People

Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers Inc. has named Robert Mahl senior vice president of its property/casualty group in the firm’s Woodland Hills office.

Mahl was previously vice president of property/casualty insurance and apparel practice Leader for USI Insurance Services in Southern California.

Poms is a brokerage firm focusing on commercial insurance, employee benefits, corporate wellness, personal lines, and risk management and risk control.

San Jose, Calif.-based Thoits Insurance Service Inc. has named Bernie Tillotson senior vice president of employee benefits.

Tillotson has more than three decades of benefits and human resources expertise, with a career that began in human resources for corporations such as Ross Stores and Orchard Supply Hardware.

He specializes in self-funded health and welfare plans, including alternative funding arrangements.

Tillotson previously held senior management positions Arthur J. Gallagher, Andreini & Company and Alliant Resources Group.

United Fire & Casualty Co. has appointed Ed Sullivan West Coast regional manager for its office in Rocklin, Calif.

Sullivan will be responsible for the overall performance of the office. He has served in various capacities within the insurance industry, including past management positions in underwriting and marketing.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based United Fire is engaged in writing property and casualty insurance and life insurance and selling annuities. The company’s net premiums written totaled $453.4 million for the nine-month period ended Sept. 30, 2011, and its market capitalization was $451.1 million at Sept. 30, 2011.

Professional Program Insurance Brokerage of Novato, Calif. has hired Jay Striniste in the underwriting department.

Striniste will be a senior underwriter focusing on the growth and development of program business with a specialty in allied health, directors and officers and employment practices liability insurance. He has 16 years of experience within the underwriting and claims disciplines.

Striniste was most recently at Hiscox USA, where he had underwriting and business development responsibilities. Before that he worked for CNA. He started with American International Group. He also spent time with Fireman’s Fund and Travelers Insurance as a litigation manager.

Del Mar, Calif.-based Champion Risk & Insurance Services L.P., an affiliate of Wood, Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers, has hired Frank McDermott as a producer.

McDermott, a licensed CPA, who previously owned his own accounting firm, focuses on complex workers’ compensation risks as well as the construction industry.

Prior to Champion Risk, McDermott was a producer at Patriot Risk & Insurance Services.

Champion specializes in all lines of personal insurance, business insurance, life and health insurance and employee benefits.

Heffernan Financial Services, a division of Heffernan Insurance Brokers, has promoted Rebecca Tapia to education and communication specialist.

In Tapia’s new role, she will be working with retirement plan sponsors conducting client education and enrollment meetings, as well as meeting one-on-one with individual client/employee participants.

Heffernan advises individuals, corporations and endowments.

Topics Agencies Property Casualty