People – Southeast

A national advisory organization serving the U.S. property/casualty industry has named a new president. Edmund J. Kelly of Boulder, Col. was recently chosen president of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), an organization that develops policy forms and rating information used by more than 700 P/C insurers.

Kelly’s appointment was announced by Paul Baiocchi, the longtime president of AAIS who will continue as chief executive officer through a period of transition. Baiocchi has been with AAIS for 36 years, 25 of them as president and CEO.

Kelly has a varied career in P/C insurance, including two years as CEO of Paris Re America Insurance Co., seven years as president and chief operating officer of ICAT Holdings LLC (a catastrophe risk entity), four years as chief financial officer for a specialty division of Royal Sun Alliance, and three years as vice president of finance and operations for a workers’ compensation company. Prior to his insurance career, Kelly worked for Ernst & Young.

As president, Kelly will be a member of the AAIS board of directors, as will Baiocchi, as CEO. Other members of the AAIS board include:

• Christopher Taft, president and CEO of Preferred Mutual Insurance Co., New Berlin, N.Y. (chairman of the board)
• Herman Bontrager, president and CEO, Goodville Mutual Casualty Co., Goodville, Pa.;
• R. Douglas Haines, president and CEO of Buckeye Insurance Group, Piqua, Ohio;
• Stuart C. Henderson, president and CEO of Western National Insurance Group, Edina, Minn.;
• Judy S. Jackson, a director of NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn.;
• Jeffrey B. Kusch, president and CEO of Austin Mutual Insurance Co., Maple Grove, Minn.;
• Jack Rader, chief marketing officer, Farmers Alliance Companies, McPherson, Kan.; and
• Richard Zick, president and CEO, Utica First Insurance Co., Utica, N.Y.

Aon Risk Solutions appointed John Jassmann to resident managing director in Atlanta. In his new role, Jassmann will lead and grow the operations in Georgia, Tennessee and Alabama. He will also help Aon’s various growth initiatives, including those related to health and benefits, executive benefits, middle market businesses and key client personal lines business.

Jassmann has 25 years of experience in underwriting, sales and operations. Most recently, he served in a variety of roles with Beecher Carlson, where he was executive managing director. Previously, he served as senior vice president of sales for OSI Outsourcing in its financial services division. He began his career in 1987 as a casualty underwriter with Aetna C&S and also spent 11 years with Wells Fargo Insurance until joining OSI in 2000.

Melissa Calabrese has joined Smart Choice Insurance Center of the Triad in High Point, North Carolina. She will be responsible for property/casualty sales. Calabrese is a licensed life, health and personal and commercial lines agent. She also has 16 years experience in real estate. The Smart Choice Agents Program is owned by Worldwide Insurance Network Inc., which provides 3,000 independent agents with support in 33 states.

Allied World Reinsurance Co. has opened a new office in Miami in order to further expand its operations in Latin America. The Miami office will be Allied World Re’s hub for all classes of treaty business in the region. The company has appointed William Turkel as senior vice president and general manager for Latin America and the Caribbean. Turkel has 17 years of experience in the industry. Prior to joining Allied World, he was most recently senior vice president at Platinum Underwriters Bermuda, responsible for Latin America, Caribbean, Canadian and Asia treaty reinsurance business.