View this article online: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2008/11/14/95513.htm
Safeco Insurance and Liberty Northwest, both Liberty Mutual Agency Markets companies, recently announced key management appointments to lead their respective personal and commercial lines operations in their Northwest territory.
Rebecca L. Fann has been named vice president, Safeco Insurance, and Northwest Regional general manager. Most recently, Fann was vice president and Northwest Regional executive for Safeco Insurance. In this new capacity, she will be responsible for profit and growth throughout Safeco’s five-state Northwest territory.
Joining Safeco’s Northwest personal lines field operations as agency managers and reporting to Fann are: Casie L. Bowers, representing Oregon and southwest Washington; Mark A. Cummings; representing eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana; and Angela Thompson, representing Alaska and western Washington.
Two new regional vice presidents are joining Liberty Northwest’s commercial lines operations. Guy DeCosterd will manage Alaska and western Washington, and Ken Koehler will manage the Portland region. Both come to Liberty Northwest from Safeco Insurance. They form a regional executive team of four that also includes Mark A. Backstrom, managing eastern Oregon and southern Idaho region, and Thomas D. Becker who manages the eastern Washington, northern Idaho and Montana region.
As announced by Liberty Mutual Group on Sept. 22, 2008, the Agency Markets business unit’s personal lines will be sold under the Safeco brand. Liberty Northwest will be the exclusive provider of commercial lines business in its five-state Northwest territory, where Safeco will also offer personal lines.
“By placing management personnel in regions where they have great familiarity, we strengthen our agency relationships and are able to compete at a much higher level,” said Michael Hughes, executive vice president, Agency Markets, and president, Safeco Insurance.
Safeco and Liberty Northwest are leveraging the new Agency Markets national/regional model to deliver greater resources and an expanded appetite and product set to their agents.