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Austin-based workers’ comp insurer, Texas Mutual Insurance Co., has added Benjamin A. Siddons as vice president of business development.

Siddons joins Texas Mutual with more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, with seven of those in the workers’ compensation field. He will be responsible for bringing in new business to Texas Mutual, as well as developing and implementing sales strategies to increase revenue and profits.

Siddons most recently served as president of Redpoint Workers’ Comp (previously Texas Builders Insurance Co. and Hallmark Workers’ Comp), where he oversaw underwriting, marketing and loss control in Texas.

Additionally, Siddons previously worked for American Physicians Insurance Co. as director of business development where he helped grow the Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas markets. He also served as a producer for an Austin-based insurance agency.

Houston, Texas-based managing general agent and insurance wholesaler, Myron F. Steves and Co., has added Greg Rubel as chief underwriting officer, commercial lines.

Rubel will lead the Texas-based company’s commercial lines operations and be a member of the Myron Steves Leadership Team.

Rubel brings more than 25 years’ experience with prominent insurance carriers to his role at Myron Steves. Expertise from the carrier side of the industry will enable the company to improve the customer experience by analyzing and optimizing processes, maintaining the building blocks for excellent carrier relationships and developing new programs as demanded by the marketplace, the company said.

Rubel has developed and grown two regional operations within Markel, as well as a traditional binding operation for Westchester (Chubb) from scratch. His entrepreneurial tendency will serve Myron Steves’ goal of strengthening and growing the company’s commercial lines operations.

He also has used his expansive knowledge to give back to the industry by instructing CE courses and presenting on various current event topics to industry groups.

Global strategic advisory and expert consulting firm Berkeley Research Group has added D. Christopher Heckman to the firm’s Complex Insurance Claims practice in Dallas.

Heckman, who joins as a managing director in BRG’s Dallas office, previously was general counsel of ExxonMobil Risk Management Inc. and its captive insurer, Ancon Insurance Co.

For the past 25 years, Heckman was the principal insurance claims adviser to ExxonMobil and its global affiliates. In that role, he managed and facilitated some of the largest liability insurance claims ever made, including the Exxon Valdez and global environmental and asbestos claims of Exxon, Mobil and ExxonMobil. He also served as an officer of Ancon.

He is a frequent speaker and author on insurance and risk management issues nationally.

Heckman, who received his JD from Tulane University School of Law, practiced in the area of marine insurance disputes at Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens (now Holland & Knight) before joining ExxonMobil.

MarketScout, the national electronic insurance exchange and specialty MGA headquartered in Dallas, Texas, has added Manoj Martin to its internal technology team.

Martin will provide technical support to MIT, MarketScout InsurTech ventures. He has more than 20 years’ experience in software engineering and holds a degree in Management Information Systems as well as a degree in Business Administration and Accounting.

MarketScout founded MIT, MarketScout InsurTech ventures in 2017.

Brit Ltd. has appointed Marc Robinson and Yasuaki Saegusa to the Marine business of Brit Global Specialty USA.

Robinson joins BGSU as assistant vice president. He will be responsible for the underwriting of BGSU’s yacht portfolio. He joins BGSU from Falvey Yacht Insurance where he was the lead underwriter on business for yachts up to $20 million.

Saegusa joins BGSU as vice president in cargo. He will develop GSU’s cargo book on the West Coast. He joins BGSU from American International Group, where he was the manager of Marine for western North America and the lead cargo underwriter.

These appointments follow the launch of BGSU’s Marine business in 2016 headed by Tom Carroll, senior vice president of Marine at BGSU. the appointments are part of Brit Ltd.’s strategy to expand its regional footprint in the Americas.

Topics Texas Workers' Compensation