People and Places

Specialty broker Ames & Gough announced the election of Dan Knise as its new president and chief executive officer. Ames & Gough is an insurance broker and risk management consultant specializing in serving architects, engineers, law firms and managed care organization.

Knise comes to Ames & Gough after a career that has included senior leadership roles with J&H Marsh & McLennan, where he served as chairman of the Construction Group and also held positions as Target Marketing Leader, Quality Initiative Chair, and North American Middle Market Leader. He was a member of J&H’s operating committee and served on J&H Marsh’s board. Just prior to joining Ames & Gough, he was serving as a consultant to Palmer & Cay/ Wachovia and as an officer and board member of specialty insurance company, Restaurant Insurance Corp. Ames & Gough has offices in Atlanta and Boston, as well as Washington, D.C.

Assurex Global, a worldwide network of independent insurance brokers, recently appointed Paul J. Hering as chairman. Hering succeeds Gregory S. Belton (with Hunter Keilty Muntz & Beatty Ltd., Toronto), who continues his board service as chairman emeritus. Hering is the managing principal and chief executive officer of Barney & Barney LLC in San Diego, which has been affiliated with Assurex Global since 1984.

Other Assurex Global Partners recently elected to three-year board terms include: Matt Coleman, president, strategy and business development, Van Gilder Insurance Corp., Denver; Frank Mikan, president, The HDH Group, Inc., Pittsburgh; and David Lee Rodriguez, director, international division, Pulsar Global Insurance Brokers Srl, Milan, Italy. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Assurex Global represents 130 independently owned and locally managed firms.

Insurity, which provides processing services and technology to the property casualty insurance industry, has hired Sergio Oyola as regional vice president, sales, and Mark Menard as client executive, compliance reporting.

Oyola will be responsible for marketing all Insurity products nationwide, with an additional focus on Massachusetts auto insurance. His 20 years of industry experience includes serving as vice president of sales at AIG Technologies and senior vice president of customer relationship management at Systems Task Group.

Menard will serve as client executive for Insurity’s compliance reporting services business and also will focus on the Massachusetts auto product line. Previously, Menard served in sales for AIG Technologies. He had previously been a senior business analyst at Trust Insurance Company.

Insurity, based in Hartford, is a ChoicePoint company.

Jaimie Doucette has joined Needham, Mass.-based independent insurance agency, Provider Insurance Group, as an account manager in personal lines, advising clients on automobile and home owners insurance. Prior to joining Provider, she worked at Plymouth Rock Assurance and Quincy Mutual.

Doucette is joined by another new employee, Katie Ferreira, also an account manager in personal lines.

Also, Alyssa Martin has joined as group benefits account manager.

Continental Agency of Connecticut Inc.in Hamden, Conn., has reorganized its executive administration. Walter Prast is the new chief executive officer and chief financial officer; Gerard Prast now serves as chief operating officer; and Denise Borrelli now is president.

Walter Prast and Leon Finver founded the Continental Agency of Connecticut Inc. in 1976. Before the agency’s administrative changes, Prast served as president and owner.

Prior to the restructuring, Gerard Prast was vice president of the organization. He joined the agency in 1987 as a marketing manager.

Borrelli started her insurance career when she joined Continental Agency of Connecticut Inc. in 1980 as a policy typist. She held numerous roles within the company from accounting to insurance claims positions. In addition to her new position, she will continue to oversee the pricing and policy issuance of the contract casualty business.

Continental, an excess surplus lines agency, has two additional offices: CESI Agency of New England, Bedford, N.H. and Continental Agency of R.I., Warwick, R.I.

William Gallagher Associates has promoted Louisa C. Bolick to senior vice president in the firm’s Employee Benefits Practice in Boston. Bolick has 15 years of experience in employee benefits, on both the carrier and brokerage side. She joined WGA in 1997. Bolick provides consulting and brokerage services to large and mid-size companies for their employee benefit programs.

The Hanover Insurance Group has named Scott Shader as vice president, commercial lines business development. Shader will have management responsibilities for teams focused on small account and specialty commercial lines. Shader joins The Hanover from the Willis Group, where he led the small commercial initiative. Prior to joining Willis, Shader was field operations officer for The St. Paul Travelers.

Penn Millers Insurance Company, based in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., has created business units to focus on agribusiness and general commercial business, according to President and CEO Douglas A. Gaudet. The new strategic business unit structure includes the following leadership changes:

Michael O. Banks, executive vice president and William Dine, assistant vice President, will lead general business operations.

Harold Roberts, senior vice president and Joseph Survilla, vice president, will assume leadership of the agribusiness unit.

Frank Joanlanne, senior vice president, will be in charge of information technology and marketing initiatives. Joanlanne remains president of Penn Software and Technology Services, Inc.

Michael Berrini has been appointed assistant vice president and will assist Joanlanne with leadership of Penn Millers’ Corporate Information Services Group.

William J. Spencer has been appointed president and CEO of Eastern Insurance Group.

The Penn Millers Group includes Penn Millers Insurance Company, Penn Software & Technology Services, Inc. and Eastern Insurance Group. Incorporated in 1887, Penn Millers Insurance Company is licensed in 40 states to provide coverages for agribusiness and general commercial business.