People & Places

Roger Schmelzer

The Marsh & McLennan board of directors announced it has accepted the resignation of chairman and chief executive officer Jeffrey W. Greenberg.

Stepping in to immediately replace Greenberg is Michael G. Cherkasky, named president and CEO. Cherkasky was also elected to the board of directors. He will also continue in his current role as chairman and CEO of the company’s risk and insurance services subsidiary Marsh Inc.

Formerly CEO of Marsh Kroll, MMC’s risk consulting subsidiary, Cherkasky has served as a manager, prosecutor, investigator, and trial attorney. He joined Kroll in 1994, rising to the position of president and chief executive officer in 2001. Prior to joining Kroll, Cherkasky spent 16 years in the criminal justice system, including serving as chief of the Investigations Division for the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Cherkasky is leading MMC’s role in the investigation of the New York State Attorney General’s charges being conducted by Davis Polk & Wardwell.

Marsh is among a number of insurers on the radar screen of New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer in his insurance bid-rigging investigation, which has expanded to several lines of insurance and several states. Greenberg is the son of Maurice R. Greenberg, CEO of New York-based American International Group, and the brother of Evan Greenberg, CEO of Bermuda-based ACE.

Tonia Gibeault

C.J. Heidisch of Innovative Insurance Concepts in Flushing Mich., has been named president of the Michigan Association of Insurance Agents.

As president, Heidisch will work with the MAIA board of directors and staff to implement policies in the areas of legislation, public relations, technology, marketing and education. MAIA is a statewide trade group that represents about 10,000 independent agents and industry employees.

Diedre Smith

Deidre Smith, assistant vice president of Des Moines, Iowa-based Reynolds & Reynolds Inc., has been selected as the first chair of the information technology practice group at RiskProNet, a network of 28 leading independent insurance brokers across the United States and Canada.

Smith joined Reynolds & Reynolds in 1985 as system coordinator for the agency’s new automation system. Today she is in charge of both accounting and information technology. She is a licensed insurance agent, and is currently serving on the national AMS360/AfW education committee, which plans educational offerings for fellow users at their national users group convention.

Reynolds & Reynolds, established in 1976, offers an array of property/casualty products in commercial and personal lines and has an employee benefits division and a program for movie theaters.

RiskProNet partners last year had combined revenues of $546 million, giving the organization significant market strength. Each partner is an equal owner in the association, which gives its members the geographic diversity and shared knowledge base to serve clients with national, international or highly specialized exposures to risk. Total written premiums in 2003 were more than $5.2 billion.

C.J. Heidisch

Midwestern property/casualty insurer ACUITY recently promoted Tonia Gibeault to human resources specialist at its Sheboygan, Wis., corporate headquarters. Gibeault’s new duties will include both recruitment and training of ACUITY staff.

Gibeault came to ACUITY in 2001 as a marketing analyst I and in 2003 was promoted to marketing analyst II. Prior to joining ACUITY, she had been an executive administrative assistant for Burger Boat Co. in Manitowoc, Wis. ACUITY operates in 12 Midwestern states, writes more than $620 million in premium, and has more than $1.3 billion in assets and 750 employees.

Jeffrey Greenberg

The Indianapolis-based National Association of Mutual Insurance Cos. promoted Gregg Dykstra, Roger Schmelzer and David Winston to senior vice president from vice president. Already responsible for human resources, finance, and building services, Dykstra will now also supervise the information technology department and continue to serve as general counsel. He has worked at NAMIC headquarters since 1997.

Working at NAMIC headquarters since 1999, Schmelzer is currently responsible for the state affairs, legal & regulatory affairs and the public policy divisions. Winston will lead the association’s federal lobbying efforts from NAMIC’s Washington, D.C. office as well as the grassroots efforts of the association’s political action committee. Winston joined NAMIC last December.

Chicago-based CNA Financial Corp. announced that Larry Illioz has joined CNA insurance companies as senior vice president of CNA Small Business, a $650-million business operation.

Prior to joining CNA, Illion worked for Travelers Insurance Co., most recently as president and CEO for its select accounts division. Under his leadership, the division became a more than $2 billion small commercial operation. Prior to his responsibilities with Travelers, Illion held various positions of increasing responsibility with the now defunct Reliance Insurance Co.

Last year, CNA re-affirmed its commitment to agents in small business through products and services focused on Main Street businesses. The CNA Small Business cache of offerings includes CNA Central, the transaction-based Web site that enables agents to quote and issue offerings online; the sales and service center that services small business accounts on behalf of agents; and its small business program unit that develops and supports partnerships with agents in profitable program segments.

Zenith National Insurance Corp., headquartered in Woodland Hills, Calif., announced that Jack D. Miller has been promoted to president and COO of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Zenith Insurance Company. Miller has been with Zenith for seven years and has been serving in the capacity of executive vice president and COO.

Topics New York