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National insurance program administrator Venture Insurance Programs named Michael DeMarco executive vice president for its Preferred Club Program. He will be responsible for the overall success of the insurance program for golf and country clubs nationwide. Prior to his position at Venture, DeMarco was worldwide property manager for the department of Financial Institutions at the Chubb Group. During his 13 years with Chubb, he also served as a practice leader, with responsibility for managing golf and country club programs written through Venture’s Preferred Club Program.

Katharina 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 at McAuley Woods 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. She was responsible as the CFO for all financial aspects of over 70 corporate entities including tax audit and compliance, cash flow management, financial and return on investment analysis as well as being the primary liaison for bankers, insurance providers and lenders.

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. announced new appointments for three of its senior executives. Effective immediately, Dan Brown will take on the new role of senior vice president of Industry Markets; Juan Andrade will become executive vice president of Sales and Distribution; and Andy Pinkes will assume the position of executive vice president of Claims.

Brown, who until now served as The Hartford’s head of sales and distribution, will lead a newly created business group called Industry Markets, which focuses on industries that offer opportunities for growth across the company’s business insurance segments. Brown joined The Hartford in 1989 and has served in a number of business segment and field leadership posts at the company.

Succeeding Brown as head of sales and distribution will be Andrade, who until now served as head of The Hartford’s claims organization. In his new role, Andrade will work to support 10,000 independent agents and brokers who distribute the company’s portfolio of personal and business insurance products. Prior to The Hartford, Andrade held a range of roles at AIG and Progressive.

Pinkes will succeed Andrade as head of The Hartford’s claims organization and will continue his stewardship of the company’s P&C run-off operations, a role he took on in 2005 after joining The Hartford in 2003. As COO and then president of The Hartford’s run-off operations, Pinkes and his team have helped the company manage many of the company’s most challenging issues, including asbestos, silica, environmental and complex exposures.

Pete Garvey, current president of Integro Ltd., has assumed the additional responsibility of CEO for the insurance broker, succeeding Roger Egan, who has left the company. Garvey has served as president of Integro since 2005. He was among the original founders of Integro in 2005, along with Egan and Robert Clements.

Joseph F. Morris has been named president and chief executive officer of Richmond, Virginia-based James River Insurance Co., and its affiliate James River Management Co. Inc.

Morris, a 28-year veteran of the insurance industry, most recently served as president and chief executive office of The Philadelphia Contributionship. Prior to that, he served as president of specialty insurer United America Indemnity Ltd., and also as president and chief executive officer of Penn-America Group.

Richard Ford, chief examiner of the Alabama Department of Insurance since 1993, accepted election as president of the Society of Financial Examiners at the organization’s recent annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

Ford directs the efforts of a staff that examines more than 1,300 insurance companies and generates more than $270 million in taxes.

Ford, who will lead SOFE for the next year, began his public service career as an auditor for the Alabama Department of Revenue before joining the Department of Insurance in 1981. He was named assistant chief examiner in 1985 before his promotion in 1993.

Charlotte, N.C.-based national wholesale insurance broker AmWINS Group Inc. has named Ben Francavilla director of Program Development. He will be responsible for driving the overall marketing strategy for the company’s underwriting division, which comprises six managing general agencies that work exclusively with retail agencies throughout the U.S.

Prior to his promotion, Francavilla served as senior managing director of AmWINS Program Underwriters, where he was responsible for new program development and managing the company’s day-to-day marketing efforts. He will continue to retain those duties as part of the new position.

Conshohocken, Pa.-based program administrator and brokerage company NSM Insurance Group appointed Bill McKernan president. He will manage the national growth and profitability of the entire portfolio of NSM products and services as well as handle relationships with direct customers. Geof McKernan will continue in his role as chief executive officer and retain primary responsibility for strategic planning, insurance carrier relations, new program development, and acquisitions.

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