People – West

Edgewood Partners Insurance Center has added Andrea Levin as a vice president in its Petaluma, Calif., office.

Levin will report to Mike Ryan, property/casualty practice principal in the North Bay. Her responsibilities will include acquiring clients, growing accounts and overseeing the insurance and risk management programs of current clients.

Levin has 24 years of experience. Prior to EPIC, Levin spent more than nine years as an underwriting director with CNA Insurance.

Before CNA, Levin was a vice president in the FINPRO division of Marsh Inc.

EPIC has California offices in Los Angeles, Irvine, Inland Empire, Fresno, Folsom, San Francisco, San Mateo, Petaluma and San Ramon, as well as offices in Atlanta, Ga., Boston, Mass., Chicago, Ill., Denver, Colo., and New York.

Novato, Calif.-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. named Matt Hunter as national loss prevention leader.

Hunter will be based in Southern California and will be a part of the risk services and solutions team focusing on the development and deployment of loss prevention programs nationally that support the high net worth personal insurance business.

He has more than 24 years of experience, with expertise in high net worth loss prevention, including water mitigation. He most recently worked as a loss prevention technical specialist at AIG Private Client Group. Prior to that, he held various claims and risk management roles at AIG, Travelers and Nationwide.

Fireman’s Fund is a member of the Allianz Group.

Farmers Insurance has named Thomas White president of Farmers’ non-insurance businesses.

This is a newly created position. White will oversee Farmers non-insurance businesses, including Farmers Financial Solutions and Kraft Lake, as well as the development of future new business opportunities.

White will report to Farmers Chief Executive Officer Jeff Dailey.

White has more than 30 years of experience, serving most recently as group head of human resources for Zurich. He also served as Zurich Japan’s chief executive officer and Farmers New World Life’s president and chief executive officer.

Prior to Zurich, White held a variety of senior positions with AIA, Prudential and AIG.

Los Angeles, Calif.-based Farmers Insurance Group of Cos. is an insurer of automobiles, homes and small businesses.

Louis Castoria has been named partner and director of the West Coast professional liability practice group at Kaufman Dolowoich & Voluck.

Castoria will work out of the San Francisco, Calif., office.

His practice focuses on professional liability defense in the financial services sector representing securities brokers, lawyers, insurance agents and brokers, accountants, and financial planners; insurance coverage litigation; commercial litigation; insurance regulation; and reinsurance arbitration.

Castoria has 30 years of insurance industry experience. He was formerly a partner at Wilson Elser.

Karen K. Delaney has been named vice president and Southern California employee benefits market leader at Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

Delaney will work with the firm’s leadership and provide marketing solutions to clients.

Delaney has nearly 20 years of experience on the insurance carrier and brokerage side, with experience working for both private and public firms. Most recently she was a vice president and senior consultant at Lockton Cos.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff-Sawyer has offices throughout California, in Portland, Ore., and in Denver, Colo.

Burnham Benefits Insurance Services named Helen Vits a senior account executive in its Irvine, Calif., office.

Vits will consult with Burnham clients as they structure their employee benefit packages.

Vits’ career in employee benefits began at Baker, Thomsen Associates, which was acquired by Brown & Brown. Prior to her career in employee benefits, Vits worked in different accounting and advertising roles.

Irvine-based Burnham Benefits has offices in Orange County, the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara, as well as satellites in Oregon and the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Leavitt Pacific Insurance Brokers in San Jose, Calif., has hired Alex Miller as a safety specialist.

Miller will focus on assisting organizations develop effective loss prevention programs.

Prior to joining the agency, Miller conducted risk assessments for organizations. He began his safety career in 1992 as a safety specialist.

Leavitt Pacific Insurance Brokers is part of the Leavitt Group.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers has tapped Lawrence Thomas to join its Orange County, Calif., branch as assistant vice president.

Thomas will focus on building the nonprofit, entertainment and fashion apparel manufacturing specialties for Heffernan in Southern California.

Thomas has a background in business consulting, and he spent time working in major market development throughout Southern California.

Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Heffernan has California offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Los Angeles and Orange County, as well as in Portland, Ore., St. Louis, Mo., and New York, N.Y.

Topics California