People

Thomas F. Motamed has stepped down as vice chairman and chief operating officer for The Chubb Corp. to become chairman and chief executive officer of CNA Financial Corp., a position he will assume as of June 8, 2009.

Motamed worked at Chubb for 31 years, beginning in 1977 as a claims trainee, and has held numerous positions in the field and home office. He was elected to his present position in December 2002.

Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based Narragansett Bay Insurance Co. has added Drew J. Magee as director of underwriting.

With 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Magee has worked as the chief operating officer and underwriting officer of The Church Insurance Co. of Vermont and vice president of field operations of Highlands Insurance Group.

Colemont Insurance Brokers has promoted Gary Grindle to vice president of the firm’s Hartford, Connecticut office.

Grindle joined the Dallas, Texas-based brokerage in 2005 from Guilford Specialty Group, where he served as regional underwriting manager. Prior to that, he was assistant vice president for Citigroup’s foreign insurance subsidiary, CitiInsurance, and chief international underwriting officer and national director at Travelers Insurance Co.

Richmond, Virginia-based Hilb Rogal & Hobbs Co. promoted F. Michael Crowley to the new position of president and chief operating officer.

In this expanded role, Crowley will oversee sales and operational leadership, including the company’s international and wholesale operations. Crowley joined HRH as executive vice president in 2004 and has been president since September 2005.

Managing general agency and surplus lines wholesaler U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. named Peter Stanislaw program manager of StaffPak, an insurance package for the staffing industry.

StaffPak is offered through Annandale, Va.-based Lighthouse Underwriters, a program underwriting subsidiary of Dallas-based U.S. Risk.

Stanislaw is vice president and branch manager of Lighthouse, which he joined in 2004. He has also served as program director and production underwriter of PLPros, the company’s professional liability program.

General Star Management Co. appointed Gregory J. Diorio chief operating officer and Joseph L. Majsak chief marketing officer.

Diorio will oversee all underwriting divisions of the company, while Majsak will oversee the new marketing services division.

The company’s claim and administration units will report to Victoria J. Seeger, General Star’s chief underwriting officer.

P. Cole Palmer will replace Majsak as manager of the company’s casualty division and will also manage the professional brokerage division. Within the casualty division, James M. Richardson will serve as Western regional manager, while Michael Keane will serve as Eastern regional manager.

The Philadelphia chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriting Society announced its 2008 to 2009 officers and directors.

The incoming new officers are: President Dawn Upperman, Guy Carpenter; President-Elect Kellie Goldfien, Chubb Commercial Insurance; Vice President Shannon Rodgers, Amica Mutual Insurance Co.; Secretary Cindy Wolkiewicz, Cohen-Seltzer Inc.; and Treasurer Larry White, AmeriHealth Casualty Insurance Co.

The new directors are Margo Turtureja, Donna O’Brien, Mayleen Gallagher, Michael Etemad, Theresa Gregory, and Anita Devan.

Paramus, N.J.-based The NIA Group has hired insurance industry veteran Kevin W. Conboy as chief executive officer.

Conboy is the former president and chief executive officer of Acordia (Wells Fargo Insurance Services.) He took over the reins at NIA Group June 1, and has been tasked with expanding NIA Group’s footprint through acquisitions and adding new brokers.

In his 16 years with Acordia, Conboy led 54 acquisitions, increased operating margins, incorporated cross selling as an integral corporate strategy and spearheaded the successful integration of Acordia into Wells Fargo.

The privately held NIA Group has offices in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut and Florida.

Lockton Companies has added Chris Kaine to its Washington, D.C. brokerage team as vice president and producer for all property and casualty lines.

The addition of Kaine expands Lockton’s Washington, D.C.-based directors and officers liability and private equity/mergers and acquisitions capabilities.

Kaine has experience in professional liability for private equity, mergers and acquisitions, technology, telecommunications, life sciences, and financial services industries.

Prior to joining Lockton, he was a senior vice president in Willis’ Austin, Texas and Washington, D.C. offices. Prior to starting his career as a broker with Willis six years ago, Kaine had more than 12 years experience in corporate finance, most recently as a CFO, as well as in investment banking.

Topics Agencies Underwriting Washington Casualty