After 23 Years as CEO, Craft Moves to Producer Role at Palomar as Williford Takes Helm

Alabama-based Palomar Insurance, a 70-year-old agency with offices across the state and in Mississippi and Georgia, announced that longtime CEO Tony Craft will step down to be a producer in the company.

Replacing Craft at the top is Jim Williford, who has some 25 years in commercial property/casualty insurance. Williford was recently the senior vice president and construction team leader at CAC Agency in Birmingham and was partner at USI Insurance Services, and was director of construction risk at EPIC Insurance Brokers, according to his Linkedin page.

Craft joined Palomar in 1983 and has been CEO since 2001.

“After many rewarding years as CEO, I’m thrilled to channel my energy into what I truly love—building relationships and connecting with clients in my role as a producer,” Craft said in a news release. He expressed confidence in Williford’s leadership.

Palomar, founded in 1954, offers commercial and personal lines coverage, including homeowners, condominium, trucking insurance and workers’ compensation packages. It has headquarters in Montgomery and offices in Birmingham, Auburn, Troy and Prattville in Alabama, and offices in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Kennesaw, Georgia.

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in California, has named Rick Mack as senior vice president in its employee benefits group. He will be based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Mack has more than 30 years in benefits, retirement planning and in consulting, Alliant said in a news release. Before joining Alliant, Mack held senior leadership roles at two global brokerages. He holds a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

Atlas Insurance Management of Charlotte’s founder and president, Martin Eveleigh, has retired, the captive management company said, according to news reports.

Eveleigh launched Atlas in the Bahamas in 2002 and the firm opened its Charlotte office in 2011, Captive International reported. Atlas, considered a significant captive manager firm, was acquired by Risk Strategies in 2020. In 2023, Atlas was rebranded as part of Risk Management Advisors.

Eveleigh is one of the Captive Review Power 50, a listing of the most influential players in the captive insurance space, Risk Management Advisors said in a posting.