People

Willis Group Holdings appointed Phillip Ellis leader of a new division focused on growing the company’s Enterprise Risk Management business for Willis’ Global Retail and Specialty teams. He was most recently chairman of Willis Energy. Prior to joining Willis in 2006, Ellis was leader of the Oil and Gas Practice at Boston Consulting Group. Prior to that, he was with Booz Allen & Hamilton.

Alistair Rivers, CEO of Willis Marine, will be CEO of Willis Energy, in addition to his current duties. Energy and Marine will remain separate businesses with separate executive teams, but will share Rivers as a leader.

Zurich appointed Christopher Haarmann chief underwriting officer of its Specialties Business unit. He has 25 years of insurance industry experience.

Haarmann joined Zurich in 1998 and has worked in a variety of senior roles. Most recently he was senior vice president for Global Liability lines. Prior to Zurich, Haarmann held senior positions with Swiss Reinsurance, TIG Insurance, Continental Insurance and AIG.

Colemont Insurance Brokers named Sean Burke senior vice president and financial services broker. He will work out of the company’s San Francisco office to enhance and develop the financial services practice for the West Coast. Burke previously was with AmWins Brokerage Group, where he was a managing director for its national Financial Risk Group (FRG) and managed the San Francisco local FRG practice. He had been with AmWins (and Stewart Smith, before its acquisition by AmWins in 2005) for nearly six years.

Saylor & Hill Co., a Barney & Barney Co., named Kevin Ishizu director of the Executive Liability Practice.

Formerly a partner and team manager at Carpenter Moore Insurance Services Inc., Ishizu brings more than 14 years of industry experience specializing in directors and officers, errors and omissions and employment practices insurance. He worked for several years as a licensed Series 7 and 63 member of the NASD in retail securities and investment banking.

J. Robert Howard joined the Phoenix office of insurance broker Lockton Cos., as producer for all property and casualty lines.

Howard has spent more than 20 years in the industry in several key market segments. He most recently was commercial lines manager with Compass Insurance Agency’s Phoenix division. He began his career at CBIZ Insurance Services Inc., where he helped build the company’s mid-Atlantic region during an 11-year period.

Conover Insurance of Kirkland, Wash., named Aaron McClellan an account executive in the company’s Employee Benefits Division.

McClellan has more than seven years of experience in employee benefits, commercial insurance and personal lines. He has owned his own business and worked with an actuary firm, where he established HIPAA policies and set self-funding reserves.

Aloha Insurance Services, an agency with offices in Kailua-Kona and Kailua, Hawaii, named Peter Preston manager of the new Ocean Marine Department, with emphasis on charter vessels.

Preston has been in the insurance industry for 33 years, including eight years of London/Lloyd’s market experience. He has a background with marine liability and cargo risks.

E.P.I.C. (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center) appointed Michael P. Checca and Elliott Rothman principals in its Los Angeles office.

Checca comes from the Professional Practice Insurance Brokers division of Hilb Rogal & Hobbs in Los Angeles. Prior to HRH, he was employed at the Tribune Co.

Rothman specializes in providing insurance and risk management advice to mid-sized law firms. Previously, he was with Hilb, Rogal & Hobbs, where he served as senior vice president.

Carrie Nevans was appointed deputy administrative director of California’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC). Nevans has more than 25 years of government experience in California and has served as administrative director and deputy administrative director for the DWC since 2005. Prior to that, Nevans was chief of programmatic services for the division and served as budget manager for the Department of Industrial Relations from 1999 to 2004. Nevans served as a fiscal consultant to the California State Senate from 1995 to 1999 and as a budget analyst for the Department of Finance from 1994 to 1995.

Honolulu-based Atlas Insurance Agency Inc. appointed Shan Tsutsui business consultant in its Client Consulting Group. He will be responsible for providing insurance program consultation to large commercial businesses. Tsutsui has more than 14 years of experience in the financial investment industry. He represents the fourth Senatorial District on Maui in the Hawaii State Senate of the Hawaii State Legislature. He is also director of marketing at Hawaii Investment Securities.

The Society of Certified Insurance Counselors (CIC) recognized John Greenlee for professional leadership and advanced knowledge. He was awarded a certificate marking more than 25 years of participation as a designated CIC, which requires annual completion of advanced education and training.

The California Department of Insurance appointed Heather Lambert deputy insurance commissioner for community relations. Lambert previously served as external affairs coordinator in the Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, where she worked as a liaison between the public safety, business, education and local government communities. She most recently served as the deputy director for corporate communications at the California Lottery.

The National Insurance Crime Bureau named Roger Morris vice president and chief communications officer. Morris is a veteran communications and marketing professional with experience in the insurance and public utilities industries, and as a broadcast journalist. He previously served in executive positions at the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America, the Alliance of American Insurers and CNA Insurance. Most recently, he was a senior communications and marketing consultant.

Valiant Insurance Group Inc. named Ted Nienburg vice president for casualty and Michael A. Vita is assistant vice president for excess casualty. Both will be located in New York.

Nienburg began his insurance career as a casualty underwriter and auto underwriter at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. Prior to joining Valiant, Nienburg was with Liberty International Underwriters.

Vita also comes to Valiant from LIU.

American International Group named Anthony J. DeSantis president and CEO of its Personal Auto Group. DeSantis joined AIG in 1986, and has held several management and executive positions in the AIG personal lines companies. He was named chief operating officer of aigdirect.com in September 2007, following the merger with 21st Century Insurance Group. He will be based in Wilmington, Del.

Zurich North America named Kevin Whitehead to head its Excess Casualty unit. In this role, he will lead Excess Casualty operations across the United States, with oversight for 11 offices.Whitehead has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience. Prior to joining Zurich, he spent nine years with AIG Excess Casualty, most recently as executive vice president – national accounts. He also spent two years in facultative reinsurance with CNA Reinsurance and 10 years with Chubb Insurance.

Dennis Marvin, vice president of Ocean Marine for Max Specialty, was elected chairman of the American Institute of Marine Underwriters. He succeeds Richard J. Decker, president of AIG Global Marine, who completed his two-year term as chairman.

Marvin becomes the 49th chairman since AIMU was established in 1898. AIMU provides educational programs, is an advocate before international, federal and state governments and is an information center for the U.S. ocean marine insurance industry.

Topics California Agencies Excess Surplus Market Training Development Hawaii AIG Casualty