People

Richmond, Va.-based insurance broker Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Co. promoted F. Michael Crowley to president and chief operating officer.

As president, Crowley has been responsible for HRH’s retail operations. In the expanded role, he will be responsible for sales and operational leadership, including the company’s international and wholesale operations.

Crowley has been president of HRH since September 2005. He joined the company in 2004 as executive vice president, national director of property and casualty. Prior to that, he was president and chief operating officer of Palmer & Cay Inc.

Thomas F. Motamed is chairman and CEO of CNA Financial Corp. Previously, Motamed was vice chairman and chief operating officer for The Chubb Corp., where he spent 31 years, beginning in 1977 as a claims trainee. He held numerous positions in the field and home office.

Venbrook Insurance Services hired Dick Riddle as vice president of brokerage services. He will oversee commercial insurance sales in the Northeast, as well as regional recruiting and acquisitions.

Based in Pennsylvania, Riddle brings more than 20 years experience in the industry, having worked for both insurance companies and brokers.

Venbrook also hired Julie Bradt as an account executive, responsible for production of property and casualty insurance throughout Southern California. She will be working in the Woodland Hills, Calif., office. Bradt brings three years of insurance sales experience, most recently selling business insurance products for a direct writer.

Pacific Interstate Insurance Brokers, a marketing organization consisting of 60 independent agencies throughout California, selected Kirby Wells as its agent of the year for 2007 to 2008.Wells is president of Cordova Insurance Center Inc., DBA Independent Solutions United.

Wells has provided portfolio risk management for commercial and personal clients since 1981.

IBA (Insurance Brokers and Agents) of San Fernando Valley, Calif., named Dawn Abasta president of the association for 2008.

Abasta, who works for Santa Clarita, Calif.-based L/B/W Insurance & Financial Services, started in the industry in 1991. In 1994, she joined L/B/W Insurance & Financial Services as a receptionist. She eventually earned her insurance license and was promoted to commercial lines assistant. She is currently an account executive pursuing her certified risk manager designation. She joined the San Fernando Valley chapter of the IBA in 2003.

The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI) named Robert Gordon senior vice president of policy development and research.

Gordon most recently served as the parliamentarian, senior counsel, ethics compliance officer for the Committee on Financial Services in the U.S. House of Representatives. Through his work, Gordon provided strategic counsel on the Non-admitted and Reinsurance Reform Act, the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act, the State Modernization and Regulatory Transparency Act, and the Risk Retention Act. In addition, he contributed to policy issues such as data security, privacy, liability reform and the Fair Credit Reporting Act amendments.

While with the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Gordon developed and negotiated legislation on issues including banking, health care, consumer safety and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act.

The Mt. Diablo, Calif., Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society elected its 2008-2009 officers and directors. The new leaders include: President Bob Pick of CSE Insurance Group; President-Elect Darcy Shears of UnionBanc; Vice-President Renee Rupe of CSE Insurance Group; Treasurer Harry Lindstrom of Safeco Insurance Co.; Secretary Gary Duckworth of Stanley M. Davis; Director Bob Lewis; Director Kendra McKeen of Liberty Agency Underwriters; Director Wendy Pike of Farmers Insurance Group; Ex-Officio Dean Seiji of Dealey, Renton & Associates; and Webmaster Stefanie Nardelli of Dealey, Renton & Associates.

Chicago-based Hub International Ltd. named Tom Hartley Hub International Arizona president.

Richard Milne, the former HUB Arizona president, was named chairman of Hub Arizona and will be responsible for strategic merger and acquisition activity, as well as managing key client and partner relationships. Milne and Hartley will report to Roy Taylor, president of Hub International’s West Region.

Based in Phoenix, Hub International Arizona has 85 employees at offices in Phoenix and Prescott Valley. As president, Hartley is responsible for providing leadership in client service and development for HUB Arizona’s team of employee benefits, business insurance and personal insurance professionals.

Hartley has 31 years of brokerage experience. He is also an adjunct professor in risk and insurance at the Arizona State University School of Business’ Finance Department.

The Chubb Corp. made four executives appointments:

John J. Degnan is vice chairman and chief operating officer. Degnan, a former attorney general of New Jersey who joined Chubb nearly 18 years ago, was previously vice chairman and chief administrative officer.

Paul J. Krump is executive vice president and chief underwriting officer, responsible for commercial insurance, personal insurance, specialty insurance and surety. Krump, who joined Chubb 25 years ago, previously headed commercial insurance.

Harold L. Morrison Jr., a 23-year Chubb veteran, is executive vice president and chief global field officer, in charge of the company’s U.S. and international field operations, comprised of 120 offices in 28 countries. Morrison was previously in charge of U.S. field operations.

Dino E. Robusto is executive vice president and chief administrative officer, in charge of claims, information technology, human resources, communications, administrative services and external affairs. Robusto joined Chubb 21 years ago and most recently headed the company’s worldwide claims operations.

American International Group Inc. named several executives to its new AIG Commercial Insurance Group, formerly known as the Domestic Brokerage Group. AIG Commercial Insurance is part of the newly created AIG Property Casualty.

Michael W. Smith is president of AIG Executive Liability, reporting to John Q. Doyle, executive vice president of the AIG Property Casualty Group and president of AIG Commercial Insurance Group.

Louis P. Iglesias is chairman and CEO of AIG Risk Management Group. Under Iglesias, AIG Risk Management Group will include AIG Specialty Workers’ Compensation, which serves small- and mid-market size businesses and was formerly a division of AIGs American Home Assurance Co. Iglesias has served in senior level positions within AIG Risk Management, including executive vice president and chief operating officer. He also was senior vice president of National Accounts for AIG’s Domestic Brokerage Group.

Russell Johnston is president of AIG Risk Management, and will continue to report to Iglesias. Since 1990, Johnston has held increasingly senior positions in AIG Risk management, including division president of National Accounts and president of Domestic Risk Management.

Douglas M. Worman, domestic brokerage group zonal executive for the Greater New York Region, is president of the newly named AIG Excess Casualty Group, combining the existing operations of AIG Excess Casualty, which provides commercial umbrella and excess casualty liability insurance, and AIG Warranty. He also will report to Doyle. Prior to his assignment in the New York Region, Worman held underwriting and management positions in AIG Executive Liability.

John O’Brien, chief operating officer and executive vice president of AIG Environmental, is president of AIG Environmental. O’Brien will continue to report to Joseph Boren, chairman and CEO of AIG Environmental. O’Brien joined the AIG companies in 1992 and has served as executive vice president and senior vice president of AIG Environmental’s commercial and middle market divisions.

Susan M. Clarke is executive vice president and chief operating officer of AIG Domestic Accident & Health, reporting to Steve Gold, president and CEO of AIG Domestic Accident & Health. Clarke joined the companies in 1996. She served in underwriting and management positions in American International Underwriters and AI Life.

Liberty International Underwriters, a part of Liberty Mutual Group, appointed executives in Los Angeles and New York.

Reed Henderson is an underwriting manager for Management Liability business out of LIU’s Los Angeles office, with a focus on private equity and directors and officers insurance. Henderson moved to Los Angeles from LIU’s San Francisco office, and prior to that worked at Marsh Inc.

Four executives joined LIU’s U.S. headquarters in New York. Bob Erb is executive general adjuster for Energy and Construction Claims with responsibility for managing large or complicated claims for the North America region and overseeing supervision and training for junior claim managers. Before coming to LIU, Erb spent more than 30 years with Factory Mutual.

Joe Hobbs is a senior vice president and director of compliance for LIU’s operations in the United States and Latin America. Hobbs held compliance positions with AIG and Chubb before joining LIU.

Melissa Mattioli leads the recently established employment practices liability team as vice president. Mattioli has written EPL business for more than a decade and was most recently with Zurich.

Susan Klein is a senior underwriter on the EPL team. Prior to joining LIU, Klein was an underwriter at Zurich.

W.R. Berkley Corp. named William M. Rohde Jr. president of Acadia Insurance Co., succeeding Bill Thornton, who now is chairman of Berkley Regional Specialty Insurance Co. Walter E. Stradley remains president of Berkley Regional Specialty.

Acadia, based in Westbrook, Maine, is a commercial property and casualty insurer in the Northeast. Berkley Regional Specialty of Scottsdale, Ariz., provides specialty insurance products to independent agencies that are associated with member companies of W.R. Berkley Corp.’s regional segment.

Rohde comes to Acadia with 23 years of experience in P/C. He recently was a senior vice president at St. Paul Travelers, where he was employed for the past 21 years.

Thornton joined W.R. Berkley Corp. in 1990 and has been president of Acadia since 2000. Previously, he was president of Union Standard Insurance Co., another W.R. Berkley Corp.-member company. He has 38 years of industry experience.

Topics USA Agencies New York Excess Surplus Underwriting Property Pollution Property Casualty Human Resources AIG Casualty Risk Management Chubb Arizona