People

Liberty Northwest, a member of Liberty Mutual Group based in Portland, Ore., appointed Larry W. Becker president and chief operating officer. Becker most recently was executive vice president, sales and marketing for Liberty Northwest. He led Liberty Northwest’s agency expansion into Montana and the company’s re-entry into the agribusiness insurance market. He was formerly president and CEO of North Pacific Insurance Co. He joined Liberty Northwest in 2002 with its acquisition of North Pacific and served as executive vice president, property, auto, and liability operations.

Becker succeeds Matthew D. Nickerson, who was appointed senior vice president for Liberty Mutual Agency Markets.

Los Angeles-based Farmers Insurance Group of Companies announced a number of senior appointments.

Dave Dela Torre was appointed vice president of sales in the company’s home office. Also, Doug Menges was named senior vice president auto claims field operations, and Jeffry V. Reinig was named senior vice president, property product management.

Dela Torre joined Farmers in 1989. He moves to his new position from the state executive director of Nevada.

Menges began his career with Farmers in the Baltimore, Md., office in August 1997, as operations vice president for East Coast expansion. He has been serving as vice president of the auto claims field operations since Jan. 2003.

Reinig joined Farmers in August 1981 in the Merced, Calif., regional office as a property underwriter. He has been service as vice president underwriting since 2006.

F. Robert Woudstra, executive vice president, was appointed president and chief operating officer of Farmers Group Inc. In 1999, he was promoted to chief operating officer of Foremost Insurance Group, the position he held when Foremost was acquired by Farmers in March 2000. In 2005, he was elected to his recent position of executive vice president-Property and Casualty Operations.

Keitha T. Schofield, executive vice president for support services, was appointed president and chief operating officer of Farmers Services, a new support services entity. She also serves on the Farmers Group Inc. board of directors. Schofield joined Farmers in 1995 as senior vice president and chief information officer.

Jerry Carnahan, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of the Farmers Insurance Group, was appointed executive vice president and chief marketing officer. Carnahan joined Farmers in 1979 as a resident claims adjuster in Great Falls, Mont. He has been senior vice president and chief marketing officer since April 2005.

Kevin Kelso, senior vice president and president of personal lines, was appointed executive vice president personal lines. Kelso began his career with Farmers in July 1999 as vice president of personal lines research and development. He has been senior vice president in March 2003.

Bryan Murphy, senior vice president and chief claims officer, was appointed executive vice president claims. Murphy joined Farmers as senior vice president, property and casualty claims. Prior to joining Farmers, he served as head of worldwide claims for Zurich Financial Services.

Paul Patsis, senior vice president and president, Farmers Life was appointed executive vice president, Farmers Life. Patsis joined Farmers from Marketing One Inc., where he was chairman and CEO from 1989. Patsis also serves on the Board of Directors of Farmers Group Inc., and is a member of the Farmers Life Board of Directors.

Jim Daues was appointed senior vice president-property claims in the home office. Daues joined Farmers in Sept. 2000 as executive director-State Operations. In 2001, he was named vice president-property claims.

The Denver office of Crump Insurance Services Inc. named Chad Propst and Shannon Clements brokers.

Propst has seven years of experience in professional, property and casualty, as well as auto, cranes and aviation. He was most recently with ADCO General.

Clements has 20 years insurance industry experience, having spent more than 15 years at Zurich North America.

Craig Miner has joined the property/casualty team of Winn & Co. based in Hollister, Calif. His primary focus will be in sales and client retention. Prior to joining Winn, Miner worked at a regional brokerage firm headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., where he specialized in loss control and risk management needs for growers, packers, shippers and processors along California’s Central Coast.

Kathernine Schall was named a broker in the Sacramento, Calif., office of Burns & Wilcox, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich. Previously, Schall served as broker with Sacramento-based Colemont Insurance Brokers. She has more than 25 years experience.

Also, Cory Jenson was named transportation underwriter in the Salt Lake City office of Burns & Wilcox. Previously, he was transportation manager with Colonial General Insurance Agency in Salt Lake City.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers appointed Earl Butler senior vice president and branch manager of its Orange, Calif., office. In this role, he will be charged with new business development in Southern California as manager of the Orange operations. Butler joins Heffernan after an extensive career in insurance in Southern California, most recently at John Burnham Insurance Services.

Insurance broker Marsh Inc. appointed Rob McGinnis leader of its U.S. Consumer Business, which includes the U.S. operations of the firm’s Affinity, Program, and Private Client Services businesses. Previously, McGinnis was president and CEO, Life and Group Operations, for CNA Insurance.

Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, appointed Matthew D. Nickerson senior vice president and manager of personal lines. Nickerson will be responsible for personal lines management and development for seven agency markets’ regional companies. He is a Liberty Mutual veteran who most recently served as president and CEO of Liberty Northwest, based in Portland, Ore.

Topics California Agencies Claims Agribusiness Property Property Casualty