People

The California State Compensation Insurance Fund’s Glendale Legal Unit B appointed Katherine Harvey-Edwards to attorney-in-charge. Harvey-Edwards brings 16 years of legal experience to her new post. She was hired as a staff counsel for the organization’s West Los Angeles District Office in 1991. In 2002 she was promoted to staff counsel III (specialist) and named lead attorney for the Glendale unit.

The El Camino, Calif., chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters Society installed new officers and directors. New officers are: President Peggy L. Brennan of 21st Century Insurance; President-Elect Allen N. Zeichik of Hertz Claim Management; Vice-President Jim Taylor of 21st Century Insurance; Secretary Eric B. Stassforth of Tolman and Wiker Insurance Agency; and Treasurer Tami Singer of Burns-Wilcox.

New directors are: Vanessa Toureau of State Farm Insurance; Rubin Snowden of Farmers Insurance Group; Leonardo Costantino of AIG; and Immediate Past President Jane L. Frenzel of Nationwide.

Bryan Clark, senior vice president/underwriting for The Harry W. Gorst Co., is the new chair for American Association of Managing General Agents’ Under Forty Organization. Clark began his insurance career at The Harry W. Gorst Co. more than 10 years ago. He oversees a growing number of underwriters in offices throughout California.

The UFO affords young insurance professionals under the age of 40, with an opportunity to network, learn and exchange ideas with one another.

The National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research hired JoAnn Clarke as business development regional director covering the West Coast, Alaska and Hawaii. She will be responsible for sales to both new and existing customers and for growing the West Coast business.

Clarke has 30 years of agency, company, regulatory and education experience in the insurance industry. Previously, she owned JMC Insurance Consulting & Training LLC. She has been an educational consultant and faculty member for The National Alliance for many years.

Atlanta-based Beecher Carlson expanded its executive liability team with the addition of Mark Vella as vice president. Vella will focus on business and client development for executive liability products. He will operate from Beecher Carlson’s Irvine, Calif., office.

Prior to joining the company, Vella spent seven years at Marsh. Initially, he served as broker for the company’s multi-lines global brokering practice where he specialized in property and casualty lines with an emphasis on errors and omissions for technology accounts in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Denver and Salt Lake City.

The United Kingdom’s Royal & SunAlliance appointed Timothy Mitchell to the newly created post of group underwriting and claims director with the responsibility of directing the development of underwriting and claims strategies and capabilities.

Mitchell will leave his post at Zurich Financial Services as head of actuarial underwriting to join R&SA. He became chief underwriter at Zurich’s U.K. General Business in 2001 and was a member of the GBU Executive Committee. Prior to Zurich, he spent two years at American International Group as senior vice president of National Union and executive vice president at American Home Assurance Co.

Zurich Financial Services Group appointed Michael Kerner global chief underwriting officer for general insurance, and Mark Talbot global head of group reinsurance.

Along with his new post, Kerner will retain his current position as head of group strategy, but will relinquish the position as head of group reinsurance.

Kerner previously served in a number of senior roles with the Zurich Financial Services Group and with Zurich North America Commercial since 1992.

Talbot will take over from Kerner as global head of group reinsurance. Talbot was formerly head of reinsurance management in Zurich. He joined Zurich in 2002 as head of ceded reinsurance. Prior to that, he served in management roles for a global reinsurer in Singapore and Sydney.

Denver-based Van Gilder added Rick Emerson as program director, to handle the growth in voluntary benefits and program business. The development of the initiative is designed to help larger clients create and execute programs to suit their needs, the company said. Emerson has been involved in the insurance industry for several years, including in production and management.

C.V. Starr & Co. promoted Jeffrey M. Hafter to president, replacing William J. Weichold, who is retiring after a 24-year career with the company.

Hafter was recently executive vice president of C.V. Starr & Co., responsible for developing the company’s East Coast expansion and supporting the parent company, C.V. Starr & Co. Inc. in the acquisition and development of new agencies. Hafter held various senior management positions with the company between 2001 and 2004.

Colemont Insurance Brokers promoted Tom Bunke to vice president-underwriter of Colemont-Southern California. Bunke joined Colemont in March 2001. He began his career with the G.J. Sullivan Co. and worked as an underwriter for Westcap Insurance Services before joining Colemont. He has 16 years of experience working with programs for insurance classes such as contractors, truckers, restaurants and products liability.

California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund promoted Mark Johnson to Oxnard District office manager. Johnson brings over 27 years of workers’ compensation experience to his district office post. His most recent assignment was Oxnard District Office field services manager.

CNA Financial Corp. in Chicago named James Abraham senior vice president of property and marine. He will be responsible for the large property segment, marine, boiler and machinery and wholesale property.

Abraham has 25 years of industry experience, having served as vice president of CAN’s Minneapolis branch, and president and CEO for Willis of Minnesota.

Topics California Agencies Underwriting Reinsurance Property Training Development