People

PMA Insurance Group has promoted Elaine Manchon to assistant vice president for commercial markets underwriting. Manchon, who will join PMA’s corporate headquarters staff in the company’s Blue Bell, Penna. office, will be responsible for helping to generate profitable revenue growth in the commercial markets operations, which focuses on mid-size employers.

For eight years, Manchon has been the underwriting manager for PMA’s Philadelphia office, the company’s largest branch office. She joined PMA in 1993 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in the company’s underwriting area. Her insurance underwriting career began in June 1987 with CIGNA Property & Casualty.

The PMA Insurance Group is a multi-lines property and casualty insurer specializing in workers’ compensation. In addition to workers’ compensation, PMA offers commercial automobile, commercial multi-peril, general liability and umbrella insurance.

Farmington, Conn.-based InsurBanc has announced Marie R. Rider has joined the company as vice president, director of marketing.

With more than 20 years bank marketing experience, Rider will direct the bank’s strategic marketing plan including advertising initiatives, public relations and sales support efforts.

Prior to joining InsurBanc, Rider was director of marketing at Naugatuck Savings Bank and has held marketing manager positions at Webster Bank and DeGeorge Home Alliance.

Brentwood Services Inc., a specialty insurance brokerage firm in Brentwood, Tenn., has promoted John Smitherman to director of sales for Brentwood Services Administrators Inc., its affiliated company, according to Richard D. Hammer, BSI president and chief executive officer.

Smitherman began his career with BSA 13 years ago as an adjuster and steadily worked his way through each level of the claims department to regional claim director. In 2004, he was promoted to a marketing position as a regional account manager.

In 2003, Smitherman became regional claim director, overseeing the claims process for offices in Georgia, Montana, North Carolina and Tennessee. As claim supervisor, Smitherman managed a BSA claim unit.

Smitherman began his career with Brentwood in 1992 in the claim trainee program. Upon completion of the trainee program, he was named a claim examiner, and then promoted to claim representative. Smitherman was promoted to a field investigator in 1995 and field claim supervisor in 1997.

Integro has announced the establishment of a new Southeast Marine Practice in Atlanta. The marine unit is being headed by Timothy I. Rea.

Also, Paula Hoots has been named an associate and Erinn Donley has joined as as a specialist for the unit.

Rea has 28 years of experience in Marine brokerage with a specialty in cargo. He joins Integro from Marsh where he served as senior vice president and was the southeast Marine Practice leader. His tenure included six years of captive management in Bermuda.

Hoots has more than 20 years experience, with a specialty in marine, as well as a multi-line claims and management background. She joins Integro from Marsh, where she was a vice president.

Donley joins Integro from Marsh, where she served as a client representative in the Specialty Marine Division.

Robert L. Cohen, chairman and CEO of The IMA Financial Group Inc., in Denver, Colo.; M. Steven DeCarlo, president and CEO of American Wholesale Insurance Group of Charlotte, N.C.; and Jim W. Henderson, president and chief operating officer of Brown & Brown Inc., in Daytona Beach, Fla. have been elected as new members of the board of directors of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers.

The new board members were elected at CIAB’s recent mid-year board meeting and began their terms immediately.

Cohen, who has worked with IMA since 1986, began his career with Chubb and Son in Dallas, New York/New Jersey and Denver. He then worked with Lowndes Lambert in London before joining IMA and later relocated to Denver. The IMA Financial Group Inc. is a diversified financial services company comprised of IMA Inc., one of the largest privately held retail insurance brokers in the United States; ERA Inc., a wholesale insurance broker located in Dallas; and TrueNorth Inc., a discretionary money manager, registered investment adviser and limited broker dealer.

DeCarlo joined American Wholesale in 2001 after three years as senior vice president of Royal & SunAlliance USA. At American Wholesale, DeCarlo has been instrumental in building the company through the merger of several specialty wholesalers. DeCarlo began his career with Crum & Forster, and then moved to The London Agency where he was the firm’s chief financial officer. In 1988, he was a founding partner of Royal Specialty Underwriting Inc., where he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Henderson is a member of the company’s board of directors. He joined Brown & Brown in 1985 as chief financial officer and quickly moved into a number of senior management assignments. He is a member of the brokerage’s Executive Committee and Acquisition Committee and has been in charge of Large Account Risk Management Services. He also was responsible for the company’s Regional Southeast U.S. Retail operations, National Brokerage Division, National Services Division and Programs Division.

Securian Financial Group Inc. has named Hal R. Harris, Naples, Fla., as its national sales vice president of individual annuities. Harris will lead all individual annuity sales management and marketing efforts within Securian Retirement Savings, a manufacturer and marketer of individual and group annuities to high net worth individuals and small employers.

Harris has background as a regional manager, wholesaler and investment sales executive. His previous position was vice president and Southeast Regional manager at Security Benefit. Prior to that, he was senior vice president, Investments, at Smith Barney.

Independent insurance claims services company Cunningham Lindsey U.S., based in Dallas, announced the addition of Ronnie Schuman to its Business Development team as assistant vice president and national account executive. According to Jim Rich, director of sales, Schuman will be based in Tampa, Fla.

Schuman brings more than 30 years of claims experience to his new role. He has over 25 years experience in managing claims personnel and customer relationships.

Leo Risk Services of Dunedin, Fla. has announced the promotion of Grace Boudreau to senior account manager.

Boudreau has been promoted in recognition of the instrumental role she has played in developing and implementing the firm’s internal systems and office automation. Prior to joining Leo Risk Services, Boudreau was with AIG. Her professional tenure includes eight years in the insurance industry.

Leo Risk Services specializes in primary and excess casualty risk, professional liability and property lines.

Cypress Care Inc., a pharmacy benefits management company specializing in workers’ compensation has named regional sales managers in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest and Northeast.

Hired for the new positions are Karla Franzluebbers, Midwest regional sales manager; Robert Edelman, Northeast regional sales manager; and Cameron Van Dyck, Pacific Northwest regional sales manager.

Franzluebbers spent more than a decade in the worker’s compensation industry, including pharmacy services sales, field case management, occupational medical sales, management and bill review and sales for Preferred Provider Organizations. She is a former senior account manager for Concentra.

Edelman has 10 years experience in claims management, medical judgment services, bill review, and other cost containment services in property and casualty, especially workers compensation. He served as territory and sales director Medical Consultant Network Inc. in Cranston, R.I. and as director of operations and sales for MCN East in Melville, N.Y.

Van Dyck began his career as a claims manager and has spent more than a decade in the workers’ compensation field, including account management, sales and training for companies specializing in pharmacy benefits management, medical case management and cost containment services. He was a former account manager for Medical Services Co. and was with Concentra.

Ryan Freeze has joined Assurance Systems Inc. (AccuAuto) of Atlanta as internet sales director in charge of new management initiatives and development of marketing.

Between 2003 and 2005, Freeze had a consulting company, acquiring a contract to be chief website engineer and marketing director for Cabrillo General Insurance Agency Inc. in San Diego. At the same time he helped Super Auto Insurance Agency Inc. in Atlanta develop a business model.

From 1999 to 2001, Freeze supervised the website activities of Access General Insurance Agency Inc. in all markets, including California.

Topics Agencies Claims Workers' Compensation Excess Surplus Property Casualty