People and Places

Andrew J. Valdivia has been elected president of White & Co. Insurance Inc., of Santa Monica, Calif., and will be responsible for property and casualty sales, account development and account management.

Valdivia was formerly White’s executive vice president. He joined the firm in 1978, and worked with the late Ernie White, the agency’s founder, learning the insurance business. Valdivia has been president of IBA West, as well as president of the Independent Insurance Agent and Brokers Association of Los Angeles, president of the Independent Insurance Agent and Brokers Association of Santa Monica and is a distinguished past president of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica. He is currently the California State National representative for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association of America. Valdivia succeeds Dennis White, son of Ernie White, as president of the agency. White is now chief executive officer.

AFS/IBEX Financial Services Inc., Newport Beach, Calif., promoted three staff members from its western region. Jerry Frith was named vice president of operations. He was previously operations manager for the company in Dallas, and has 17 years of insurance premium finance experience.

Al Herrera was named assistant vice president. He joined the company in 1996 as an account manager in Southern California. He has 20 years of experience in the premium finance industry and 17 years with major insurance companies as an underwriter, supervisor and marketing representative.

Marissa Pabelico was named account manager for Northern California. She has 17 years of experience.

Elke Mazza joined the Baldwin Resource Group, Bellevue, Wash., as an insurance division manager in charge of personal insurance, small commercial accounts and small benefits accounts.

Mazza has worked in the insurance industry for more than 20 years, most recently as a customer service supervisor at PEMCO Insurance.

The Harry W. Gorst Co., Chatsworth, Calif., has named Scott Dahlgren director of marketing, a new position at the company. Dahlgren will visit with agents and brokers, represent the company at trade shows and events, and work with the company’s markets to maintain relationships. He also is working with the company’s management team and underwriters to create a business/marketing plan that will attract new agents while better and more efficiently servicing the current customer base.

Encino, Calif.-based NAS Insurance Services promoted Kim Nibbe as underwriter with responsibility for managed care, errors and omissions, directors and officers and employment practices liability insurance.

Los Angeles-based Worldwide Facilities Inc. hired several new property and casualty brokers for its offices in Los Angeles and Seattle.

Bob Markese joins as vice president in the Los Angeles office. He spent the past eight years with NeitClem Wholesale Insurance Brokerage building a production team, as well as relationships with agents and insurers.

Joining Markese as part of his team at Worldwide are Chris Santo and Andy Liu.

Erik Lindquist was named a broker in Worldwide’s Seattle office. He spent nearly the past five years with National Specialty Underwriters Inc. in Bellevue, Wash., where he was responsible for producing and managing hotel, resort and casino business from retailers throughout the country for inclusion in National Specialty’s risk purchasing group programs.

Integro hired Anne P. Giannini as principal for its San Francisco office. Giannini has more than 15 years of experience in casualty brokerage, focusing on retail, manufacturing, and professional liability risks. She comes to Integro from Marsh, where she most recently served as vice president of casualty risk management.

Union Bank of California North America, based in San Francisco, named Michael A. Janes CEO of its insurance subsidiary, UnionBanc Insurance Services Inc. Janes joins the agency from Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs Co. where he was regional director of its West Coast operations.

UnionBanc Insurance Services Inc. also has consolidated its insurance operation under the UnionBanc Insurance Services umbrella. The new agency will be co-branded with the three original agencies of Armstong/Robitaille Business and Insurance Services, John Burnham Insurance and Tanner Insurance Brokers for the foreseeable future. The insurance operation currently has nine offices located in San Diego, Irvine, Fullerton, Glendale, Pleasanton, San Rafael, Stockton, Sacramento, Calif., and in Portland, Ore.

Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Co. has appointed William (Bill) Creedon west regional director. Creedon will replace Michael Janes.

Creedon was named president of HRH’s Denver office in 2002, shortly after his former company, Hobbs Group, was acquired by HRH. Prior to that acquisition, he worked as regional executive vice president during his six-year tenure with Hobbs Group’s Colorado office, which operated under the name The Linden Co.

Bermuda-based United America Indemnity Ltd. appointed Robert Cohen president and CEO of its subsidiary, Penn Independent Corp. Cohen has been acting president and CEO since November 2005. From 1992, he was a senior vice president for United National Group and, from 1971, he held various management positions at Delaware Valley Underwriting Agency Inc., both subsidiaries of the company.

Los Angeles-based GNW-Evergreen Insurance Services LLC named Andrew Forchelli executive vice president and chief operating officer. Forchelli will be responsible for internal agency operations, carrier relationships, sales and organizational development, client relationships, marketing and finance. He joins GNW-Evergreen after six years with The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies in Los Angeles, where he was assistant vice president/regional underwriting manager.

Topics California