People & Places

National

WTW, with U.S. headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, appointed Alena Kharkavets as North American head of claims in its insurance consulting and technology business. Kharkavets comes to WTW from Intact Financial Corporation, where she held progressively senior roles over 20 years.

WTW also appointed Cedric Thibault as director of insurance consulting and technology (ICT), expanding its Hamilton, Bermuda, office. Thibault has over 20 years of experience, most recently serving as a senior manager with KPMG Canada’s Life Practice. Before KPMG, Thibault held senior roles with Munich Re in Germany and Canada.

WTW also appointed Dale Porfilio as senior director and head of personal and commercial lines business development for ICT. Based in Chicago, Illinois, Porfilio most recently served as chief insurance officer at the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) and president of the Insurance Research Council (IRC). Prior to this, Porfilio was senior vice president and corporate chief actuary for Genworth Financial.

Willis, a WTW business headquartered in London, appointed Cecelia Lockner as senior director, strategic client advisor within the North America alternative asset insurance solutions (AAIS) vertical. Lockner has over 15 years of experience joining Willis from Goodwin Procter LLP, where she was a partner in the complex litigation and dispute resolution practice.

Fusion Specialty Insurance, headquartered in New York City, hired Robert Underhill as head of Americas. Underhill joins Fusion following nine years as global head of transactional liability at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. Underhill previously held senior positions at Locke Lord LLP, Fortress Investment Group, Credit Suisse Investment Bank, and Citigroup Investment Banking.

Dale Underwriting Partners, the trading name for Dale Managing Agency Limited’s Lloyd’s Syndicate 1729, headquartered in London, appointed Peter Cordell as head of North America casualty effective January 2026. Based in London, Cordell has over 20 years of industry experience, joining Dale from MS Amlin, where he served as head of treaty casualty and financial lines.

Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited, headquartered in Hamilton, Bermuda, appointed John Welch as group chief underwriting officer. Welch has over 30 years of experience, including at AXA XL and XL Catlin Group. He joined Aspen as chief underwriting officer, reinsurance, in June 2023.

W. R. Berkley Corporation, headquartered in Greenwich, Connecticut, named Shadi Albert as president of Vela Insurance Services. He succeeds Arthur G. Davis, who assumes the role of chairman of the business. Albert joined Berkley as president of Berkley Luxury Group in 2023, after serving as the executive vice president of strategy and business development at Selective Insurance.

East

ReSource Pro, based in New York City, appointed Eugene “Gene” Hugh as chief financial officer. Hugh will lead the company’s accounting, financial planning and analysis, tax, treasury, legal, and mergers and acquisitions functions. Hugh joins ReSource Pro from Procure Analytics. Before that, he spent 15 years at Intercontinental Exchange.

Ames & Gough, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, appointed Lauren Martin and Jessie Witherow as vice presidents and Nicole Gonzalez and Katie O’Brien as assistant vice presidents. All four executives are based in the firm’s Washington D.C. office.

Martin joined Ames & Gough in 2021 as a risk management and claims specialist. She previously served nearly 35 years at CNA, most recently as architects/engineers platinum accounts director.

Witherow leads the Ames & Gough Premier Select Team. She joined the firm in 2006 and was promoted to assistant vice president in 2019.

Gonzalez, an account executive, joined Ames & Gough in 2015. She was promoted to senior broker in 2021 and to her current role a year later.

O’Brien has over 25 years of insurance industry experience, joining the firm in 2014. She previously served as an account manager with a regional agency and owned an Allstate agency.

Midwest

Society Insurance, based in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, elected Chris Felton of Burlington, Wisconsin, as a director. Felton is president and chief executive officer of Corporate Central Credit Union, leading strategy, innovation, and operations.

Encova Insurance Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer John Kessler will retire at the end of 2026 after more than 40 years with the company.

Brandon Marshall is now senior vice president, agency operations and marketing. He previously served as an independent agent and led Encova’s underwriting, claims and loss control teams.

Additionally, Casei Phillips was promoted to be Encova’s first senior vice president and chief communications officer.

NI Holdings Inc., headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, appointed Kelly Dawson to the newly created role of senior vice president and chief human resources officer. She has over 20 years of human resources experience, including leadership roles at Border States and Noridian Healthcare Solutions LLC.

South Central

Hotchkiss Insurance, based in Dallas, Texas, recently added three new partners: Riley Dearing, Jessica Goehring, and Heather Etheredge.

Dearing leads the West Texas region for the Hotchkiss Benefits Division.

He founded InCore Group, which merged with Hotchkiss in 2023.

Goehring, vice president of affinity programs, leads the agency’s niche programs, association partnerships, and external marketing initiatives.

Etheredge, vice president of human resources, has been at the agency for over 20 years.

Higginbotham appointed Andrew Reutter as CFO/COO of the Fort Worth, Texas-based company. Reutter most recently served as a principal at Stone Point Capital. His new role combines elements of finance and operations previously spread across other positions.

Novatae Risk Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, named Anju Arora to the newly created role of vice president of data, business intelligence, and innovation. Arora has over 25 years of insurance industry experience specializing in actuarial science, regulatory compliance, and product development. She most recently worked at Ethos Specialty, part of Ascot Group.

Alliant Insurance Services added Stephanie Beach as senior vice president within its employee benefits group, based in Austin, Texas. Beach has over 25 years of experience, most recently serving as a partner at Mercer.

Southeast

Canal Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Canal Financial Group based in Greenville, South Carolina, named Paul Stachura vice president and chief claims officer. Stachura most recently served as chief claims and engineering risk officer at State Auto Insurance and previously served in senior roles at Chubb, Fireman’s Fund, and QBE North America.

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, added Keith Coghlan as vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in Florida and serving the Southeast, he most recently served as director of new business at WTW.

The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, named Amber Cowan as chief human resources officer (CHRO). Cowan joins Liberty after serving as CHRO for the West region at USI Insurance Services. Before USI, she held HR leadership roles at SVB and The Cincinnati Insurance Company.

West

Nevada Department of Business and Industry appointed Ned Gaines as acting commissioner at the Nevada Division of Insurance. Gaines has over 25 years of experience, recently joining the division as the chief deputy commissioner. He previously served with the Washington Office of Insurance Commissioner as the deputy commissioner of rates, forms, and provider networks.

The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, headquartered in Gainesville, Florida, launched a San Francisco Bay Area, California, office, Liberty Naranjo, led by managing partners and brothers Jonathan and Michael Naranjo.

Liberty Naranjo will serve as a fully integrated employee benefits and P&C insurance advisory firm.

Jonathan Naranjo oversees property and casualty (P&C). He previously served as national real estate practice leader, senior vice president at Newfront Insurance and HUB International.

Michael Naranjo leads employee health and benefits. A Liberty leader since 2024, he previously served as vice president, corporate benefits, at NFP and manager of benefit consulting at Namely.

Betty Wehmann joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, as senior vice president (SVP) within its employee benefits group. Based in Northern California, Wehmann previously served as SVP at The Liberty Company, BB&T, and Tanner LLC.

Alliant also added Steve Wolfenberger as vice president within its employee benefits group. Based in California, he most recently served as SVP, large group employee benefits, at The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers.

Andy Oldenburg was appointed SVP within the Alliant Americas division. Based in Portland, Oregon, Oldenburg has over 20 years of experience, most recently serving as a commercial lines insurance agent with Marsh McLennan Agency.