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New York-based insurance wholesaler Russell Bond & Co. has promoted Margaret J. Arnold to assistant vice president-controller. She is a 20-year veteran of the firm.

In addition, the company has also promoted Derek Bucciferro to senior underwriter. He has 10 years experience at Russell Bond as a transportation specialist handling commercial auto, garage and related accounts, as well as workers’ compensation.

Virginia-based Professional Governmental Underwriters Inc. has promoted Grey Lester to senior underwriter. Grey has been with PGU for nine years as a D&O/E&O specialist underwriting public officials liability, educators liability and police professional liability coverages.

New York State Insurance Fund Deputy Executive Director Thomas Gleason has been honored with an award for excellence from the New York Claim Association (NYCA). The award, which was presented during a dinner in December, recognizes service to the insurance industry. NYCA promotes high standards of ethics and professional conduct among its members and others engaged in insurance claim and related businesses.

Richard P. Rooney has been named vice president of inland marine for Harleysville Insurance’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. In this position, he oversees the company’s inland marine underwriting efforts in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Prior to joining Harleysville, Rooney was vice president of property and inland marine for First Mercury Emerald Insurance Services. Prior to that, he was vice president and northeastern regional property manager for Argonaut Specialty. He has nearly 30 years of inland marine and property insurance experience with such companies as Global Excess Partners, First Capital Group, AIG Risk Specialists Companies, Seneca Insurance Co., and Chubb & Son.

Jeffrey Parmenter has joined insurance wholesaler Cowles & Connell of Connecticut Inc., where he will serve as vice president of Binding Operations.

Parmenter has more than 25 years of property/casualty underwriting experience including with S.H. Smith and Connecticut Underwriters. He is active in the Professional Insurance Agents Association where he has served as president.

The New York State Insurance Department has named Joseph Fritsch deputy superintendent for Accounting and International Affairs. Fritsch was most recently the director of Insurance Accounting Policy. As deputy superintendent, Fritsch will advise on accounting policy and is also responsible for coordination with regulators in other states, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and officials from other countries on department policies and global issues.

Virginia-based specialty insurer Markel Corp. announced that its president and chief operating officer, Paul W. Springman, has resigned. Springman had been on a leave of absence since late October.

The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (the Big “I”) named Lauren Cialone as senior director of federal government affairs and John Prible has been promoted to vice president of federal government affairs.

Cialone previously served as a legislative assistant to Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), who sits on the House Financial Services Committee, and as his top financial services staffer. She also worked for Senator Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), a long-standing member of the Senate Banking Committee. Prible joined the Big “I” team as assistant vice president for federal government affairs in 2006. Prior to that, Prible was the director of government affairs for the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. He worked for former Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-Ore.), and former Rep. Jim Davis (D-Fla.)

Specialty insurer Torus has hired three New Jersey-based executives to oversee underwriting of primary lines of general liability and auto liability for renewable energy. Angie Adams, Adam Newman and Wayne Jacobson have worked together as an underwriting team since 2002. Adams will lead the team as senior vice president; Newman and Jacobson join as vice presidents.

They join Torus from HSBC Intermediary Solutions, which they helped to create in 2006, having originally worked together in AIG’s Global Energy Middle Market (GEMM) division.

Adams was formerly president of HSBC Intermediary Solutions. She has over 20 years of experience in various production and management roles within the specialty insurance arena, focussing on technology and energy related risks. As well as HSBC and AIG, she has also worked at LK Lloyd and Marsh.Newman was most recently senior vice president of HSBC Intermediary Solutions.

Before moving to AIG, Newman created Strategic Alliance Partners Inc. in 2001, providing personal lines insurance across Northeast America. He also worked at Northwestern Mutual/Robert W. Baird Securities.

Jacobson was most recently vice president and chief underwriting officer of HSBC Intermediary Solutions. Since 1977 he has served in various underwriting and management capacities within the property and casualty insurance industry, beginning his career with Continental Insurance Co.

Topics New York Excess Surplus Underwriting Virginia Property Connecticut AIG