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The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) presented the Federal Legislator of the Year Award to U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert, R-Ill., at its annual convention in Indianapolis.

Biggert currently serves as chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity, which has direct jurisdiction over insurance issues. In her role on the committee she has most recently advanced legislation to reauthorize and reform the National Flood Insurance Program. She also has been voted by her peers as one of the 10 most bipartisan Republican members of the House.

NAMIC installed James J. Kennedy as chairman of its board of directors. Kennedy is the president and CEO of the Ohio Mutual Insurance Group in Bucyrus, Ohio, and has been with the company for nearly two decades.

Also on the NAMIC board are:

• Chairman-elect Jerry G. Zenke, general manager/treasurer, Mound Prairie Mutual Insurance Co., Houston, Minn.
• Vice Chairman John J. Bishop, chairman, president, CEO, Motorists Insurance Group, Columbus, Ohio.
• Secretary/Treasurer Christopher P. Taft, president and CEO, Preferred Mutual Insurance Co., New Berlin, N.Y.
• J. Jerry Canada, executive vice president and CEO, United Farm Family Insurance Companies, Indianapolis, Ind.
• Douglas P. Fincannon, president, Alamance Farmers’ Mutual Insurance Co., Graham, N.C.
• Jonathan C. Grether, chief operating officer, Pharmacists Mutual Insurance Co. of Algona, Iowa.
• Tricia Mickley, secretary/treasurer, Mount Carroll Mutual Fire Insurance Co., Mount Carroll, Ill.
• James W. Wilds, senior vice president, Frankenmuth Mutual Insurance Co., Frankenmuth, Mich.

Illinois-based insurance software firm Applied Systems named Reid French as its new chief executive officer.

As CEO, French will direct Applied Systems business strategy, develop client relationships, and oversee daily operations. He also becomes a member of the board of directors.

French succeeds James P. Kellner, a 26-year veteran of Applied Systems, who has served as chairman and CEO since 1998. Kellner takes on the role of non-executive chairman of the board. The company said Kellner remains a significant shareholder in the company, which is owned by private investment firm Bain Capital.

Overland Park, Kan.-based insurance broker IMA Inc. announced that Darren Black joined the firm as director of its professional services practice.

The practice continues to focus on professional liability and risk management consulting for architectural, engineering, design-build and law firms, but under Black’s leadership will also work closely with IMA’s construction and wrap-up teams to provide project-specific professional liability solutions to owners and developers of large construction projects.

Black has spent the majority of his professional career in the Kansas City area, but served the last four years in Chicago as the national design liability practice leader for a large, publicly-traded broker.

Miguel A. Barrales has been named president of Universal Insurance Holdings of North America, a multi-regional insurance carrier with 170 employees and operations in 17 states.

Universal North America is a subsidiary of Universal Group Inc., Puerto Rico’s principal supplier of property/casualty, auto and life insurance, policy financing and investment products.

Barrales will direct Universal North America’s business operations and strengthen its overall presence and relationships in the United States.

Barrales brings more than 15 years of global experience in underwriting and management to Universal North America. Previously, Barrales was CEO of Flagstone Underwriters Latin America and also held senior management positions with global reinsurer Swiss Re.

Global insurance broker Marsh appointed Bill Pieroni to the role of chief operating officer. Pieroni comes from State Farm where he served as senior vice president. In his new role at Marsh, he will be responsible for the firm’s global operations. He will be based in New York and report to Peter Zaffino, president and CEO of Marsh.

At State Farm Pieroni was responsible for U.S. and international strategic planning, competitor and consumer research, internal consulting, as well as leading business strategy initiatives across the company.

Sharon A. Poradzisz has been promoted to vice president of personal lines claims and Wade D. Rankin has been promoted to commercial claims manager at the Founders Insurance Co. of Des Plaines, Ill.

Poradzisz has 16 years of insurance industry experience, beginning her career handling personal lines auto claims. She joined Founders Insurance in 1997 and shortly thereafter was named claims customer service manager. She was later promoted to senior claims manager and most recently served as a commercial claims manager.

Poradzisz is pursuing the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation.

Rankin joined Founders in 2010 as a senior claim analyst in the commercial division of the company’s claims department, bringing with him experience in the legal and insurance industries. He has served as a law clerk and worked at insurance defense law firms. He was employed in the excess casualty unit of another insurance company before joining Founders.

Independent reinsurance broker Holborn Corp. announced that Daniel Bilot has joined the company as a senior vice president in the firm’s Minneapolis, Minn., office.

Bilot arrives at Holborn from Guy Carpenter & Co., where he served as managing director since its acquisition of Collins Associates in April 2009. Bilot joined Collins in 2000, where he served as property practice group leader, executive committee member and member of its board of directors. He began his career at EW Blanch in Minneapolis.

Holborn Corp. is headquartered in New York City.

Holmes Murphy & Associates Vice President Beau Reid has been appointed to lead the independent insurance brokerage’s Nebraska division.

Reid has been with Holmes Murphy since 2004 and specializes in innovative risk solutions for clients.

Reid managed his own brokerage firm, the Reid Company, for 12 years before joining Holmes Murphy. Having built his career in Nebraska, Reid brings a strong understanding of local industries and their people.

Aon Risk Solutions has appointed Dennis J. Pfeffer as senior vice president and resident sales director for the Omaha, Neb., office.

Prior to joining Aon, Pfeffer served as a senior vice president at Marsh where he was responsible for business development and client service in Nebraska and Eastern Iowa.

Chicago-based Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA Inc. named Theresa G. (Terri) Edwards national healthcare industry practice leader. Edwards will report to Keith Burkhardt, executive vice president and regional managing director, Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

Edwards will lead business development for the healthcare segment, specifically focusing on property/casualty and employee benefits.

She has 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to joining Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Edwards served as the director of the healthcare practice for USI Insurance. She also was the healthcare practice leader for Alexander & Alexander/Aon Risk Services.

Aon eSolutions, headquartered in Chicago, appointed Ronald Young as senior vice president of global product management.

Young is a veteran in the financial services and insurance industry, with more than 20 years of experience and a proven track record in software product management, including product strategy, delivery and operations. Young has extensive experience in U.S. and European markets and has successfully facilitated international market expansion.

Most recently, Young served as vice president of product and market strategy for Open Solutions. Prior to that role, he was vice president of product management at S1 Corporation, general manager of global insurance solutions at Siebel Systems and division manager of property and casualty systems at Nationwide Insurance Enterprise.

Kansas City, Mo.-based Lockton is expanding its insurance and risk management operations with the opening of an office in Omaha, Neb.

Jack Struyk has been appointed to lead the office as president of Lockton’s Nebraska operations.

An Omaha native with deep roots in the community, Struyk is a proven leader in the industry having previously led a branch of a large risk management operation, and started and expanded an office for a large regional broker.

This expansion into Nebraska is part of Lockton’s long-term growth strategy. Lockton expects to expand the Nebraska office in the near future.

Dennis A. Vanek has been appointed chief of the internal audit division at the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC).

Vanek most recently served as director of global audit services for Expedia Inc. in Bellevue, Wash. He also has served as vice president of internal audit for Sports Authority in Englewood, Colo., and as director of integrated audit services for the Public Service Co. of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

Topics USA Agencies Claims Ohio Property Market Property Casualty Aon Casualty