People and Places

Dallas-based Colemont Insurance Brokers – Texas announced the promotions of Su Young to assistant vice president and Amy Rosso-Leiker to the position of broker.

Young joined Colemont in 2001 as a financial services broker. She specializes in directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary, crime and professional liability/E&O coverage placements for all classes. Prior to joining Colemont, Young worked for 19 years at various retail agencies in all coverage areas, including financial services.

Rosso-Leiker has been with Colemont for 15 years, specializing in non-subscription program review and recommen-dations and qualified self insured workers’ compensation, in addition to Texas non-subscription. Her current efforts include aiming to create a full service program.

Colemont Insurance Brokers also promoted Jan Rose to executive vice president of Colemont in Chicago.

Rose has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, the last 14 of which he worked as a wholesale insurance broker. He has worked on all lines of financial services products, including D&O, E&O, fiduciary liability and crime. Additionally, he specializes in medical malpractice for health care organizations and providers, as well as in D&O for public, private and non-profit entities.

Independent insurance claims services company, Cunningham Lindsey U.S. (CLUS), headquartered in Dallas, promoted Laura Pastore to assistant vice president. Pastore previously had served as property analyst/trainer.

Pastore started with CLUS in June 2005, bringing 15 years of experience as an adjuster, supervisor, trainer and project manager.

The 2006 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, recently recognized Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons L.L.P. as a “Tier One” insurance law firm in Texas and recognized five Thompson Coe attorneys for their insurance law expertise.

The recognized attorneys from Thompson Coe’s Dallas office are Richard S. Geiger, counsel and member of the firm’s Governmental and Legislative Advocacy and Insurance Law practice groups, and Roger D. Higgins, a partner and member of the firm’s Appellate Law and Insurance Litigation and Coverage practice groups.

The honoree from Thompson Coe’s Austin office is Jay A. Thompson, a partner and member of the firm’s Governmental and Legislative Advocacy and Insurance Law practice groups.

The honorees from Thompson Coe’s Houston office are Brian S. Martin, a regular contributor to Insurance Journal – South Central, and Rodrigo “Diego” Garcia, Jr., both partners and members of the firm’s Insurance Litigation and Coverage practice group.

This is the fourth consecutive year Thompson Coe has been recognized for its statewide pre-eminence in this field, the law firm reported.

Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry appointed Michael J. Harkey as a Workers’ Compensation Court judge for a term ending July 1, 2008. He succeeds Richard G. Mason, who resigned in January.

Harkey has been an attorney since 1977. The governor selected the 54-year-old Oklahoma City native among three candidates whose names were submitted by the Judicial Nominating Commission.

Harkey graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1973 and earned his law degree from the Oklahoma City University College of Law in 1977.

Swett & Crawford, based in Atlanta, Ga., appointed James E. Moylan Jr. as chief financial officer. Moylan has extensive experience in strategic and financial management of public companies in business services, energy, manufacturing and electronics.

Formerly, Moylan served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer of PRG-Schultz International, an Atlanta-based publicly held recovery audit and business services firm; and as executive vice president in charge of Composite Panel Distribution and Administration for Georgia-Pacific Corp.’s building products distribution business.

Benfield Corporate Risk recruited a new global directors and officers team to further enhance its casualty specialty capabilities in the marine, energy, power and mining sectors.

The new team will be based in three locations around the world. It includes Richard Cutfield in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Heather Dearborn in Houston, Texas, and David Wilde in London, England, U.K.

Cutfield joined Benfield CR in January 2006 as manager of its Canadian operations. He has over 25 years’ experience in the energy insurance market with a specialty focus on D&O liability. Before joining Benfield CR he was managing partner of Jones Brown Inc. with responsibility for their Financial Institutions accounts and Energy Income Trusts and was national practice leader for D&O Liability.

Dearborn joins Benfield CR from Jardine Lloyd Thompson. She has extensive experience in marketing, placement and servicing of D&O liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, commercial crime/fidelity and kidnap and ransom.

Wilde joins Benfield CR from Willis, where his last posting was in Bermuda. He has specialized in D&O liability, employment practices liability and professional liability insurance for over 15 years and has placed insurance programs for customers incorporated around the globe.

The Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. (MMC) announced that David Spiller, the current president of Guy Carpenter & Company Inc., MMC’s global risk and reinsurance specialty business, has been appointed as the division’s new CEO.

Spiller has served as president of Guy Carpenter and a member of the firm’s Executive Committee and Management Board since January 2006. As CEO, he will be responsible for the company’s day-to-day operations worldwide and will report directly to Michael G. Cherkasky, MMC’s president and CEO.

Guy Carpenter’s current CEO Salvatore D. Zaffino will continue as chairman.

Before joining Guy Carpenter, Spiller was CEO of Benfield Ltd. in London where he was responsible for all business outside of the U.S.