People & Places

Charles Cushner

ABD Insurance and Financial Services announced the addition of Charles “Chuck” Cushner as senior vice president in its Redwood City, Calif.-based General Business Practice. Cushner began his insurance career in personal insurance sales withCalifornia Casualty Management Co. in 1968, prior to joining Calco Insurance Brokers & Agents as a commercial insurance broker 10 years later. He spent the past 27 years at Calco providing business insurance and risk management consulting services to many of the Bay Area’s electrical contractors, transportation firms and metal trades companies, among others. In his new position with ABD, Cushner will continue providing specialized property/casualty insurance brokerage services to these same industry segments.

Alicia Cantavella

Concord, Calif.-based The Jenkins Athens Group announced two senior level appointments for its subsidiary companies.

Phyllis Robinson

Alicia Cantavella has been named senior account manager of commercial lines for Jenkins Athens Insurance Services. She last managed a book of large technology and biotechnology accounts for a risk and insurance services company.

Lawrence Bascom

Phyllis Robinson has been named manager of workers’ compensation client services for Lynch & Associates, a provider of solutions in disability management services, workers’ compensation management, return-to-work programs, ergonomics programs and job descriptions.

Elliott Feldman

Lawrence Bascom was appointed senior vice president and CFO of 21st Century Insurance Group. He will be based in New York City. Prior to joining 21st Century, Bascom was a partner in public accounting firm Deloitte & Touche. He was a member of the firm’s Global Financial Services Industries practice and served as the deputy leader of the firm’s Northeast Insurance practice, where he oversaw consulting, tax, financial and audit services to insurance clients in the region. As a member of Deloitte’s managing partner advisory council, Bascom played a role in the firm’s strategic and operational agenda. He also served on the board of the Deloitte Foundation.

Elliott Feldman of Cozen O’Connor was recently elected vice president of the National Association of Subrogation Professionals at its annual conference. The NASP is a non-profit trade association comprised of insurance company professionals, attorneys and vendors focusing on subrogation and recovery claims. Feldman also serves on the NASP board of directors and executive committee. Feldman also serves on the executive and management committees of Cozen O’Connor, such as chair of the national and international subrogation and recovery department and co-chair of its crisis response and management group. He has authored several articles and reference materials, which appeared in legal, insurance and business publications. In addition, he is a frequent lecturer for insurance industry groups on a broad range of subrogation practice topics.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler has been re-elected to represent the western regional states on the executive committee of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. As chair of the NAIC’s Western Zone, Kreidler will represent 14 Western states, Guam and American Samoa. He was first appointed to fill an unexpired term in 2003, and has been re-elected twice, most recently at the NAIC’s annual winter meeting. The NAIC, the nation’s oldest association for state officials, is dedicated to consumer protection and the financial stability of the insurance industry.

Irvine, Calif.-based Risk Managers of California, LLC announced the appointment of a new chief operating officer. Chet Walczyk, a workers’ compensation insurance executive with more than 25 years of experience, will be responsible for all day-to-day operations and activities of CRM. Walczyk most recently served as senior vice president of risk management for CRM. Prior to joining CRM during its founding in 1999, he held several positions with many other insurance organizations.

Los Angeles-based Worldwide Facilities Inc. has hired Ronald S. Austin as senior vice president. Austin began his career with Aetna Casualty & Surety in 1979. Beginning in 1984, he spent 13 years with General Star before leaving as senior vice president, member of the board of directors and head of the primary casualty division. In 1997 he started Caliber One, an excess and surplus lines insurer, for PMA Capital Corporation, a publicly traded insurance holding company. He was president of Caliber One until its sale in 2002. Since then, he has been involved in the start up of a wholesale brokerage operation in Pennsylvania, the attempted formation of a new excess and surplus lines insurance company and, most recently, he has been an independent consultant in the specialty insurance arena.

Carlsbad, Calif.-based Salmen Insurance Services has promoted Hadley Wood to director of operations. He will be responsible for managing finances, acquiring new markets and overseeing marketing/operations. Wood previously served as assistant to the president.

London-based broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group has appointed Ken Carter as chairman. He has agreed to become executive chairman of the group for a period of up to two years, by the end of which time the group will appoint a new chief executive. Carter joined Jardine Lloyd Thompson as chief executive in 1986. He continued as chief executive following the merger with JIB Group in February 1997 until January 2002, when he was appointed chairman. He is a director of the company’s French associate SIACI SA and a non-executive director of City North Group LLC. Carter replaces Steve McGill who recently resigned.

The board also appointed Geoffrey Howe, an independent non-executive director, as joint deputy chairman alongside Rodney Leach.