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Tom Elder has joined All Risks’ National Specialty Programs unit as the lead financial institutions underwriter for the new nationwide REO/

Foreclosure and Lender Placed Property Insurance Program. At All Risks, he will target commercial banks, credit unions, savings and loans, mortgage banks, and financial institutions that service and/or invest in mortgage loans.

Previously, Elder worked for MetLife Bank as a regional reverse mortgage consultant. Prior to that, he owned a mortgage company for six years.

Neal S. Wolin has been confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as the deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In February, Wolin was named deputy assistant to the President and deputy counsel to the president for Economic Policy.

From 2001 to 2008, Wolin served at The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., most recently as president and chief operating officer for Property and Casualty and previously as general counsel. Earlier in his career, he also worked in private law practice at Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C.

Houston-based HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. has promoted Michael J. Donovan to president of HCC Aviation, a division of the company. In addition to becoming president of HCC Aviation, Donovan has been promoted to executive vice president of Houston Casualty Co., HCC’s largest subsidiary. Donovan is a 26-year veteran of HCC, having spent his entire career with the company in aviation underwriting.

Simon Noonan, senior vice president and president of Bristol West Holdings Inc., a subsidiary of Farmers Group Inc., has been promoted to chief operating officer of Farmers Business Insurance. Noonan joined Bristol West Holdings in 2002 as senior vice president and was promoted to executive vice president in 2005. He later became COO, as well as president and CEO. In addition, he served as a senior vice president of Farmers Group.

Prior to joining Bristol West, Noonan provided actuarial and merger and acquisition services, with a focus mainly on non-life insurance companies for consulting firm Metis Financial.

American Specialty Insurance & Risk Services Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Brown & Brown Inc., has named Tony L. Wittwer president of the Roanoke, Ind.-based sports, motorsports and recreation specialty insurance company. Wittwer joined American Specialty in September 2006 and previously served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer. He brings 20 years of specialty insurance and senior executive expertise to American Specialty, including serving as president and CEO of K&K Insurance Group Inc.

American Specialty’s senior vice president of Client Services, Drew Smith, will be assuming Wittwer’s previous role as chief marketing officer. Smith joined American Specialty in May 1997 as an account executive and has held a number of positions of increasing authority over the last 12 years.

Liberty International Underwriters, a division of Liberty Mutual Group, named Tim Kania as senior vice president of construction for North and South America operations. An insurance executive for more than 20 years, Kania is also a licensed professional engineer. In his new position, Kania will focus on the energy and heavy industries segments as well as construction all-risk.

Topics Excess Surplus