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BMS, a reinsurance intermediary based in Philadelphia, has appointed James T. Buysse as chief executive officer of its North American operations, BMS Intermediaries Inc.
Buysse has 25 years of experience in the reinsurance industry. He began his reinsurance career at Towers Perrin Reinsurance in 1979. In 1993, he joined Greg Fester as president and CEO of U.S. operations. After Greg Fester was acquired by Benfield Ltd. in 1998, Buysse spent nine years in senior management positions. He left Benfield early in 2007 to form his own reinsurance intermediary, Buysse and Associates Inc.
Aon Corp. has named Andrew Appel as chief executive officer of Aon Re Global and chairman of Aon Consulting. Appel served previously as CEO of Aon Consulting. He replaces Ted T. Devine, who was recently appointed president of Aon Risk Services.
Aon Re Global has also appointed Robert J. Cooney as managing director of Aon Capital Markets and vice chairman of Aon Re Global in Bermuda. Cooney previously served as a director of Max Re from its formation in July 1999 and as president and CEO from September 1999 to October 2006. From 1987 to 1998 he held various senior management positions at XL Capital Ltd, including president and CEO of XL Insurance Ltd. and executive vice president of XL Capital Ltd.
Aon also announced the promotion of Kathryn Hayley, CEO of Aon Consulting U.S., and Baljit “Bal” Dail, global chief information officer of Aon Corp. and global chief administration officer of Aon Consulting, to the position of chief executive officer and co-head of Aon Consulting. Hayley and Dail will chair Aon Consulting’s executive global operating committee.
Crump Group Inc. of New Jersey has promoted John Jennings to president of its wholesale property and casualty insurance services division. Most recently, Jennings served as president of Tri-City Insurance Brokers and was a key member of the senior leadership team of the recently-merged commercial insurance operations of Crump Group Inc. Prior to joining Tri-City in 1993 Jennings held various positions in the retail insurance industry with Jardine and RBH, Inc. Jennings replaces Glenn Hargrove.
W. Russ Smith has been named president and chief executive officerof Tampa, Fla.-based Arbitration Forums Inc., succeeding D. Kay Smith, who served as AF’s president for 11 years. Smith, a veteran insurance professional, most recently served as vice president of claims for USAA where he oversaw policy and procedures for all claim functions. Arbitration Forums identifies itself as the largest arbitration service organization in the country, resolving more than 470,000 inter-insurance company disputes annually, with a claim value of over $2.2 billion.
Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty announced three staff changes at the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
McCarty appointed Rebecca McCarley deputy chief of staff; promoted Chris Bailey to acting director of governmental relations; and named Monte Stevens acting cabinet and legislative affairs coordinator.
McCarley comes to the OIR from her most recent position as the legislative affairs director with the Florida Department of Management Services, serving there from August 2005 to October 2007. McCarley held the same title from February 2004 to August 2005 with the Florida Department of Lottery.
McCarley will oversee the OIR’s market research and technology units, cabinet affairs, recruitment and safety and business development initiatives.
Bailey joined the OIRin June 2005 as the cabinet and legislative affairs liaison. Prior to that, he was the special assistant to the Education Commissioner at the Florida Department of Education from August 2004 to June 2005.
Stevens comes to the OIR from his most recent role as a senior legislative analyst in the Florida House of Representatives Majority Office, a position he held from January 2007 to November 2007. From September 2004 to January 2007, Stevens was the deputy director of legislative affairs at the Florida Department of Financial Services. And he served as the deputy director of legislative affairs for the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration from September 2003 to September 2004.
Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Burns & Wilcox has promoted Angela Bruce to underwriting manager at its Tampa, Fla., office. Bruce joined the company in 2006 as a commercial underwriter and has more than 25 years of underwriting experience. Bruce holds Associate in Underwriting and Associate in Risk Management designations and is certified in general insurance and casualty underwriting.
Farmers Insurance Group Inc. has named Denise Ruggiero vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs. Ruggiero served from 2003 to 2006 as managing attorney for State Farm in Sacramento, Cal., where she oversaw legislative, regulatory and initiative activity in California and 10 western states. Prior to that she was State Farm counsel for Texas.
Celia R. Brown has joined the executive management board at XL Capital Ltd. Brown currently serves as executive vice president and head of global human resources and corporate relations for XL, and oversees the company’s activities related to human resources, marketing, global communications, public relations and corporate social responsibility. She has served XL and its predecessor companies for nearly 20 years in numerous other capacities, including associate general counsel, corporate secretary and head of human resources for NAC Re Corp. and chief administrative officer for XL America.
ACE Ltd. has appointed Carl Faulkner as its European e-commerce manager. Faulkner will oversee developing the distribution of ACE’s products both through its own online system, ACE Online, and strategic alliances. Before joining ACE in 2006 as e-commerce manger for Continental Europe, he developed e-commerce offerings for a number of companies including Allianz Group and Egg.
Marsh has appointed David Barr as a managing consultant in its UK environmental practice. He joins Marsh’s London office from Willis, where he headed its UK environmental team. Barr is a geologist and hydrogeologist with 17 years of experience in environmental insurance.