Albert Betts, former Texas Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation, joined Thompson Coe Cousins & Irons LLP as a partner in the Insurance Law and Governmental and Legislative Advocacy Sections, effective Oct. 1, 2008.

Betts was appointed as Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation in 2005 to oversee changes to the Texas workers’ compensation system mandated by the state legislature in 2005.

He has significant experience working with legislative staff and leadership, as well as the governor’s office, on workers’ compensation laws and policy issues. Betts has testified in numerous hearings before the House Business & Industries Committee, the Senate State Affairs Committee, the House Insurance Committee, the Senate Finance Committee and the House Appropriations Committee.

Betts previously served the Texas Department of Insurance as chief of staff and director of Human Resources, and held the post of general counsel for the State Office of Risk Management.

Matt Womack, a partner with the Watkins Insurance Group in Austin, Texas, has been honored with Independent Insurance Agents of Austin’s Presidents’ Award.

The award is based on performance and is given out by the outgoing president of IIA Austin. Because of the requirements to receive the award, it is not always granted on an annual basis. Womack is the first recipient to receive it in 10 years. Recently, Womack also received the Young Agent of the Year award for the State of Texas.

Active in the community, Womack is a member of the Austin Technology Council, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, the Northwest Chamber of Commerce and the Real Estate Council of Austin. He is a board member of the Lake Travis Education Foundation and the Independent Insurance Agents of Austin.

Womack is also serving as the 2008 president of Choose Austin First, an organization devoted to promoting Austin-based businesses. He also is the 2009 Chair for the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas Young Agent Advisory Council.

Erin C. Cerne has been named account representative for Towerstone Inc., wholesale insurance brokers and managing general agency based in Dallas.

Cerne has held diversified sales and marketing positions in New York. She holds a degree in Journalism from State University of New York at Brockport.

American International Group Inc. (AIG) named Edward M. Liddy as chairman and CEO. He succeeds Robert B. Willumstad.

Stephen F. Bollenbach, who was named lead independent director in June 2008, continues in that role.

Liddy joined the private equity firm of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Inc. this year after serving as chairman of The Allstate Corp. since January 2007. Prior to that, he served as Allstate’s chairman and CEO, and president and chief operating officer. He led the initial public offering and 1995 spin-off of Allstate from Sears, Roebuck and Co.

At Sears, Liddy served as senior vice president and chief financial officer and as senior vice president-operating. Prior to that, Liddy was chief financial officer of G. D. Searle & Co.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. announced new appointments for three of its senior executives.

Dan Brown will take on the new role of senior vice president of Industry Markets; Juan Andrade will become executive vice president of sales and distribution; and Andy Pinkes will assume the position of executive vice president of claims.

Brown, who recently served as The Hartford’s head of sales and distribution, will lead a newly created business group called Industry Markets, which focuses on industries that offer opportunities for growth across the company’s business insurance segments. Brown joined The Hartford in 1989 and has served in a number of business segment and field leadership posts at the company.

Succeeding Brown as head of sales and distribution will be Andrade, who previously served as head of The Hartford’s claims organization. In his new role, Andrade will work to support 10,000 independent agents and brokers who distribute the company’s portfolio of personal and business insurance products. Prior to The Hartford, Andrade held a range of roles as a profit center manager, accountable for sales and distribution, product, pricing and claims for 15 years at AIG and Progressive.

Pinkes will succeed Andrade as head of The Hartford’s claims organization and will continue his stewardship of the company’s P/C run-off operations, a role he took on in 2005 after joining The Hartford in 2003.

As COO and then president of The Hartford’s run-off operations, Pinkes and his team have helped the company manage many of the company’s most challenging issues, including asbestos, silica, environmental and complex exposures.

Coy Sunderman has joined the team at Saunders Insurance Agency in Smithville, Texas. Sunderman spent the last five years with Nationwide Insurance before making the move to Saunders Insurance.

Sunderman’s focus is on developing and implementing risk reduction strategies for mid-size commercial businesses, especially those in the contracting and heavy industrial fields.

Saunders Insurance Agency merged with Austin-based Texas Associates Insurors last year.

Topics Texas Agencies Workers' Compensation