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Marsh & McLennan Companies has appointed AIG executive Julio Portalatin as CEO of Mercer, MMC’s human resource consulting unit. Portalatin succeeds M. Michele Burns who left the firm last October. Portalatin comes from AIG where he was president and CEO of Chartis Growth Economies, and senior vice president, AIG. In that role, he oversaw operations in Asia Pacific, South Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Central Europe. Portalatin began his career with AIG in 1993 and has since held a number of key leadership roles. Prior to joining AIG/Chartis, he spent 12 years with Allstate.

With the departure of Portalatin, AIG’s Chartis is streamlining its previous four major global geographic areas into three: the Americas, Asia and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). Peter Eastwood, president and CEO of the U.S. and Canada, now assumes responsibility for the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Bermuda. Jose Hernandez, president and CEO of the Far East region, will now oversee Japan and Chartis’ Asia Pacific region. Also, Robert Schimek has been named president and CEO of EMEA, with responsibility for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Schimek had been Chartis’ chief financial officer for the past six years. Additionally, James Bracken, who has served as a deputy chief financial officer for Chartis, has been promoted to chief financial officer for Chartis. And Alexander Baugh will become Chartis’ chief risk officer and head of strategic planning. Baugh had been president and CEO of Chartis Europe since Chartis’ restructuring last year.

Additionally, AIG has appointed Curtis Olson to lead AIG Benefit Solutions, a newly created divison that combines group benefits businesses of Chartis U.S. Accident and Health and American General Life Companies. Olson joined American General Life Companies’ benefits business in June 2011 as CEO.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie announced that the state’s Banking and Insurance Department Commissioner Tom Considine will leave his post on Feb. 10. Considine, who became the Garden State’s top insurance regulator in March 2010, plans to return to work in the private sector. He will become the new chief operating officer of MagnaCare, a health plan management company, in March. Considine was a vice president with MetLife legal affairs prior to serving as commissioner. He had been with MetLife for 17 years.

Ken Kobylowski, Commissioner Considine’s chief of staff and acting director of banking, has been nominated by Gov. Christie to succeed Considine. Kobylowski has been serving as chief of staff to Considine since 2010. He has been the acting director of banking since last October.

Willis North America appointed Richard Sheldon as environmental practice leader. Sheldon has been serving as national placement leader for the environmental practice since January 2011. Based in Radnor, Penn., Sheldon joined Willis in 2004. Previously, he served as environmental regional team leader for Willis’ Atlantic and New England regions. In addition, Sheldon has held leadership roles at ECS Underwriting Inc., and Kemper Environmental.

Wholesale intermediary Swett & Crawford appointed David Pohle as Media, Penn.-based transportation underwriter for its transportation practice group. Pohle joins Swett & Crawford after eight years at Jimcor Agencies where he was the lead underwriter and director of the transportation department. Prior to that, he held a series of positions with increasing responsibility at Baldwin Sadler Corporation.

Canonsburg, Penn.-based USG Insurance Services appointed Timothy Horton as president of USG and subsidiaries. Horton will be responsible for the operations of all USG profit centers and the future direction of the company. USG Insurance Services is a national wholesaler and managing general agent with 14 offices across the country.

Utica National Insurance Group, a P/C insurer, appointed Andrew McCray as director of regional underwriting operations in its New Hartford, N.Y., office. McCray is responsible for directing the company’s regional underwriting staff. Previously, he was vice president and southern region underwriting manager with Selective Insurance Co. of America.

New York-based Starr Companies appointed Shane McCaffrey as profit center manager in charge of Defense Base Act and foreign casualty insurance for U.S.-based multinationals. McCaffrey comes from AIG, where he oversaw a portfolio of contractors working overseas for the American government. Defense Base Act coverages is a mandatory line of insurance for firms that receive contracts from the U.S. government to perform work abroad.

ACE Risk Management appointed David Brown to lead its newly created national transportation industry segment. He will serve as vice president, underwriting and transportation segment leader. Brown will be based in New York, and will work with the ACE Risk Management branches across the country. Brown has 20 years of industry experience with a focus on the transportation industry. He joined ACE in 1999. The Philadelphia-based ACE Risk Management is part of ACE USA.

Topics USA Europe Underwriting Pollution AIG