People – West

May 2, 2016

Phoenix, Ariz.-based CopperPoint Mutual Insurance Co. named Marc E. Schmittlein president and chief executive officer.

Schmittlein will replace President and CEO Donald A. Smith, Jr., who previously announced his plans to retire effective July 1 after 16 years as the company’s leader. Smith will continue to serve on CopperPoint’s board following his retirement.

Schmittlein has more than 30 years of experience, most recently with The Travelers Cos. as president of its cyber business division, and previously as co-president of business insurance. He was previously president and CEO of the small commercial division. He’s also been in commercial divisions of St. Paul Companies and Aetna.

CopperPoint is a provider of workers’ compensation insurance.

Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. announced leadership changes in its Portland, Ore., office.

Mike Bennison will transition his office leadership role to Brett Bauer and Kathy Prosser, who together will co-lead the office.

Bauer will be the Oregon practice leader. Prosser becomes the Northwest benefits practice leader following various senior leadership positions in the employee benefits and healthcare industry.

Bennison will continue to work with clients and serve in a senior leadership role.

San Francisco, Calif.-based Woodruff-Sawyer has offices throughout California and in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii and New England.

Paragon Insurance Holdings LLC in California named Jill Bay-Weber president of its excess and surplus commercial business division.

Bay-Weber has been responsible for the development and underwriting of many specialty programs over the last 20 years. She most recently held the position of senior vice-president in the commercial division at Atlas General Insurance Services.

Paragon is a national multi-line specialty program manager.

Bellevue, Wash.-based Ultra Risk Advisors named Karen McDonald underwriting director for its program providing liability coverage for senior living facilities.

McDonald has more than 10 years of underwriting experience in the senior living sector.

Ultra Risk Advisors is a commercial insurance program administrator and specialty wholesale broker.

Irvine, Calif.-based Burnham Benefits Insurance Services Inc. has named Tricia McVeigh a senior account manager.

McVeigh will in the trucking, transportation and logistics sector.

McVeigh has more than 30 years of experience. She previously was a senior analyst at Benefits Exchange Alliance, and prior to that she was with The LBL Group, Insurance & Financial Planning.

Burnham Benefits also named Sara Corp a senior account manager.

Corp will be located in the Sacramento, Calif., area.

She has more than 15 years of experience in employee benefits. Corp was an account executive at Benefit & Risk Management Services prior to Burnham. She was an account manager at Benefit Mall and Valley Oaks Insurance before that.

Burnham Benefits is an employee benefits consulting and brokerage firm.

InterWest Insurance Services LLC has named Grant Rappleye to its employee benefits broker team in Sacramento, Calif.

He was formerly a men’s assistant golf coach at California State University Sacramento.

InterWest is an insurance brokerage with eight offices throughout the state.

Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board Chairwoman Ronnie Caplane has retired.

Caplane was appointed commissioner in 2003 by Gov. Gray Davis, reappointed in 2009 by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and named chair by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011.

During her tenure on the board, the California workers’ compensation laws underwent two major reforms.

She joins Zenith Insurance Co. as a vice president following retirement.

Walnut Creek, Calif.-based CSAA Insurance Group has named J. Paul McCaffrey Jr. its chief financial officer.

McCaffrey has more than 25 years of experience. Most recently he was executive vice president, CFO and treasurer at Grange Insurance.

McCaffrey was a senior manager with Ernst & Young prior to Grange Insurance. He previously held finance roles with International Total Services, Revco D.S., and Sherwin-Williams.

CSAA Insurance Group is an AAA Insurer.

Topics California

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Insurance Journal West May 2, 2016
May 2, 2016
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