People

Mark Allen and Christy Davies-Downing have joined the Wichita, Kan., office of insurance broker IMA Inc. as sales executives.

Allen has extensive sales experience as an entrepreneur and in other industries, including technology. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Friends University in Wichita.

Davies-Downing, a University of Kansas graduate, brings automotive industry experience in sales and client relationship management.

IMA Inc. has offices in Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, Topeka and Wichita

Chicago-based Navigant Consulting Inc., which provides dispute, investigative, operational, risk management and financial advisory services, announced that K. Scott Van Meter has joined its Houston office as a managing director in the Disputes & Investigations practice.

Van Meter has more than 25 years of diverse professional experience in forensic and investigative accounting and litigation consulting. He has managed consulting engagements and testified as an expert witness in complex commercial litigation cases related to accounting and auditing malpractice and economic damages, and in bankruptcy matters, including valuation, avoidance matters, contested confirmations and claims litigation.

Van Meter was the founder and managing partner of Van Meter & Associates LLP, a litigation and financial consulting firm. Most recently, he served as managing director for an international expert services and consulting firm. He has also practiced law, including work in corporate restructuring and commercial litigation.

Lockton Re appointed three new executives: Larry Hunter-Blank, Joe Zuk and Scott D. Polkinghorne at its offices in New York and Kansas City.

Hunter-Blank joins Lockton Re as an executive director working from the company’s Kansas City headquarters, where he will primarily focus his efforts on Midwestern regional and specialty insurers.

Hunter-Blank comes to Lockton Re after three years at Swiss Re, and 17 years at GE Insurance Solutions and Employers Reinsurance. During his tenure at ERC, Hunter-Blank served in a variety of positions including property treaty underwriter, account executive in its Chicago office, Property and Casualty Reinsurance Marketing manager and Specialty Segment manager.

Polkinghorne joins as executive director and Zuk as senior account executive in Lockton Re’s New York office, where they will work closely with Lockton Re’s U.S. reinsurance executive John Daum.

Polkinghorne has 30 years’ experience as an insurance/reinsurance executive having worked in the US, London and Australian marketplaces. Prior to joining Lockton Re, he was responsible for the establishment of JLT Re’s North American property reinsurance business. Before that he headed Benfield’s North American facultative reinsurance business.

Zuk will work to develop new business and assist in the placement of the firm’s existing reinsurance book. Zuk joins from Paris Re bringing underwriting knowledge and brokering experience in areas including medical malpractice, professional liability, specialty casualty, Florida property catastrophe, specialty property, workers’ compensation, MGA programs and industry loss warranties.

Willis North America (WNA), a unit of Willis Group Holdings, named Alastair Swift to its senior management team as chief placement officer. Swift will relocate from London to New York.

In his new role, Swift will lead a team of placement officers across North America. He will direct the overall vision for WNA placement strategy.

Swift has been at Willis since its merger with Hilb Rogal and Hobbs in October 2008, most recently holding the position of managing director, WNA London Property, where he was charged with leading the combined London Market Property team of WNA London and Bermuda. Before joining Willis, he was with BSK, a London market property broker.