National
Zurich North America, headquartered in Schaumberg, Illinois, hired Jeannie Sullivan as head of technology for its U.S. middle market team. Sullivan has 35 years of insurance experience, most recently serving as assistant vice president – commercial officer for the middle market business unit at CNA Insurance Company. She previously served as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer at Berkley Technology Underwriters. and as vice president for the technology and medical technology underwriting segment at OneBeacon Insurance Company. Sullivan is based in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
Xceedance, headquartered in Worcester, Massachusetts, named Subramanian (Subbu) Sankaran to the new role of global chief operating officer. Sankaran has over 30 years of experience in global operations and transformation roles across organizations such as Wipro, Accenture, GeBBS Healthcare Solutions, WNS, GE Capital and Pfizer.
ReSource Pro, headquartered in New York City, appointed Paul Naquin as senior vice president and general manager, technology services, a newly created role. Naquin has over 30 years of experience leading technology programs for Accenture, Capgemini and NTT DATA Services. He most recently served as group senior vice president at NTT DATA, following nearly two decades in executive roles at Capgemini, where he was chief operating officer for North America. Naquin leads technology services as a standalone business unit with full P&L responsibility.
Allianz Commercial, headquartered in New York City, expanded its U.S. construction team.
Kristen Hoskinson was appointed executive underwriter team leader. Based in Atlanta, Hoskinson was previously the master builder’s risk practice leader and eastern zonal construction leader at AXA XL.
Emily Hernandez joins as an underwriting specialist and is based in Chicago. Previously, Hernandez was an underwriter at AXA XL.
Alexander Hansen joins as a senior underwriter. Hansen is based in Chicago and was previously an underwriter with AXA XL. He previously held roles at Lockton Companies, Aon Risk Solutions and Hub International.
Karima Jones joins in a newly created hybrid role delivering client services support alongside underwriting. Jones is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and was previously a builder’s risk underwriter for AXA XL’s North America construction property team.
Jared Bush-Howe joins as a senior risk consultant for the construction team. Based in St. Louis, he joins from AXA XL where he was a senior construction risk engineer. He previously worked as a project engineer with Hensel Phelps.
Allianz Commercial also appointed Melissa Hill as regional head of claims for North America. Hill is based in Atlanta and has over 25 years of industry experience. She joins from Sompo where she was strategic claims transformation lead. Hill previously held senior claims positions at AIG, Hiscox USA and Kemper Insurance.
James River Group Holdings, Ltd., headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda, appointed Bob Zimardo as senior vice president, investments and investor relations. Zimardo has over 20 years of experience. Most recently he was partner, investor relations and operations, with International Farming. He previously served as director of client services at Halcyon Capital Management (now Bardin Hill Investment Partners).
Willis, a WTW business based in New York City, appointed Harry Merker as property and casualty (P&C) cross-industry sales leader and alternative asset insurance solutions (AAIS) sales, strategy and execution leader for North America. In this newly created dual role, Merker drives broking growth initiatives across Willis’ P&C business and leads strategic broking sales efforts and collaboration across the company’s 12 industry verticals. Merker has 20 years of experience in commercial insurance and broking, most recently serving as chief broking officer – middle market at Aon.
Everest, headquartered in Everest, New Jersey, made three key leadership appointments to the company’s U.S. wholesale business, Everest Evolution.
Everest named Matt Meserole head of excess casualty, overseeing the strategic direction and underwriting performance of the Everest Evolution Excess Casualty business. Prior to Everest, Meserole was a production underwriter at All Risks.
Adam Birch was appointed head of industry specialties. Birch maintains his role as central region distribution leader for U.S. wholesale customers. Birch previously held senior underwriting positions at Lexington Insurance and Argo Group.
Cristin McCarthy was appointed head of excess construction. McCarthy joined Everest from Liberty Mutual Insurance, where she held senior roles in excess construction underwriting.
East
Falcon Risk Services, an MGA majority owned by HDI Global Specialty, a wholly owned subsidiary of HDI Global SE, appointed Laura Coppola as executive vice president, head of management liability. Falcon Risk Services is based in New York City. Coppola has over 30 years of industry experience, previously serving as chief underwriting officer at QBE North America, and has held senior underwriting leadership roles at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty and Arch Insurance Group.
The Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission named two new deputy commissioners, Frederick T. Schubert II and Christopher R. Wilson, who serve as administrative law judges under the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Act and hold evidentiary hearings at the commission’s Manassas, Virginia, regional office. Two deputy commissioners have retired from in 2025, Deborah “Debbie” Wood Blevins (Roanoke) and Susan E. Cummins (Fairfax).
Midwest
Ryan Specialty, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, appointed Chris Kelleher president of SUITELIFE Underwriting Managers effective June 30. This role is in addition to his role as president of Ryan Specialty national programs dealer services and self-storage programs. John Welty, president of SUITELIFE Underwriting Managers, will retire June 30.
Rockford Mutual Insurance Company (RMIC), headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, appointed Levi Dutcher as marketing representative for the states of Indiana and Michigan. Dutcher, based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, most recently served as senior field territory manager with Farmers Insurance, where he served for almost 14 years.
Southeast
Denise Wichmann joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, as senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wichmann previously served as a senior principal and lead health and benefits consultant with Mercer. She also held leadership roles at Carolinas HealthCare System.
West
SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services (SCM), headquartered in Irvine, California, named Adriana Valenzuela as vice president and bond manager. Before joining SCM, Valenzuela managed the surety department for Alliant Insurance Services’ Western offices. She also previously served as an account executive at Lockton Companies and BB&T.
Yvonne Breiter joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, as first vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in Southern California, Breiter previously served as a senior principal and West sub-market leader with Mercer, director of absence and productivity practice at Conduent HR Consulting and senior associate at Mercer Health and Benefits.
Megan Hood also joined Alliant Insurance Services as vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in San Francisco, Hood serves mid-sized and large tech employers in Northern California and nationwide. Hood previously served as director of health and benefits at Willis Towers Watson.
Eric M. Hansen, senior vice president – underwriting at Preferred Employers, was re-elected as chair of the California Workers’ Compensation Institute board of directors for 2025. Hansen was elected to the board in 2014, served on the institute’s executive committee since 2021, and was elected chair in March 2024.
Joining Hansen on CWCI’s 2025 executive committee are Kris Mathis, CopperPoint Insurance Companies, vice chair; Michael Cunningham, Zenith Insurance Company; Amanda Granger, ICW Group Insurance Companies; Carmen Sharp, The Hanover Insurance Group; Vernon L. Steiner, State Compensation Insurance Fund; and Matthew Zender, AmTrust North America.
Also elected to serve on CWCI’s 2025 board were: David A. McGowan, AF Group/CompWest; Ricardo Nan, AIG; Andrew Linkhart, Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies; Jeff Rush, California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (an associate member); Mary Beth Pittinger, CHUBB; Christopher M. Thurman, CNA Insurance; Chris Champlin, EMPLOYERS; Tim Roberts, Everest Insurance; Julie Riddle, The Hartford; Dr. Mary Capelli-Schellpfeffer, Liberty Mutual Insurance; Justin Smith, North American Casualty Company; Paul Gladden, Pie Insurance; Gene Simpson, Republic Indemnity Company of America; Brooks Rice, Schools Insurance Authority; Scott D. Lange, Sentry Insurance; Joanne Moynihan, Travelers; Michele Halstenrud, WCF Insurance; and Neil Deblock, Zurich North America.
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