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Liberty Mutual Group’s Edmund F. Kelly retired from active management of the company on June 28, 2011. David H. Long replaced Kelly as president and CEO. Kelly will continue to serve as chairman of the board of Liberty Mutual Holding Co.

Long has served in various leadership positions at Liberty Mutual during his 25-year career with the company. Most recently he was elected president in June 2010. Prior to that, he was president of Liberty International. Other positions at Liberty Mutual included serving as president, Commercial Markets, and as chief operating officer in National Market.

Long was also a founding member of what is now Liberty Mutual Agency Corp., where he was involved in the acquisitions of Golden Eagle, Summit, Peerless Insurance, Indiana Insurance and Colorado Casualty. Long began his career at Liberty Mutual as a financial analyst in National Accounts.

Kelly joined Liberty Mutual in 1992 as president and chief operating officer, and was elected CEO in 1998. He was elected as chairman of Liberty Mutual Group in April 2000.

Kelly is also a member of the board of governors of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America; a member of the boards of The Bank of New York Mellon Corp., the EMC Corp., the American Ireland Fund, the Insurance Information Institute; and he serves on various other community and education boards.

In addition, he is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

IMS/London American announced that Jody L. Travis has joined the firm as a senior commercial underwriter.

Travis has more than 20 years of insurance experience in the Houston area marketplace. Most recently he was the senior underwriter at Burns & Wilcox, with prior experience as a top producer with Leicht General Agency, as well as an underwriter at Specialty Insurance Managers.

Travis has extensive knowledge in commercial property and casualty business and has underwritten on behalf of most of the major surplus lines contract underwriting companies in the United States, and as a named underwriter on various Lloyd’s contracts.

Travis is a member of Houston Insurance Professionals and is a Certified Insurance Counselor.

Addison, Texas-based Mullis Newby Hurst LP, (MNH), which writes construction insurance and surety bonds in throughout Southwest, recently hired Aaron Endris as an account executive/producer.

Endris comes to Mullis Newby Hurst with experience as a heavy equipment and construction lending analyst, in addition to being a senior bond underwriter for a top five surety. He has worked in the surety industry on both the company and agency sides of the business. Endris joined MNH from K&S Insurance Agency.

Addison-based Mullis Newby Hurst LP and Little Rock-based MNH Tullis LLC have experienced professionals that combine construction expertise, industry understanding and business knowledge.

Combined Agents of America LLC (CAA), based in Austin, Texas, elected John V. Shropshire Jr., CEO of The Shropshire Agency in Lubbock, Texas, as chairman for 2011-2012.

In addition to Shropshire, CAA’s new Management Committee includes:

President Lloyd Eisenrich, president of Weatherby-Eisenrich Inc., headquartered in Andrews, Texas, with two other locations in Granbury, and in Odessa as Edgmon-Eisenrich Insurance.

Executive Vice President Don B. Hudson, vice president of JHC Insurance Agency Inc., Victoria.

Second Vice President Bill Martin, president of Grona Boles Martin Bloxsom Insurance, San Antonio.

Secretary Roger Luttrell, president of Benton-Luttrell-Brown, headquartered in Van Alstyne, Texas, with another office in Sherman.

Treasurer Denny Bryan, president of Bryan Insurance Agency, Graham.

Past Chairman Bill Bridges, executive vice president of Duncan, Fraser & Bridges, Pampa, Texas, and Edmond, Deaton & Stephens Insurance Agency, Amarillo. He is also CEO of Sun West Insurance, Arlington.

MarketScout, a Dallas-based electronic insurance exchange with managing general agent (MGA) and wholesale operations, appointed Jay Chase as executive vice president in addition to his current role as chief underwriting officer at MarketScout.

Chase’s career spans more than 25 years in the property/casualty insurance industry. Prior to joining MarketScout in 2007, Chase was president of Tamarack Capital Partners, a capital management and insurance services consulting firm; president of Program Resource Group at Kemper Employers Group; executive vice president of TIG/Transamerica Insurance Group where he also served as chief underwriting officer; president of TIG Bermuda; chairman of Indemni-Med Management LLC; and director of TIG Re/Oddessy Re.

Lloyd’s Ascot Underwriting Ltd appointed John Karns as an underwriter for Ascot Underwriting Inc. in Houston. He has 19 years of experience in the U.S. Energy market, most recently as assistant vice president with Navigators Insurance Group Inc.

Ascot Underwriting Ltd. – Syndicate 1414 – commenced trading in 2001. The underwriting capital for the Syndicate is provided by a member company of American International Group.

The syndicate specializes in property, energy, specie and fine art, cargo, terrorism, war and political risks, marine hull/war/liabilities, natural resources and excess of loss reinsurance.

The Central Oklahoma Chapter of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society recently installed new officers for 2011-2012.

The officers for this term are: President David Wilhite, project manager for Farmers Insurance; Vice President Brad Fast, marketing representative for Zurich North America; and Secretary-Treasurer Hal Curry, Territory Manager for America First.

The Central Oklahoma Chapter of CPCU Society serves approximately 90 members in the Oklahoma City area. The chapter consistently qualifies for the CPCU Society’s Circle of Excellence award, hosts an annual all insurance industry day, hosts an annual golf tournament, and provides scholarships to insurance majors at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Topics Texas Excess Surplus Underwriting Property Oklahoma Casualty