Paul Saich has been elected executive vice president of Mountain View, Calif.-based Thoits Insurance Service Inc. Saich joined Thoits Insurance in 1996. He started his insurance career as a sales agent for John Hancock in San Jose, where he worked for nine months obtaining his license. He then moved to Jardine Insurance Brokers as an account executive, where he stayed for three years. In 1994, Saich went to work for AON Risk Services as a producer and assistant vice president. He has been involved in the commercial insurance industry for 14 years.
Swett & Crawford has named John Fosdick manager of its office in Irvine, California. He began his career in the insurance industry with Alexander Howden Limited as a Lloyds broker in its construction division. Two years later he transferred to Howden North America in Pasadena to take on marketing responsibility for a large contractor program and to underwrite risk on behalf of Gerling America. With the purchase of the Howden firm by Aon, Fosdick joined Sherwood Insurance Services, later Swett & Crawford. He specializes in construction and products-related risk as part of the Swett & Crawford organization.
Tom Scrivner has been promoted as an owner at Tucson, Ariz.-based GBP Risk Solutions. He will become a full partner with GBP Risk Solutions and will manage the company’s Phoenix office. Scrivner has been with GBP Risk Solutions for four years and previously served as an account executive, specializing in large commercial insurance.
He has 16 years of experience in the commercial P/C industry. Scrivner spent the first 10 years of his career as a sales representative for direct-writing insurance companies, starting with Federated Insurance and finishing with Philadelphia Insurance Company, which brought him to Arizona in 1995 to open the state’s first office. He joined GBP early in 2000 to start the Phoenix Metro Office. In addition, he will become president of the Arizona AMS Users Group in July. He currently holds the office of vice president.
The St. Paul Travelers Companies Inc., headquartered in Saint Paul, Minn., promoted Michael Miller and Brian MacLean to the newly-created positions of COOs. Miller is responsible for the specialty business and regional executive organization, and MacLean is responsible for the commercial business, including runoff businesses, along with his previous claim responsibilities.
In addition, Joseph Lacher, who has served as the CEO of the personal lines business, was promoted to executive vice president of the company; he continues to lead personal lines.
Torrance, Calif.-based ePolicy Solutions Inc. announced that Britain T. Price has joined the company as vice president of sales. Price joined ePolicy Solutions from SS&C Technologies Inc., where he served as senior vice president of sales and more recently led SS&C’s analytics business unit. Prior to SS&C Technologies, Price was a sales executive for Marsh Inc. and served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy.
ESIS Inc., the risk management services arm of ACE USA, announced the appointment of Minh Vu as assistant vice president, Client Services. Vu will be based in San Francisco. With more than 23 years of experience in the insurance and risk management arena, Vu joins ESIS from the City and County of San Francisco, where he served as deputy director, Workers’ Compensation Division. He has held a variety of risk management and consulting positions for both Watson Wyatt Worldwide and Tillinghast-Towers Perrin. Vu has also held various positions in claims, underwriting and management information systems for Kemper Insurance Company.
San Francisco-based Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. announced that Priya Cherian Huskins has been named a partner with the firm. Huskins joined the firm’s Directors & Officers Liability Practice in 2003. Prior to joining Woodruff-Sawyer, Huskins practiced corporate and securities law at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, where she worked with public and private technology companies through all stages of development. She has advised clients on public disclosure compliance and corporate governance issues, as well as equity compensation and employment matters.
Redwood City, Calif.-based ABD Insurance and Financial Services has hired Scott Rhymes as a senior risk control consultant. He will work out of ABD’s Petaluma, Calif. office and will provide industrial hygiene and safety management consultative services for many of the company’s P/C clients. Rhymes has more than eight years of experience in the field of environmental health and safety. He previously worked with the Golden Gate Bridge District in the risk management department.
Los Angeles-based HCC Surety Group has promoted Frank Mesterto vice president. Mester will continue to serve as manager of HCC Surety Group’s largest branch office located in Los Angeles. He will also assume primary responsibility for HCC SuretyOnline. Mester has been with HCC Surety Group for nearly six years.
Brown & Riding Insurance Services announced that Kelly Nguyen has been promoted to broker in its Los Angeles office. In her new role as a broker, Nguyen will be working in the firm’s casualty division, concentrating on construction accounts including wrap-ups, products, and umbrella/excess accounts. Nguyen joined Brown & Riding in March 2003 as an account manager, and was promoted to client service manager, supervising four associate brokers and production assistants in addition to her account management responsibilities. Nguyen specializes in a range of casualty risks, including residential and commercial construction and products risks. Prior to joining Brown & Riding, Nguyen worked for AON as a senior client specialist, and also spent over 10 years as a senior underwriter with such insurance companies as Fireman’s Fund, CNA, AIG and Reliance.
Peer Analytics Corp. announced that Fiachra (Figs) O’Sullivan has been named director of business development, a new position, at the Walnut Creek, Calif.-based investment consulting firm which focuses exclusively on the insurance industry. O’Sullivan will be responsible for sales, marketing and corporate communications. He previously served as a corporate client group director for Smith Barney in San Francisco.
Calif.-based Millennium Corporate Solutions announced that Frank L. Marrone has been named managing partner. Marrone began his insurance career in 1990 at Connecticut Mutual Life Insurance. He previously served as an account executive at Armstrong Robitaille. He then moved on to a position as senior account executive at Universal Care. Most recently he was a vice president at USI of Southern California. When he joined MCS, his responsibilities included overseeing the Pasadena office, hiring producers and staff and coaching and supporting them.
Zurich announced that Bill Casey been promoted to the newly-created position of senior vice president of regional management of its North America Commercial marketing operations. He will be based at the company’s headquarters in Schaumburg, Ill. and will coordinate Zurich’s regional marketing and distribution efforts in North America. Casey most recently worked as the regional vice president responsible for marketing and business development in New York, New Jersey and New England. Before joining Zurich, Casey worked at Allied Coverage Corporation as vice president of the environmental, wrap-up and risk engineering divisions. He also held senior positions at Willis Corroon, Reliance National and American International Group.
Markel Corporation in Richmond, Va. announced that effective at its next annual meeting, May 23, 2005, Darrell D. Martinwill hand over the role of CFO while continuing on a reduced time basis to assist the company as executive vice president. Effective the same date, Richard R. Whitt, III will be promoted to senior vice president and CFO.
Whitt joined Markel Corporation in 1991 in the corporate finance department and was promoted to controller in 1994. He served in that role until 2001 when he assumed the position of vice president, treasurer and controller. In 2003, Whitt joined Markel International in London as chief administrative officer.
Amica Mutual Insurance Company‘s new president and CEO Robert A. DiMuccio and new members of the company’s board of directors were introduced at the company’s annual meeting of policyholders.
Thomas A. Taylor, president and CEO since 1994, retired after serving the Lincoln, R.I.-based company for 35 years. Taylor will remain a member of the company’s board of directors. He is succeeded by DiMuccio, an Amica employee of 13 years.
DiMuccio served as vice president; senior vice president; treasurer; and CFO; and most recently was Amica’s executive vice president before being elected president and CEO. Before joining Amica, he spent 14 years with KPMG Peat Marwick in Providence.
M. Stuart Towsey Jr. was confirmed as Amica’s new executive vice president. Towsey has been with Amica for 31 years, having most recently served as the company’s senior vice president and superintendent of claims.
The company also announced the retirement of Peter B. Freeman after 17 years of service on the company’s board of directors. The board elected Richard A. Plotkin to fill Freeman’s unexpired term.
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