Michael K. Britt

People

Lansing, Mich.-based Accident Fund Insurance Company of America has hired Michael K. Britt as its new executive vice president of insurance operations. The newly-created position includes oversight of the business development, third party administration and claims areas. Britt will report directly to Elizabeth R. Haar, Accident Fund’s president and CEO.

Britt comes to Accident Fund from Citizens Insurance in Howell, Mich., a division of The Hanover Insurance Group. He has more than 25 years experience in the insurance industry and has been with Citizens since 1990.

Britt held many positions in marketing and sales throughout the Midwest, and became president of Citizens Insurance in 2000. His reputation includes success in rebuilding and enhancing the profitability of his operational areas. He assumed his new role as executive vice president of insurance operations at Accident Fund on Feb. 8.

Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, established in 1912 and headquartered in Lansing, Mich., is a wholly owned and independent operating subsidiary of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Accident Fund, operational in 43 states and the District of Columbia., is the 15th largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance in the United States.

Cooper Gay & Cashman, Minneapolis and Cooper Gay Group, London, have named of Phil Sandercox as a senior vice president.

Sandercox, 42, joins Cooper Gay & Cashman from General Re in Stamford, Conn., where he was vice president and regional manager, responsible for their New England and Mid Atlantic regions of Specialty Treaty. He was at General Re since 1989, where he concentrated on directors and officers and employment practice liability classes of business.

Michael Cashman, chief executive of Cooper Gay & Cashman, noted that Sandercox’s extensive experience and contacts will serve to significantly strengthen the firm’s presence in the general casualty and professional liability areas.

Sandercox began his reinsurance career at Travelers in 1986. He holds a degree in economics from Bethany (WVA) College and a MBA from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.

Founded in 1965, Cooper Gay is a privately held insurance and reinsurance brokerage group registered at Lloyd’s of London. Cooper Gay Holdings and Michael W. Cashman, is headquartered at 601 Carlson Parkway in Minneapolis.

Kansas City, Mo.-based wholesaler Westrope welcomes Benjamin Young as a broker in Westrope’s executive and professional liability practice. Young, who moved from Dallas to Kansas City to join the Westrope team, was formerly an executive liability wholesale broker in the Dallas area. He has substantial executive liability underwriting and management expertise from his years with AIG in Houston, Dallas and Chicago.

Westrope, with seven national office locations, has specialized in property, casualty, executive liability, agribusiness, workers’ compensation, health care and claims services over the last 13 years.

New York-based Integro Ltd. has hired Thomas M. Biggio and Allison Ast as principals in the Integro Chicago office.

Thomas Biggio has nearly three decades of casualty and property brokerage experience, most recently serving as director of marketing for Arthur J.Gallagher Risk Management Services’ Chicago office.

Before joining Gallagher in 1987, Biggio spent a 10 years as an account executive with Wausau Insurance Company. He holds a degree in marketing from Xavier University.

Allison Ast has more than 20 years of experience in property and casualty brokerage, and most recently served as senior casualty syndicator for Aon Risk Services. Before joining Aon in 1990, she was an assistant vice president with Sedgwick James. Ast holds a degree from Governors State University.

Integro, through its subsidiaries, is an insurance brokerage and risk management firm designed to serve the complex insurance and risk management needs of large or complex institutional risks. Integro is headquarterd in New York, with offices in San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Bermuda, Toronto, Montreal and London.

Assurex Global, a worldwide network of independent insurance brokers, recently appointed Paul J. Hering as chairman. Hering succeeds Gregory S. Belton (with Hunter Keilty Muntz & Beatty Ltd., Toronto, Ontario, Canada), who continues his board service as chairman emeritus. Hering is the managing principal and CEO of Barney & Barney LLC in San Diego, which has been affiliated with Assurex Global since 1984.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Assurex Global represents more than 130 independently owned and locally managed firms.

Joseph Beneducci has been elected to president and chief operating officer of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, according to Charles Kavitsky, chief executive officer. The appointment was approved by the Fireman’s Fund Board of Directors during its meeting on Feb. 3.

Beneducci was named executive vice president and chief operating officer in May 2003. Among the key positions he has held prior to being named chief operating officer were executive vice president and chief administrative officer, and senior vice president in the commercial business unit.

The Tillinghast business of Towers Perrin has appointed Duncan Briggs as region manager for the Americas and Jeanne Hollister as property/casualty insurance practice leader for North America. Briggs and Hollister have been consulting at Towers Perrin for more than a decade on issues facing clients in the life insurance and property/casualty insurance sectors, respectively.