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Valiant Insurance Group Inc. announced that John N. DiBlanda has joined its U.S. property and casualty insurance operations as chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

Prior to joining Valiant, DiBlanda served as CFO of Delos Insurance, where he was instrumental in the growth of this newly formed specialty insurance carrier and in the formation of its new excess and surplus lines company, Naxos Insurance. In addition, he was a COO and Global CFO of Gallagher Re, Inc. He was a senior executive of John P. Woods Co. Inc., and was responsible for the sale of the company to Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. He also held senior positions at Centre Reinsurance Co. Prior to Centre Re, he was a senior manager at KPMG.

Valiant Insurance Group Inc. was formed in 2007 to provide specialty property and casualty insurance products and services to the U.S. agency and brokerage market. It is a subsidiary of Bermuda-based Ariel Holdings Ltd. Ariel Holdings Ltd. acquired Valiant from Zurich North America Commercial Group. Valiant Insurance Co. is licensed on an admitted basis in 47 states plus the District of Columbia.

New York-based Kinloch Holdings, Inc., an insurance brokerage holding company focusing on middle market clients, named Bob De Blasio to lead its Healthcare Industry Practice.

Prior to joining Kinloch, De Blasio was with Hilb Rogal & Hobbs, where he was responsible for the broker’s nationwide healthcare industry specialty practice. Before HRH, he was at Marsh & McLennan.

South Carolina regional brokerage and consulting firm, Upstate-based Rosenfeld Einstein, added Jay Terry as commercial account executive.

Terry joins Rosenfeld Einstein after running his own insurance firm in Charleston, S.C., where he previously worked with Palmer & Cay Insurance.

Burns & Wilcox recently announced that Steve Liverance has joined the company as director of talent acquisition. Liverance is responsible for implementing a company-wide recruiting strategy. He also is responsible for candidate sourcing, assessment and selection as well as the on-boarding process and new employee orientation for the company’s 36 offices.

Previously, Liverance was director of recruiting at EDS in Troy, Mich. He spent 18 years at EDS in positions including regional recruiting director, regional campus relations manager and senior recruiter. He also participated in EDS’ global executive management succession planning initiative.

Hiscox launched its U.S.-based Hiscox Global Markets, a division that underwrites internationally traded business via the Lloyd’s insurance market, and specialist retail business around the world.

“The United States already delivers over 40 percent of the premium income for the Hiscox Group mainly through our Lloyd’s business. The launch of Hiscox Global Markets in the United States underpins our desire to expand our footprint in the U.S. market,” said Neil Bolton, president, Hiscox Global Markets in the U.S.

Hiscox’s U.S. Global Markets team includes:

Neil Bolton is president of Hiscox Global Markets in the U.S. Since joining Hiscox in 1994 he has underwritten professional indemnity business for both Hiscox and the Lloyd’s Syndicate. He specializes in professional indemnity for the technology media and telecoms industries and is now responsible for the Technology Media & Telecommunications Division for Global Markets. Prior to joining Hiscox, Bolton worked for Sedgwick Group, the Lloyd’s broker, where he completed a graduate training course and specialized in professional indemnity.

Carl Bach is business development director for Hiscox Global Markets. Bach works with U.S. brokers to help them access Hiscox Global Markets at Lloyd’s. He joined Hiscox in May 2007 from ACE where he served as president of the UK and Ireland operations and was latterly the executive vice president, Global Solutions. In this role, he provided products and services to U.S.-based multinational companies. He was also responsible for ACE’s Foreign Casualty Division.

The U.S. Global Markets team will begin providing insurance coverage via its teams in Manhattan and San Francisco. It will begin by offering media liability, technology errors and omissions and privacy protection.

Commonwealth Underwriters Ltd., a regional excess and surplus lines broker based in Richmond, Va., has appointed G. Stephen Allen as vice president of North Carolina operations, based in Raleigh.

Prior to joining Commonwealth, Allen was executive vice president of DVUA Inc., and the COO for Burns and Wilcox Ltd. He also served as president of the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association.

Integro Insurance Brokers, an international insurance brokerage and risk management firm, named Porter T. Hale senior associate of its Atlanta office.

Immediately prior to joining Integro, Hale was CEO of CRES and Safe Harbor Holdings, real estate investment companies he founded in 2004. He has 17 years experience in risk management at several Georgia firms.

Brightway Insurance’s plan to have 150 offices in Florida by 2010 continued as the company named Blake Hayward territory owner. Hayward, currently an associate agency owner of the Tallahassee office, will oversee the panhandle territory, which includes the Leon, Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson, Madison, Taylor, Hamilton, Suwannee, Lafayette, Dixie, Gilchrist and Levy counties. This territory will combine the existing office with 14 new locations over the next three years.

As a territory owner, Blake will be responsible for recruiting new agency owners, conducting training and participating in the service for the territory.

RLI Corp. recently announced the addition of Brian Flynn as vice president, Miscellaneous Professional Liability for its Executive Products Group. Flynn will be responsible for the underwriting and management of EPG’s MPL business on a nationwide basis. Flynn comes to RLI EPG from Ace Insurance Group. Flynn will be based in Summit, N.J.