People and Places

The Progressive Corp. appointed John A. Barbagallo as the new president of the company’s Drive Group. Barbagallo, who joined the company more than 20 years ago as a claims representative, currently serves as the Drive Atlantic Region general manager.

Barbagallo replaces Robert T. Williams, who resigned May 17.

Also, Alan R. Bauer, president of the company’s Direct Group of Insurance Co.’s since 2002, will step down from his responsibilities and leave the company effective today. Bauer joined Progressive in 1979.

Glenn Renwick, Progressive Corp. CEO and president announced the commencement of an internal search for the next Direct Group president.

Harleysville Insurance named the leadership team for its new Midwest operation headquartered in Itasca, Ill. The Midwest region, which includes existing offices in Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and the new location in Illinois, was established as part of the company’s reorganization of its network of field offices into four geographic zones to support profitable growth and expansion of the company’s field sales and underwriting presence in key markets, the company’s written statement said.

William D. Granato, regional president, announced the following appointments for the Midwest operation: Richard A. Schumacher Jr., regional vice president of commercial lines business development; Todd A. White, regional vice president of commercial lines underwriting; Jeffrey D. Brown, resident vice president-Michigan (based in Traverse City, Mich.); Douglas J. Holtz, resident vice president-Indiana and Ohio (based in Carmel, Ind.); Robert S. Wendt Jr., resident vice president-Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota (based in Edina, Minn.).

The remaining states in the Midwest region–Illinois and Wisconsin–will be managed by Grana.

Crump Insurance Services of Illinois Inc. recently announced Jeff Neville will be property broker in the Chicago office. Neville has experience brokering commercial property insurance accounts in all 50 states. He also has eight years in the wholesale insurance community. He also worked for five years as a property marketing specialist at Risk Placement Services in Chicago.

Evergreen Re, a national healthcare reinsurance and medical risk brokerage firm, promoted Dave Kalb to senior vice president in charge of the company’s Minnesota office. Kalb brings more than 20 years of managed care reinsurance and analytical expertise to the firm. His prior experience includes structuring, pricing and implementing creative reinsurance programs for health care concerns and he has provided exceptional depth and sophistication to the firm and the company’s clients.

Integro announced that Edward Propst has joined the firm as principal for Client Development in the Chicago office. Propst was previously with Worthington Advisors, where he was president for five years. He has 13 years of experience in client development.

North Pointe Holdings Corp. promoted Brian J. Roney to the position of chief financial officer, effective immediately. He fills the position vacated by John Berry, who will remain with North Pointe as treasurer.

Reporting to James G. Petcoff, chief executive officer, Roney is responsible for finance, accounting and investor relations.

Roney joined North Pointe Financial in 1999 and was given responsibility for mergers and acquisitions, personal lines planning and special projects. He has served as senior vice president of finance for North Pointe Holdings since January 2005. Prior to North Pointe, Roney worked for 10 years in the securities industry. During that time, he was director of Corporate Syndicate with Roney and Co., of which he was a principal prior to its sale in 1999.

The Board of Directors of Ohio-based National Interstate Corp. elected Joseph E. (Jeff) Consolino as a director of the company to fill the unexpired term of the current director, K. Brent Somers. In addition to his board service, Consolino will serve as the chair of the Audit Committee and as a member of the Compensation Committee, for a term that will expire in 2007.

Somers, who has served on the board and chaired the Audit Committee since the company’s initial public offering, is leaving to pursue personal interests.

Consolino is currently executive vice president and chief financial officer of Validus Holdings Ltd., a Bermuda-based reinsurance company. Previously, as managing director in Merrill Lynch’s Financial Institutions Group, Consolino led National Interstate’s initial public offering.

The Hylant Group announced that Elizabeth Thorne has joined the Cleveland office as its client executive. She has 20 years of sales and marketing experience with the last 18 years specializing in group insurance and employee benefits.

Prior to joining Hylant Group, Thorne spent six years with a small northwest Ohio benefits brokerage agency. She opened the Cleveland satellite office in June of 2000. On April 17, 2006 the Hylant Group bought Thorne’s book of business.

The new client executive began her insurance career in Dallas, Texas, in 1988 as a special projects manager for a mid-size insurance company. She was recruited back to Cleveland as an account executive for a large national carrier where she sold ancillary insurance products and stop loss coverage for approximately seven years. Her experience working with large self-funded employers led her to a regional TPA, where she worked as an account executive until June of 2000.

Aon Corp. appointed Roderick J. Hood as resident managing director of Aon Risk Services Minnesota.

Hood, with nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, takes over from Alan R. Diamond, who recently announced his retirement after 34 years with Aon.

Prior to this appointment Hood, who has been with Aon since 1997, served as senior vice president and practice group leader for Aon’s Financial Services Group.