People

Jacksonville, Florida-based Harden & Associates, an insurance brokerage company, promoted Dustin Theilacker to chief information officer.

As CIO, Theilacker will continue to provide technology vision and leadership for developing and implementing information technology initiatives.

Theilacker previously held the position of director of information technology.

Gresham & Associates of Stockbridge, Georgia, added two new property & casualty brokers: Stephanie Averhart, who has 20 years of industry experience, and Annete Marsa, who has 10 years of retail and wholesale insurance experience. Gresham & Associates, a national wholesale insurance operation, has 11 locations nationwide.

Katharina “Kathy” Houser joined West Palm Beach, Florida-based McAuley Woods and Associates, a national wholesale insurance brokerage, as its new chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

Houser’s responsibilities will include overseeing the accounting staff, integrating and streamlining office operations and utilizing information technology to continue the growth of the company.

Houser previously worked as CEO for a large developer, investor and manager of multi-family projects primarily in South Florida.

Zurich North America Commercial named Richard Richiski head of distribution and regional management for its specialties business unit.

Richiski assumes responsibility for directing regional performance of Zurich’s specialties business unit across North America. His career spans 25 years, during which he has held senior-level product line, underwriting, sales and marketing positions. He joined Zurich in 1996 was most recently chief operating officer for the specialties business unit.

Markel International named William Stovin president and chief operating officer, replacing Gerry Albanese, who will return to the U.S. to assume a senior executive position with Markel Corp.

At the same time, Jeremy Brazil will become president of Markel International Insurance Co. Ltd.

Stovin was heavily involved in the reorganization of the company immediately after its acquisition by Markel in 2000. In 2005, he was appointed director of administration and in February 2008 was promoted to chief administrative officer.

Brazil worked in underwriting in the London market since 1989. At Markel International he became director of reinsurance in 2001 and for the past two years his responsibility included the management of Markel’s underwriting divisions.

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Leslie Newman appointed James H. “Jim” Pillow as the assistant commissioner for the state’s Fire Prevention Division.

Pillow recently spent four years as the Clarksville City Building and Codes director. He worked for 10 years with the city of Milan as a building official/city planner. With 14 years of experience in building and codes departments, Pillow has numerous certifications with the International Code Council including building official, master code professional, housing code official, commercial building inspector and building plans examiner. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Tennessee Building Officials Association.

Steven A. Page joined Lakeland, Florida-based IBSL (formerly known as International Brokerage & Surplus Lines) as a marketing underwriter for non-trucking lines.

Page comes to IBSL from Brown & Brown, where he served as national marketing manager for the company’s binding authority business. Prior to that, Page helped to build TAPCO’s binding authority expertise and served as training coordinator for the firm’s internal underwriting and paperless underwriting system.

Wells Fargo Insurance Services Inc. added Emanuel (Manny) Lauria Jr. as managing director of its Atlanta office.

Lauria will oversee all operations of the Atlanta office, including new business development, customer satisfaction and retention, revenue growth and profitability. Lauria will report to Julian E. Smiley, senior vice president. Lauria will also lead the delivery of international risk services, sharing this responsibility with Jim Gervang.

Lauria joins Wells Fargo from Wachovia Insurance Services, where he was southern region managing director. Prior to Wachovia he spent more than 20 years with Marsh Inc.

Shreveport, La.-based wholesale insurance broker, Specialty Risk Associates Inc., added Cathy Simon to the staff of the firm’s Ridgeland, Miss. office.

Simon specializes in transportation underwriting and began her career in Jackson, Miss. She has 24 years of experience in surplus lines underwriting, with extensive knowledge of the Mississippi market.

AmWINS Brokerage of Georgia promoted Rich Fernandez to senior vice president. Fernandez has been with AmWINS for three years, and is a member of AmWINS’ Financial Risk Group where he serves as the practice’s Financial Institution specialist.

Key Risk, a provider of workers compensation, named Marshall Carter as territory marketing manager for the company’s southern region. Carter will assume the marketing responsibilities for Tennessee, Kentucky, and northwest Georgia.

Carter has more than 24 years of experience in insurance underwriting and marketing.

Topics Florida Agencies Underwriting Georgia Insurance Wholesale Tennessee