Hitzig Now CEO at Distinguished Programs; Other Top Changes Made

The Distinguished Programs Group, LLC, has named Jeremy Hitzig chief executive officer, effective immediately 2006.

Andy Potash, founder and former chief executive officer, will remain as chairman of the board. Carla Vel will continue in her current position as president and chief operating officer. Both Hitzig and Vel have been nominated to the company’s board of directors.

Hitzig joined Distinguished Prorgams in 1995 and has served in a variety of capacities, most recently as senior vice president with executive responsibility for marketing, community association programs and S.E.S. Insurance Brokerage Services, a recently acquired program manager and service provider for bank managed trust property portfolios.

Distinguished Programs also announced the consolidation of underwriting, marketing and claims management under the leadership of Helen English, who was recently promoted to senior vice president. English joined Distinguished Programs in 2000 and was responsible for the structuring and placement of the company’s programs with insurers and reinsurers.

Jim Tesoriero, senior vice president, has assumed executive responsibility for the community association programs and branch operations in addition to management of the firm’s Property Owners Program. Tesoriero joined Distinguished in 1999.

Distinguished Programs provides insurance products to the residential and commercial real estate industry; including: property, general liability, high-limits umbrella, directors & officers liability and workers compensation, through a nationwide network of independent agents and brokers. The firm has offices in New York, Ohio, Illinois, California, Colorado and Massachusetts. Its operating units also include ReSource Pro, a back-office support and remote staffing operation in Qingdao, China and Saranac Insurance Company, a reinsurer based in Barbados.