View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/magazines/mag-people/2007/06/04/81269.htm
Emeryville, Calif.-based Commodore Insurance Services Inc. appointed Mark Cravens president. Cravens was recently with Wellington Underwriting, which was acquired by Catlin, where he led development of catastrophe modeling and risk assessment practices and resources, and also advanced underwriting support and strategic development for U.S. operations.
Capax-Giddings, Corby, Hynes Inc., a Modesto, Calif.-based insurance agency, elected Jon T. (Tim) Finster president. Finster joined Capax in September 2004 as executive vice president. Prior to joining Capax, he was senior vice president, operations, with Pan American Underwriters Inc.
Patricia Smith joined InsurBanc, a financial services provider for independent insurance agencies, as vice president of sales and business development. She has more than 17 years of banking experience, most recently with GMAC as a business development officer.
New York-based Kinloch Holdings Inc., a brokerage holding company, named Thomas E. O’Neil executive vice-president. Previously, he was chief operating officer of USI Holdings.
Jody Hogan was promoted to claims manager for the California State Compensation Insurance Fund’s San Diego District office. She started her State Fund career in 1989 when she was hired as a loss control consultant for the organization’s San Diego district office. Since then, she has held the positions of ergonomic consultant assignment for safety and health service, sales manager of the San Diego district office, loss control manager for the district and district office assistant claims manager.
Also, Darlyn Regan was promoted to program manager of SCIF’s Fraud Investigation Program. Regan began her State Fund career as a claims adjuster for the organization’s Santa Ana, Calif., district office in 1988. She joined sales in 1991, and later was tapped to head the Corporate Underwriting Special Risk Unit.
Brian Watson was promoted to program manager for the Sacramento Group Program. He will be responsible for two of State Fund’s largest clients — the California Farm Bureau Federation and Golden State Builders Exchanges. He started his State Fund career as a claims adjuster for the Sacramento District Office in 1986. His most recent assignment was as Farm Bureau coordinator.
Mary Ann Slivinski was promoted to medical operations manager for the Claims Rehabilitation Department. Slivinski began her State Fund career in 1985 as a claims adjuster for the organization’s Ventura District Office. Her most recent assignment was as assistant risk manager.
Bill Van Horn was promoted to assistant chief counsel for legal operations in Glendale, Bakersfield, Oxnard and Special Litigation Unit. Van Horn began his State Fund career in 1990 as a staff counsel A in the organization’s San Bernardino District Office Legal Department. His legal expertise has been sought after as a speaker in a number of workers’ compensation and fraud training seminars.
The Bermuda Monetary Authority, which regulates the island’s insurance industry, appointed Matthew Elderfield CEO. He brings 20 years of experience in international financial services regulation. Elderfield takes over from current CEO Cheryl-Ann Lister, on July 16. She will remain with the organization until August 17.
Elderfield has been head of department, Major Retail Groups Division within U.K. financial services regulator Financial Services Authority since Dec. 2004.
Marsh UK promoted Colin Grint to head of U.K. operations. He will be based in Marsh’s Norwich office and will assist U.K. client/broker support and documentation, claims and fiduciary leaders in driving best practice improvements and identifying operational objectives to ensure consistency across the country. Grint joined Marsh in 1991, spending his first eight years within the global property and casualty business. In 1999, he moved to FINPRO, Marsh’s financial and professional lines business, where he majored on building middle market placement operations for international clients
Bermuda-based Aspen Insurance Holdings Ltd. appointed Matthew Yeldham head of international insurance, a new role within the company. He assumes responsibility for all specialty and insurance products sold outside the United States. Previously, he was deputy chief underwriting officer for the Lloyd’s business at Catlin, a position he assumed when Wellington Underwriting plc was acquired by Catlin in 2006.
Additionally, Nathan Warde was named president of Aspen Insurance U.S. He assumes responsibility for Aspen’s insurance operations in the United States and the strategic development of Aspen’s excess and surplus lines business. Warde joins Aspen from Arch Capital Group Ltd., where he was executive vice president, worldwide property.
Charles Waddington joined Integro Ltd.’s recently formed insurance and reinsurance business unit based in London, together with Julian Samengo-Turner, Ron Whyte and Marcus Hopkins. Waddington will manage the Casualty Practice of the new unit. He joins Integro from Guy Carpenter Facultative, where for the past five years, he was managing director and head of its worldwide casualty division.
Aon Re Global appointed Mike Reynolds chief financial officer, replacing former CFO Jack Roby, who passed away in March. Reynolds has served as interim CFO for Aon Re Global since late 2006. He will continue to serve as chief financial officer of Aon Re Global – U.K., based in London.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., the parent company of insurance broker Marsh, appointed Christine Walton vice president of public relations. Walton will direct MMC’s global communications strategy. Prior to joining MMC, Walton worked at UBS AG.
Steven Haasz is joining Prudential UK as managing director – wholesale for the UK in July. Currently, he is Lloyd’s director of market infrastructure and program management.
Managing general agent and program manager First Capital-AWIS LLC named two new underwriters.
Gerald McCabe is senior underwriter for the firm’s commercial contractors facility in Naperville, Ill., where he will work to expand the firm’s producer base in the Midwest. He was previously with Kemper and Great American Insurance.
Walter Smart was named senior underwriter and will assist in underwriting First Capital’s commercial contractors’ program in the Northeast. He was previously with Empire Group.
First Capital has offices in Roslyn Heights, N.Y.; Naperville, Ill.; San Francisco and San Diego, Calif.
The independent, not-for-profit Workers Compensation Research Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass., named Suzanne M. Guyan director of membership. Guyan will have responsibility for building and maintaining relationships with public officials and WCRI stakeholders, and also will be responsible for growing and diversifying WCRI’s membership support.
Since 2006, Guyan has been principal of S M Guyan and Associates, a consulting service for employee benefits including workers’ compensation. She was also with Costco Wholesale, where she served in several director roles in workers’ compensation, employee disability benefits and legislative affairs regarding workers’ compensation.
The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) honored an agent leader for her legislative leadership 2006 at the Big “I” National Legislative Conference and Convention. Sharon Emek of CBS Coverage Group in New York was presented the Sidney O. Smith Award for her work in promoting the legislative goals of the Big “I”, including her efforts to extend the federal Terrorism Risk Insurance Act
Emek is the first woman to earn the Sidney O. Smith Award. She has testified in the debate over a terrorism insurance in her home state of New York and before Congress. She also has conducted media interviews to educate the public and lawmakers on the importance of terrorism coverage. In addition, Emek has been a supporter of Insurpac and Big “I” grassroots efforts.
Willis Group Holdings appointed Brendan McManus CEO of Willis UK & Ireland. He will take over from Allan Gribben who has been promoted to chief executive of Willis International, of which WUK&I forms a part.
McManus is set to join Willis in August 2007 from his post with Royal & SunAlliance, where he has worked for more than 20 years, most recently as managing director of R&SA’s broker business. He has held that role for the past three years.
Marsh made two senior appointments within its United Kingdom business. John Nicholson, who previously headed Marsh’s National business in the U.K., becomes the chief operating officer of Marsh UK, reporting to CEO Martin South
Chris Lay will assume responsibility for the national business, which provides risk management and insurance support to individuals, consumer groups and regionally based companies.
Denver-based Van Gilder named Craig J. Nelson senior vice president with a focus on risk management strategy and implementation, and Eileen Chen Munoz an account executive specializing in the oil and gas practice.
Nelson has more than 25 years experience in the industry. Munoz is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business.
Jason Monteforte joined Cypress Point-Arrowhead General Insurance Agency Inc. as vice president of marketing for its workers’ compensation program. Monteforte will be responsible for developing new producer relationships and expanding the worker’s compensation program in California. He has nine years of underwriting experience, the most recent six years as an insurance broker and internal marketing representative for a national brokerage in New York and California.
Topa Insurance Co. and Dorchester Insurance Co., Los Angeles, promoted Patrick Sessions to vice president of claims. Sessions joined Topa in Sept. 2003 as operations manager, claims. Most recently, he was assistant vice president, claims.
The company also named Daniel Sherrin senior vice president. Sherrin joined the company in July 1993, as controller and was promoted to vice president in 1997. Over the years, he has assumed responsibilities for Systems and Human Resources.
Aaron Woods joined Burns & Wilcox in the company’s Los Angeles office, which is located in Woodland Hills, Calif., as a personal lines underwriter/broker. Previously, Woods spent three years as a personal lines underwriter at Lexington Insurance Co. in Boston. He was responsible for the management of program administrators as well as keeping abreast of trends in the mid-Atlantic and New England territories.
Los Angeles-based Lemac & Associates named Tyie Moore an assistant vice president. She will be responsible for enhancing Lemac’s capabilities in professional liability, directors and officers, employment practices liability, and expanding its current client base. Before joining Lemac & Associates, Moore was at Swett & Crawford and Bliss & Glennon.
Seattle-based Safeco named David M. Monfried senior vice president of corporate communications. During the past year, Monfried has been a marketing and communications consultant for Safeco. Monfried most recently headed corporate communications for MetLife, in New York. In that role, he reorganized MetLife’s global communications, implemented the company’s worldwide brand management program, and led acquisition and merger communications.
Monfried also has served as vice president of corporate communications for The St. Paul Companies (now Travelers), managing the company’s internal and external communications programs.
Monfried replaces Laurie Johnson, who had been leading Safeco’s marketing and communications functions and was named vice president-online strategy. In her new role, Johnson will oversee the development of an online strategy and roadmap for the next generation of the company’s Web site.