People

Dallas-based LevelFirst has named Toni Campbell director of Marketing. Campbell will oversee all marketing efforts for the newly formed wholesale property and casualty insurance broker and MGA.

LevelFirst also introduced Laura Kenebrew and Nick Ricco as broker/underwriters. They join Jason Dalton, Chris Barnes and Donna Schoenemann, specializing in brokerage, and Scott Smith in binding authority.

Transportation specialist Barbara Klingman has joined the Dallas office of Swett & Crawford as an underwriter in the transportation practice group. She joins the firm from Deep South Surplus where she managed both new and renewal business.

Klingman began her career at Great American Insurance and moved to USF&G and The Home Insurance.

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner James J. Donelon has been elected president-elect of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The three other recently elected 2012 NAIC officers are: President Kevin M. McCarty, Florida Insurance Commissioner; Vice President Adam Hamm, North Dakota Insurance Commissioner; and Secretary-Treasurer Monica J. Lindeen, Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance.

Houston-based Helios Insurance Group, a specialty business insurance MGA, added John Oden as vice president. Additionally, Helios’ subsidiary Direct Event Insurance added David Carbrey as a protection advisor.

Oden is founder of Oden Consulting, a firm focused on facilitating middle market private equity and investment banking transactions. Oden facilitated transactions across a variety of industries, including technology, insurance, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, distressed lending, and real estate.

Carbrey has spent many years in the entertainment industry in a variety of roles. Carbrey is a musician and has served as an event coordinator and promoter for performers such as Tony Bennett and Slash.

American Contractors Insurance Group (ACIG), located in Dallas, named Michael J. O’Neill as its new CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2012. O’Neill will succeed William S. McIntyre in this role. McIntyre, who helped found the company in 1981, will continue to serve as chairman.

O’Neill has served as president of ACIG since December 2009 and will continue in that role in addition to that of CEO. O’Neill has been involved in construction insurance for more than 38 years. He joined ACIG in August 1984 and has been responsible for the overall operations of ACIG and its subsidiary companies.

The Navigators Group Inc. appointed Kevin P. Neumann as its Southwest regional vice president. Neumann will be located in Navigators’ Houston office and will lead the company’s direct insurance operations throughout the region.

He has 22 years of industry experience and was most recently vice president of Chartis Global Energy Casualty.

The Southwest region includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

Claims administration and risk management services provider York Risk Services Group has added Pat Mulcahy as vice president of sales for its South Central territory. Mulcahy will have responsibility for sales, marketing and business development activities for York’s risk management, alternative risk and public entity divisions in seven states. He is based in Dallas, Texas.

Mulcahy most recently served as director of sales for national accounts for a third party claims administrator in Texas.

As part of its expansion into Texas, Louisiana-based Regional Insurance Services Co. (RISCOM) has hired Claire Tabor as Texas business director. Headquartered in Shreveport, La., RISCOM is a commercial lines general agency specializing in auto, general liability, property, inland marine and umbrella/excess coverages. It is a full service agency with in-house underwriting authority, claims authority and policy administration. RISCOM represents A-rated domestic insurance carriers.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) presented Danny Saenz of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) with the Robert Dineen Award for his contributions to the state regulation of insurance. Saenz’ career spans 23 years; he currently serves as deputy commissioner of the financial services division at TDI.

Saenz has been a member of NAIC’s financial analysis working group since its inception. In addition, he serves as one of the primary contacts on AIG life insurance issues and as a resource to the federal government on state insurance matters. He also is co-chair of the group solvency issues working group.

The Robert Dineen Award was established in 1989 and is named for the founder of the NAIC’s Support and Services Office. It is the highest individual honor bestowed by the NAIC.

Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings plc the global insurance broker, announced new appointments to its construction practice.

Paul J. Becker has been appointed senior claims consultant of Willis’ strategic outcomes practice. He brings 30 years of claims and litigation experience to Willis. Previously, Becker served as a senior consultant at American Contractors Insurance Group. Becker is based in Dallas, Texas.

Joel Cannon has been appointed surety manager for Willis’ construction practice in the Gulf region. Cannon manages surety service teams in Birmingham, Mobile and New Orleans, while expanding Willis’ surety presence in Alabama. He brings more than 20 years of industry experience to the role and previously served as a contract surety underwriter at The Hartford. He is based in Birmingham, Ala.

Patrick Conroy has been appointed senior vice president, risk control, in the South region. He will provide critical safety and loss prevention services to Willis’ construction clients. Conroy brings more than 24 years of industry experience to the role. Previously, he served as program director for the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. He is based in New Orleans, La.

Topics Texas Claims Louisiana Construction