People

Zurich appointed Christopher Haarmann chief underwriting officer of its Specialties business unit. Haarmann will lead underwriting operations for Specialties products across the U.S. Haarmann brings 25 years of insurance industry experience to his new role. He joined Zurich in 1998 and has worked in a variety of senior roles, including starting Zurich’s Structured Solutions group and managing a key profit center for Zurich Programs. Most recently he served as senior vice president for Global Liability lines, where he was a member of the start-up management team that created Zurich’s Global Underwriting Technical Center.

Prior to joining Zurich, Haarmann held senior positions with Swiss Reinsurance, TIG Insurance, Continental Insurance and AIG, among others.

Zurich North America also named Kevin Whitehead to head its Excess Casualty unit. In this role, he will lead Excess Casualty operations across the United States, with oversight for 11 offices.Whitehead brings more than 20 years of insurance industry experience to his new role.

Prior to joining Zurich, he spent nine years with AIG Excess Casualty, most recently as executive vice president – national accounts, responsible for managing all aspects of the division and leading a nationwide team.Whitehead also spent two years in facultative reinsurance with CNA Reinsurance and 10 years with Chubb Insurance, primarily in excess casualty.

Zurich’s Excess Casualty unit provides a portfolio of products including lead umbrella, excess liability and ezumbrella.com, an online platform for agents serving small to mid-sized businesses.

Roger Morris has been named vice president and chief communications officer for the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). He will be responsible for communications, public affairs, marketing and membership. Morris is a veteran communications and marketing professional with extensive experience in the insurance and public utilities industries and as a broadcast journalist. He previously served in executive positions at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, the Alliance of American Insurers and CNA Insurance. Most recently he has been a senior communications and marketing consultant for numerous insurance organizations and private companies.

Tom Hughston, executive vice president of North Texas-based Roach Howard Smith & Barton (RHSB), has been named to the board of directors of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, a trade association representing domestic and international commercial insurance agents and brokers.

The Federation of Insurance Women of Texas (FIWT), celebrating 65 years in the Texas insurance industry, installed new officers at its recent annual convention.

Susan Tyner, Pulley Insurance, was elected FIWT president. Other elected officers include: President-Elect Teri Jones, UBI; Vice President Linda Saupp, Texas Specialty Underwriters; Recording Secretary Conya Harris, Johnston Fiss Insurance; and Corresponding Secretary Cindy Jordan, Barnard Insurance.

FIWT was founded on June 2, 1944, at the Hotel Adolphus in Dallas. Ruth A. Fredde, president of the Insurance Women of Dallas, was elected its first president.

John McBride has been appointed legislative affairs director for the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. McBride comes to the Office of Insurance Regulation from his most recent position as chief performance officer at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation where he was responsible for improving and measuring the agency’s performance and overall efficiency. McBride learned the legislative process while serving as a founder of LobbyTools, an online legislative information and news clipping service based in Tallahassee, Fla. In that role, Florida’s lobbyists relied on his ability to understand and track the legislative process. In 2004, McBride joined DBPR where he served as a legislative specialist researching and developing legislative strategies.

Tallahassee, Fla., native Alex Sink has been appointed Florida’s insurance consumer advocate. Shaw is an associate at Messer, Caparello & Self P.A. and most recently ran for the Florida House of Representatives, District 8. Previously, he served as a litigation/appellate associate at Akerman Senterfitt Law Firm.

Willis Group Holdings appointed Phillip Ellis leader of a new division focused on growing the company’s Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) business for Willis’ Global Retail and Specialty teams. He was most recently chairman of Willis Energy. Prior to joining Willis in 2006, Ellis served with the Boston Consulting Group as leader of the firm’s Oil and Gas Practice. Before that, he was with Booz Allen & Hamilton where he last headed up the firm’s Energy Practice for Europe and the Middle East.

Alistair Rivers, CEO of Willis Marine, will take on the role of CEO of Willis Energy, in addition to his current duties. Energy and Marine will remain separate businesses with separate executive teams, but they will share Rivers as a leader.

Valiant Insurance Group Inc. has named Ted Nienburg vice president for Casualty and Michael A. Vita as assistant vice president for Excess Casualty. Nienburg began his insurance career as a casualty underwriter and auto underwriter at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. Prior to joining Valiant, Nienburg was with Liberty International Underwriters. Vita also comes to Valiant from Liberty International Underwriters. Both will be located in New York City.