People

Ron Wright, chief operating officer of Texas Mutual Insurance Co. since 1997, is set to become president and CEO of the company effective Sept. 1, 2009.

Wright will succeed Russell R. Oliver, who announced his retirement in February. Oliver has worked at Texas Mutual since 1994; he was named president and CEO the following year. Two years ago, Texas Mutual launched the Executive Management Succession Planning Project to prepare for Oliver’s eventual retirement.

Wright’s move to the role of president and CEO was approved by the Board of Directors.

He has had a distinguished career in the insurance industry. Before joining Texas Mutual in 1997, Wright was senior vice president of workers’ compensation for Travelers Aetna Property and Casualty Corp.

Mike Kerner has been named chief executive officer of Zurich’s Global Corporate North America business unit. In his new position, which is effective June 1, he will oversee all Global Corporate business in North America.

Kerner currently serves as global chief underwriting officer and head of group strategy in Zurich, where he led the establishment of sophisticated pricing and risk selection methodologies, and helped drive the development and implementation of the group’s strategy.

He has served in a number of senior roles with the Zurich Financial Services Group and with Zurich North America Commercial since 1992. Kerner has extensive experience in underwriting, actuarial, operations, finance and reinsurance.

He replaces Mario Vitale, CEO of Global Corporate, who had been serving on an interim basis since January.

The Association of Professional Insurance Women Inc. (APIW) has selected Chubb Group Executive Vice President Janice Tomlinson as its “Insurance Woman of the Year.”

Tomlinson, who has been employed by Chubb since 1973, serves as international field operations manager. She is responsible for profit and loss on a $2.9 billion book of business in 28 countries and oversees more than 50 offices and 2,500 employees.

Prior to her current position, Tomlinson was the chairman and president of Chubb’s Canadian business operations from 1995 to 2003.

The annual APIW Insurance Woman of the Year Award, first presented in 1976, recognizes an exceptional woman who has achieved prominence in her profession and has made significant contributions to the insurance industry.

Mike Grushon of Thomas & Grushon Agency in Bellbrook, Ohio, was honored by the National Associa-tion of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) with the 2009 PIA National Professional Agent of the Year Award.

Grushon was honored for his contribution to the insurance industry and the American agency system, as well as his participation in PIA. Grushon is a long-time member of PIA of Ohio. He chairs PIA’s Education Committee and has served on the board of directors and as chairman of the several other committees.

In 2008 he was named PIA Chairman of the Year and was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award. His accolades extend beyond his professional career – Grushon and his wife, Debi, were named National Alumni of the Year by Florida College for their work running a summer youth camp for the past 18 years, where they take 400 kids to Walt Disney World each year.

Pattie Smestad, an account executive with Eagan Insurance Agency in Metairie, La., was named 2009 Region VI Insurance Professional of the Year by the NAIW (International).

Smestad, who has been with Eagan Insurance for 15 years, has been a member of the Insurance Professionals of Greater New Orleans since 1976. She served as president of the association in 1995 and has held other leadership positions with the organization as well.

She will compete at the national level with winners from eight other regions for the National Insurance Professional of the Year award at the NAIW National Convention to be held in New Orleans in May.

Nautilus Insurance Group named Thomas Miali as assistant vice president-property underwriting.

Miali joins Nautilus from a reinsurance company where he served as vice president. His background includes managerial positions specializing in property underwriting for both primary and reinsurance companies. He has more than 30 years industry experience including excess and surplus lines, individual risk underwriting, programs, training and development and marketing.

Nautilus also recently promoted Miklos F. Kallo to senior vice president, chief financial officer and treasurer. He replaced John M. Runberg who retired on March 2, 2009, after 23 years with the company.

Kallo joined Nautilus in October 2008 as vice president-finance and accounting. Prior to joining Nautilus, he served as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Preferred Employers Insurance Co.

Nautilus Insurance Group includes Nautilus Insurance Co. and Great Divide Insurance Co., member companies of W.R. Berkley Corporation, and writes excess and surplus (E&S) and specialty lines coverage in the United States.

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