People

Michael “Mike” R. Donohoe of Mankato, Minn., was installed as vice chairman of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America at the association’s recent Leadership Conference in New Orleans, La.

Donohoe is an owner of and an independent agent with the James R. Weir Insurance Agency in Mankato.

Donohoe’s numerous contributions to the independent agency system have spanned several decades and include serving as president of the Minnesota Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers (MIIAB) and representing the North Star State on the Big “I” Board of Directors. He was twice named Minnesota “Young Agent of the Year” and was the 1994 “Minnesota Agent of the Year.”

At the national level, Donohoe was elected to the Big “I” Executive Committee in September 2006. He has been instrumental to the success of the Big “I” Virtual University and served as the chair of the VU Oversight Task Force from 2001 to 2006.

In 2005, Donohoe received the Woodworth Memorial, the highest honor that can be earned by a Big “I” member for outstanding service benefiting independent insurance agents and the entire insurance industry.

Unisource Program Administrators (UPA), a workers’ compensation wholesaler, has expanded services to all 50 states. In addition, the company named Barbara Drollinger, a 20-year workers’ compensation expert, vice president of strategic relations.

Drollinger previously served as vice president of insurance operations for CompSource Oklahoma. She launched the company’s agent program.

UPA is headquartered in Oklahoma City, with a processing office Sarasota, Fla.

Specialty lines underwriting manager and surplus lines wholesale broker U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. has named Jennifer Hixson a vice president and broker, and Mary Walker an associate broker.

Hixson has more than 20 years of insurance experience, with the last 10 years in the wholesale arena. She most recently was an assistant vice president at CRC working on casualty business.

Walker is responsible for growing and servicing a book of property, casualty and healthcare related business, as well as marketing new and renewal business. Most recently, Walker was a manager at American Insurance Group. She has more than 16 years’ experience in the insurance industry, and is currently pursuing her CIC designation.

U. S. Risk Insurance Group, based in Dallas, operates 12 domestic and international branches.

Commercial insurance brokerage and risk management consultancy Beecher Carlson has appointed Frank Dodero as managing director in Chicago, expanding the firm’s national healthcare practice.

Dodero brings more than 25 years of insurance and risk management experience to Beecher Carlson, with expertise and specialization in the healthcare industry. He will focus on the development and management of healthcare clients with particular emphasis on academic medical centers, large physician groups, healthcare captives, risk retention and risk purchasing groups.

Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Dodero served as senior vice president, managing director, Health Care Practice for Aon Risk Services Inc. Dodero also chaired Aon’s Healthcare Executive Management Committee.

Prior to joining Aon, Dodero was vice president, Regional Healthcare Practice leader for Alexander & Alexander.

Commercial insurer CNA Financial Corp. has named Michael McGraw as vice president of its Michigan branch. McGraw is responsible for synchronizing branch operations with CNA’s strategic goals, including increasing local authority at the point of sale and improving service to agents and brokers in this territory.

He comes to CNA with 30 years of insurance experience serving at Allstate Insurance Co. McGraw most recently served as director/senior state manager for Allstate’s Encompass business.

Global risk consulting firm Kroll has added Jeffrey H. Cramer, formerly assistant United States attorney and senior litigation counsel in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division, in its Business Intelligence and Investigations practice as a managing director and head of the practice’s Chicago office.

Cramer will supervise a wide variety of assignments throughout the Midwest and Texas including corporate investigations, fraud and detection, due diligence and regulatory issues.

Cramer comes to Kroll from the U.S. Attorney’s office, where he most recently served as senior litigation counsel. In this capacity, Cramer was responsible for trial strategy and jury arguments in all criminal trials. He investigated a broad range of cases including corporate fraud, organized crime, money laundering, RICO, foreign terrorist organizations, public corruption, securities fraud, and regulatory and export violations. Most notably, he was a member of the trial team that prosecuted fraudulent activity at Hollinger International leading to the conviction of Conrad Black, other top executives and a foreign corporation.

Cramer began his career as an assistant district attorney in New York City. In this role, he prosecuted federal and state trials, leading complex investigations into violent and white collar crimes including homicides, public corruption, fraud and money laundering. After his tenure in New York, Cramer worked for three years at a major international law firm where he gained experience in litigation and real estate.

Topics USA Fraud Agencies Minnesota