People

CNA appointed Nancy Osborn branch vice president for its Phoenix and Albuquerque, N.M., offices; and Connie Taylor vice president of its new Los Angeles branch office, scheduled to open in May.

Osborn began her insurance career with Travelers in 1980. She joined CNA in 1987 as a territorial sales representative. After a brief period at the Kinney Agency, she returned to CNA in 1998 as an underwriting specialist. Since 2003, Osborn has served as a branch-underwriting director in the Albuquerque office. As branch vice president for Phoenix and Albuquerque, Osborn succeeds Taylor, who joined CNA in 2009 in that role.

Prior to CNA, Taylor worked with Deep South, an underwriting management firm; served as Phoenix branch manager for The Hartford; and held management roles at Kemper and Fireman’s Fund.

Steve Cooper was appointed president of United Heartland, a national workers’ compensation insurer based in New Berlin, Wis., and a subsidiary of Accident Fund Holdings Inc. Cooper succeeds Emil Pfenninger, who has led United Heartland since its founding in 1990.

Cooper brings 21 years of property/casualty experience to the position. Prior to joining United Heartland, Cooper served as vice president of Claim Operations and TPA at Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, another Accident Fund Holdings subsidiary. Prior to joining Accident Fund, he served in service center and claims leadership positions at Specialty Underwriters Alliance, General Electric Insurance Solutions, Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and Travelers Insurance Co.

Pfenninger will remain with United Heartland in the coming months to help in the transition of his responsibilities to Cooper and work on special projects with Accident Fund Holdings until his retirement in 2011.

Jennifer Cox joined San Diego-based Cavignac & Associates as its newest account administrator. Cox brings to Cavignac & Associates five years of career experience within the insurance industry. In her new position, she assists account managers with the daily service activities involved with the agency’s accounts. She provides administrative support to both the company’s surety division and its commercial division. Most recently, Cox was employed as an account manager with Compass Insurance Agency in Englewood, Colo., where she handled client needs on behalf of the company’s surety department. Previous experience includes having served four years as an account administrator for Lockton Companies of Colorado, a commercial insurance firm based in Denver.

Torus appointed Carl Groth group chief risk officer. He is based in New Jersey and reports to CEO Clive Tobin. Before joining Torus Groth led Deloitte’s US Insurance Enterprise Risk Management practice advising companies on Solvency II related issues and readiness. Prior to Deloitte, he was managing director for Willis Group Ltd., responsible for its Enterprise Risk Management and Structured Risk Financing practices for North America. He has also worked in a variety of capacities at the Liberty Mutual Group, achieving overall responsibility for its Bermuda operations.

Atlanta-based specialty insurer American Safety Insurance (ASI) hired several new underwriters at regional locations throughout the country. In its New Jersey office, Robert Williams joins ASI as a senior excess casualty underwriter. Williams has more than 20 years of casualty underwriting experience including the past 15 years at Fireman’s Fund. William Kropp joins as assistant vice president-Property Underwriting, and will be opening a West coast office for ASI’s surplus lines property division in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Kropp has more than 15 years of experience in the excess & surplus lines property/package business and will be focusing on geographic diversification in the western United States. He previously worked at WKFC Agency, Chubb Custom Markets and Topa Insurance Co. Shawn Buck joins ASI’s Atlanta office as senior excess casualty underwriter. Buck came to ASI from Markel and has more than 19 years experience as a casualty underwriter, including 15 years at Genstar.

Topics Excess Surplus Underwriting Casualty