People – West

Ascension Benefits & Insurance named Steven Ratto senior consultant in the company’s Walnut Creek, Calif. office.

Ratto will be responsible for assisting clients to improve their benefits performance through strategic planning, financial analysis, customized plan design and administration. He will also be responsible for training and mentoring junior staff.

Ratto’s has more than 38 years’ experience in the healthcare and benefits sector, including in the area of budget projections and alternative funding arrangements. He spent more than 20 years of his career in actuarial and underwriting for a major healthcare organization. Most recently, he served as a principal at a global benefits firm located in the Bay area.

Ascension Benefits & Insurance Solutions is part of Ascension Insurance Inc., a national consulting and brokerage firm founded. Ascension is a privately held corporation.

Markel International named Bhavik Desai as an underwriter in its professional and financial risks division.

Bhavik will focus on developing the company’s Lloyd’s and London market PI business, across a range of professions and geographies with a particular interest in complex risks. He will report to senior underwriter Andy Palmer.

Desai joins Markel after seven years at AIG, most recently as an underwriter and team leader within the professional indemnity division.

RENO, Nev.-based EMPLOYERS named Bradley N. Hatfield vice president of underwriting for strategic partnerships and alliances.

He will be based out of EMPLOYERS’ office in Glendale, Calif.

He has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Hatfield’s experience in insurance management, workers’ compensation, strategic planning and implementation.

Hatfield comes from National Specialty Underwriters Inc. of Bellevue, Wash., where he was responsible for the creation and growth of medical professional liability underwriting programs at NSU.

EMPLOYERS is a holding company with subsidiaries that are specialty providers of workers’ comp insurance and services focused on select small businesses engaged in low-to-medium hazard industries. The company, through its subsidiaries, operates coast to coast.

SullivanCurtisMonroe Insurance Services LLC named Andrew Anson director of marketing and communications to its Irvine, Calif. office.

Anson has more than 20 years of experience in financial services marketing and business development. His prior work experience includes marketing positions with Wells Fargo and Union Bank.

SCM offers commercial property/casualty, employee benefits and personal lines coverage.

Edgewood Partners Insurance Center named Kris Beale an employee benefits division senior compliance consultant in its San Francisco, Calif. office.

Beale will assist EPIC clients with federal, state, and local health care legislation and compliance. She will also lead external and internal training initiatives for clients and team members. Additionally, Beale will track legislative changes, monitor government enforcement of legislation and analyze the impact on clients.

Beale has more than 14 years of experience in employee benefits. Beale’s experience includes 14 years with the Mercer Group Inc. as a senior associate and consultant for the regulatory resources group. Prior to Mercer Group Beale worked as a paralegal for several law firms.

EPIC has California offices in Los Angeles, Irvine, Ontario, Fresno, Folsom, San Francisco, San Mateo, Petaluma and San Ramon.