry and commitment to the members and goals of the PIA.

Lynda Colucci of AIG was named the 2006 Company Person of the Year. The award recognizes one person whose efforts drive his or her company to support PIA’s efforts with its members.

Sharnel Hawkins, Bratrud Middleton Insurance, Tacoma, Wash., was named the PIA Washington/Alaska Customer Service Representative of the Year, recognizing a highly motivated professional who strives to perform at a superior level.

John Griffin, president of Griffin Underwriting, received the PIA Washington/Alaska American Association of Managing General Agencies (AAMGA) Award, recognizing an individual who has made a special contribution to the association, and who upholds the best traditions of character and integrity in the industry.

The Chairperson of the Year award was given to Conference Chair Rich Biggs, the Biggs Insurance Agency, Vancouver.

Lloyd’s selected Richard Ward, former head of the London-based International Petroleum Exchange (IPE) as its new CEO.

Safeco Surety named Tim Mikolajewski senior vice president. Mikolajewski has been with Safeco Surety since 1984 and has held several management positions, including vice president of contract surety for the past eight years. He will replace Mike Peters, a 38-year Safeco veteran who retired in May after leading Safeco Surety since 1998.

American E&S Insurance Brokers, a wholesaler, named Stephanie J. Smithson executive vice president-branch manager in its San Francisco office. Smithson joined American E&S in 2003 as a broker and most recently was sales and marketing manager. With more than 18 years wholesale insurance experience, Smithson will continue to grow a book of business specializing in property and casualty. Since her promotion, Smithson oversees operations, marketing, and sales for the company’s largest branch.

Trade credit insurance provider Euler Hermes ACI hired Rani Christie as regional vice president for the southern sales region headquartered in Dallas. The announcement hails the addition of a fourth sales region for the company.

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund appointed John E. Putnam vice president and member of its executive committee. Putnam brings a quarter-century of workers’ compensation experience to his new vice presidential post. Putnam previously served for 10 years as manager of State Fund’s Fresno District Office where he began his career in 1981 as a sales representative. Putnam earned a number of State Fund awards for excellence — including Sales Representative of the Year and the Supervisory Award in the 1980s and 1990s.

Trinity E&S Insurance Services, Bermuda Dunes, Calif., named John F. Coe vice president brokerage and branch manager for the Petaluma, Calif. office. He will be responsible to growing the Northern California office and for supervising binding contract and brokerage underwriting and processing units. His most recent positions have been with several managing general agencies in Florida.

Quality Planning Corp. appointed Beth Olson assistant vice president of global services and strategic partnerships. She will be based in the San Francisco head office and will report to Mike Hallenberger, vice president of sales and marketing.

Olson brings more than 22 years of insurance-related experience to QPC. She was recently director of corporate accounts at ClaimIQ, a division of Mitchell International and a leader of third-party claim decision support software.

ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, appointed Karen Sawyer senior vice president, national customer retention manager, responsible for strengthening customer and broker relationships on a national level. Also, the company appointed Carol Frey vice president, national sales and marketing, with responsibility for developing and managing sales and marketing initiatives for new business.

Sawyer has more than 35 years of experience in underwriting, risk management, sales and business development in the insurance arena with particular emphasis on serving the regional large-risk marketplace. She most recently served as the New York Branch Manager for ACE Risk Management.

Frey has more than 19 years of experience in international underwriting and financial management in the insurance industry. She most recently was vice president, ACE Captive Strategies, where she was responsible for dual marketing of ACE USA’s and ACE Tempest USA Inc.’s captive and alternative risk capabilities. Frey will maintain this role as a representative of ACE Risk Management.

Beecher Carlson, an Atlanta-based brokerage and risk management consulting firm, expanded its executive liability practice, naming Zulma Marquez Zak senior vice president. Zak has more than 20 years experience in the insurance and risk management industry with specialized expertise in executive liability products. Zak will focus on business and client development for executive liability products and will operate from the Los Angeles office.

Woodland Hills, Calif.-based 21st Century Insurance appointed Jesus Zaragoza vice president and controller. His responsibilities include financial accounting and reporting. He also will be responsible for meeting the demands on quantity, quality and timeliness of financial reporting and disclosure to shareholders and regulators.

Swiss Re appointed Beat Strebel to head its Latin American unit. Strebel, who is based in Armonk, N.Y., is responsible for all of Swiss Re’s property and casualty and life and health reinsurance business in Latin America. Prior to this position, Strebel was the head of marketing for the Latin American Unit, where he was responsible for the property and casualty business in all Latin American countries.

Acordia, the insurance brokerage subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co., named Greg Van Ness managing director for all of its insurance brokerage operations in Northern and Central California, including the San Francisco Bay area.

Van Ness, an executive vice president with Acordia since 1999, oversaw Acordia’s Northern California offices in Rancho Cordova, Lodi, Grass Valley and Chico, and served on the company’s Regional Executive Committee.

California-based Anderson & Murison, the underwriter for the IBA West and IIABA endorsed programs for personal umbrella insurance, promoted Kris Pappas to manager of personal excess underwriting.

R.E.Chaix & Associates hired Stacy Martin as commercial auto underwriter. A licensed fire and casualty broker, Martin has spent the past six years at Crump E&S of California as senior account coordinator. At Crump she was instrumental in developing a profitable commercial auto department, and was on the team that initiated a very profitable parking program.

Burns & Wilcox’s Scottsdale, Ariz., office promoted Christine Stuart to commercial production underwriter. Stuart joined Burns & Wilcox in January 2002 as a renewal underwriter in the company’s Los Angeles office. As underwriter, Stuart is responsible for managing underwriting, marketing and team development. Her areas of specialty include property and casualty, and all commercial lines.

M.E. James Surplus Lines Insurance Brokerage Inc. hired Scott Chang as an underwriter in the new Los Angeles-based office. Chang began his insurance career in 1989 at Singer Insurance, a managing general agent in Beverly Hills, Calif., and later started his own agency, Wide Range Insurance Agency, specializing in pest control operators and contractors.

Lloyd’s honored two brokers for their outstanding contribution to the Lloyd’s market at the 5th annual Lloyd’s U.S. Broker Awards. Garry Edwards of Hilb Rogal & Hobbs was named U.S. Surplus Lines Broker of the Year and William H. Eyre Jr. of Towers Perrin was named Reinsurance Broker of the Year.

The winners were chosen for their achievements within the U.S. industry and their exceptional contribution to the Lloyd’s market. Given the events of last year’s hurricane season, the judges commended the winners for their knowledge and proficiency in working with the Lloyd’s market to deliver outstanding solutions for their clients.

Carlos Delgado of Danmar Insurance Services in Riverside, Calif., joined the Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers’ board of directors.

Delgado, a 35-year industry veteran, began his insurance career in the life insurance arena with Mutual of New York in Florida. After several years with MONY, he joined Safeco’s life insurance team in California, starting as a life insurance representative. Delgado also serves on the Alliance’s commercial lines committee.

The RS Group of Companies, announced that Sandro Sordi has resigned as general counsel, secretary and as a member of its board.

Bermuda-based Quanta Capital Holdings Ltd. appointed Roland C. Baker and Robert B. Shapiro to its board of directors and to its audit committee. Baker also was appointed to the compensation committee, and Shapiro was appointed to the governance and nominating committee.

Baker has more than 35 years experience in the insurance industry. He served as president of First Penn-Pacific Life Insurance Co., a member of the Lincoln Financial Group, from 1995 until his retirement in 2001.

Shapiro is Of Counsel with the Jorden Burt Law Firm specializing in insurance operations, mergers and acquisitions, financial transactions and compliance. Before joining Jorden Burt LLP in May 2005, he practiced for 22 years with The Bernstein Law Firm and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Topics California USA Agencies Excess Surplus Underwriting Washington Insurance Wholesale Property Casualty Lloyd's Risk Management Alaska Casualty