People

Chris Hughes, with Swingle, Collins & Associates, is the new president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas. Swingle Collins reported that Hughes joins officer ranks with firm president, Frank Swingle, whose term as president-elect of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas began on Sept. 1, 2006.

In addition to his current role as IIAD president, Hughes previously held the position of secretary/treasurer and has served on the board of directors. He is also an active member of the IIAT and has sat on many of the organization’s committees.

Dallas, Texas-based Capstone Underwriters Inc. promoted Ardis Good to underwriting manager. Good has been a senior underwriter and broker with Capstone for nine years. She brings to her new position twenty years of underwriting experience at all levels of the industry.

Capstone also announced that Laura Kenebrew has joined the firm as an underwriter and broker. Kenebrew adds her 16 years of underwriting and management experience in the Texas property/casualty industry to the Capstone team.

Addison, Texas-based Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc. announced that Kevin Callahan has been appointed chief executive officer.

Callahan joined Affirmative as chairman of its board of directors in November 2005 and has been serving as the company’s interim CEO since that time.

He previously was CEO of Allianz Global Risks US Insurance Co. from 2002 to 2004. Additionally, he has served as CEO of Aon Capital Markets and was employed by Goldman Sachs from 1985 to 1996. In February 2005, Callahan was appointed to the board of directors of Corus Bankshares and also serves on the Board’s Audit Committee.

Affirmative Insurance is a non-standard automobile insurance agency and carrier operating in 12 states, including Texas, Illinois, California and Florida.

Former Texas Secretary of State and Commissioner of Insurance Elton Bomer has been named president of four insurance companies: American Reserve Life Insurance Co., Liberty Bankers Life Insurance Co., Mid-Continent Preferred Life Insurance Co. and Winnfield Life Insurance Co. The companies are part of the Dallas-based Heritage Guaranty Holdings Group.

Bomer joins the companies after spending the last two years as a business and governmental affairs consultant in the Austin office of the Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP law firm.

Burns & Wilcox, the Farmington Hills, Mich.-based national specialty insurance wholesaler, has added Krista Winn in the company’s Dallas office in the position of transportation assistant.

Winn has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, with particular expertise in production and sales. She currently works in new business production and servicing. Winn specializes in auto liability, physical liability, garage liability and open lot dealers.

Tom Rodell, resident managing director of Aon Risk Services of San Francisco, has been named the 2007 chairman of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, the first person to serve twice in the key leadership position. Rodell succeeds Charles R. Daniels III, executive vice president of Rose and Kiernan Inc., of East Greenbush, N.Y.

Rodell, who has spent more than 30 years in risk management, was chairman of The Council in 2001. The terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, affected Aon, which lost a number of employees working at its offices at the World Trade Center. As chairman of The Council, Rodell will lead a committee of officers that includes Vice Chairman George A. Steadman, president and chief operating officer of Rutherfoord of Roanoke, Va.; Treasurer Markham McKnight, executive vice president and director of BancorpSouth Insurance Services Inc., Baton Rouge, La.; and Secretary H. Wade Reece, president of BB&T Insurance Services of Raleigh, N.C.

Liberty Mutual named Melissa A. LeRoy as regional vice president and managing director for its Major Accounts Division, which serves companies with annual cost of risk of $25 million or more.

Based in Chicago, LeRoy leads the division’s sales and customer service efforts, managing eight account executives spread across the country. She has 16 years of experience in the insurance industry. Most recently, she served as vice president of sales for Specialty Risk Services.

OneBeacon Insurance Group appointed Paul DiFrancesco as president of its AutoOne Insurance subsidiary, effective Jan. 1, 2007. He succeeds Carey Benson, president and chief executive officer, who is retiring at year-end but will remain associated with the White Mountains Group.

DiFrancesco joined AutoOne in June 2005 as senior vice president and chief operating officer. Benson has been with the company since its formation in October 2001. Prior to joining AutoOne, DiFrancesco spent 26 years in the insurance industry, most recently at St. Paul Travelers. He was also president of Mendota Insurance Co., St. Paul Travelers’ non-standard auto operation.

Benson, who was one of the founding employees of AutoOne, was appointed its president and CEO in May 2002. AutoOne provides Limited Assignment Distribution service to automobile insurance companies.

The Insurance Information Institute named Michael F. Barry as director of media relations. In this role, Barry will be developing strategic communications and will serve as a spokesperson for the institute. He will also provide insurance information to the media, member companies, regulators, legislators and the general public.

Barry joins the III from the New York State Insurance Department, where he served since 2004 as the agency’s director of public affairs.

Gramercy Insurance Co. reported that Antonio R. Barner has been named vice president of operations. The Texas domestic insurance company’s executive offices are located in Atlanta. Barner was selected to lead Gramercy’s operations as director in 2001.

Prior to joining Gramercy, Barner served as senior financial analyst for the Georgia insurance commissioner.

Topics Texas Agencies Underwriting Market