People

Cary Schneider, senior vice president of the Insurance Information Institute, was elected executive vice president by the organization’s board of directors. Schneider assumes responsibilities for directing the internal operations of the I.I.I. while continuing to manage Internet activities, provide support to state insurance associations and supervise the organization’s subscriber services division, an in-house public relations agency that provides communications services to other industry groups.

Following Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Schneider was part of the team that managed the first Hurricane Insurance Information Center, which served as a model for industry communications efforts in the aftermath of major disasters, including Hurricane Katrina.

Insurance broker Marsh Inc. appointed David J. Liston head of its New York office and Cindy Zemann as office head in Seattle.

Liston had been office head for Marsh in Seattle and leader of the firm’s Washington operations. He succeeds William E. Lyon, who was previously promoted to Northeast Zone Leader while simultaneously running its New York office. The appointment of Liston allows Lyon to focus all of his time on leading Marsh’s largest zone, according to the company.

Zemann, who succeeds Liston, has been with Marsh in Seattle for 21 years. Most recently, she was the firm’s West Zone Healthcare Practice Leader. Before joining Marsh, she was with Aetna Casualty and Surety.

OneBeacon Insurance Group named Joseph Caufield chief underwriting officer for its OneBeacon Government Risk Solutions business. Caufield is based in Pennsylvania.

Caufield comes to OneBeacon with 30 years in the property/casualty business, 20 years of which were focused on public entities businesses. Most recently, he was public entity program manager for Glatfelter Insurance Group, a privately owned insurance broker.

California’s Alliance of Insurance Agents and Brokers hired Mike D’Arelli as executive vice president. D’Arelli has several years of experience in the insurance industry and government affairs. He will run the association’s grassroots advocacy efforts, working with lobbyist, Kevin Pedrotti, and will develop other member benefit programs.

The Navigators Group Inc.’s principal underwriting agency subsidiary, Navigators Management Co., established a Specialty Program Division and named Rick Cullen president of the division. He will be based in the company’s Schaumburg, Ill., office. The division will underwrite products for niche markets including property, general liability and commercial automobile insurance. Cullen has been involved in specialty programs and products for more than 15 years.

San Antonio-based Argonaut Group Inc., a national underwriter of specialty property/casualty insurance products, appointed Ronald B. Given senior vice president and general counsel. Given succeeds Byron L. LeFlore Jr., who was appointed executive counsel.

Given will assume responsibility for operational and legal duties of the office of general counsel. LeFlore will provide counsel and oversight regarding the external and strategic affairs of the company, including its merger and acquisition activities.

Argonaut Group President and CEO Mark E. Watson III said the management changes are part to the company’s “transition from a national to an international specialty underwriter” through its pending merger with Bermuda-based PXRE.

Ace USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the Ace Group of Companies, named Brian Witzmann senior vice president and regional executive officer for its Northwest Region, and named Stephen Dennison client executive.

Based in San Francisco, Witzmann will be responsible for the strategic direction for Ace USA’s Northwest Region, which comprises northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Alaska. He also will oversee the regional production plan, distribution, product sales and marketing, producer management and general operations.

Witzmann joins ACE from American International Group, where he most recently was senior vice president and excess casualty-national real estate and financial institutions practice leader.

Dennison, who previously served as Northwest regional executive officer, joined Ace in 1993 and has 30 years of experience, including managing property and casualty insurance operations, and client relationships at the branch, regional and home office levels.

Atlanta-based broker Beecher Carlson appointed David Forsyth to lead the company’s Northern California operations. Forsyth will be based in San Francisco, which expands Beecher Carlson’s footprint in the state. The company’s current California offices are located in Los Angeles, Woodland Hills, Walnut Creek and Irvine.

Forsyth brings 23 years experience to Beecher Carlson. Most recently, he was senior managing director at Frank Crystal & Co.

Newark, Calif.-based Risk Management Solutions appointed Sandra Cruze vice president and lead of quality assurance. She will focus on software quality, streamlining processes and improving testing capabilities, and the total quality management process. Cruze has 20 years of experience in the field and joins RMS from Google, where she was engineering director of quality.

Arrowhead Wholesale Insurance Services, based in San Diego, hired Joshua Parrish as account executive for the Professional Liability Division. Parrish, who most recently headed the commercial department for a local retail brokerage, has been both a management liability underwriter with AIG and a directors and officers account manager for a large national agency. He will be responsible for brokering and marketing AWIS’ miscellaneous professional liability and agent’s errors and omissions coverages.