People – West

Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. in Fort Wayne, Ind., has promoted Jennifer Hansen to the position of assistant vice president – finance and controller, and Matthew Zurbuch to assistant vice president – investments.

Hansen joined Brotherhood Mutual in 1996 and was the company’s controller prior to accepting her new role. She’s also held roles as manager of accounting and senior financial analyst.

Zurbuch joined Brotherhood Mutual in 1998 and previously held the position of investment manager. He assists the treasurer/vice president of finance in overseeing the company’s investment operations and he also is a member of the investment committee.

Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Co. offers comprehensive property, liability, workers’ compensation and commercial auto insurance for churches and related ministries throughout the United States.

Great Lakes regional insurance wholesaler, Grand General Agency in Grandville, Mich., promoted John Salzwedel to the position of chief executive officer.

Salzwedel has been with Grand General since 1997 and has experience in every department within the company.

In a statement released by the company, Salzwedel said growth at Grand Central has led to relationships with “more, and better, independent agents than ever before. We have a great selection of A-rated companies with which we work and we are anticipating new partnerships with several more in the next two years.”

Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. appointed Kate Norris as business relationship manager in its Chicago office.

With more than 15 years of industry experience, Norris will focus on Fireman’s Fund’s high net worth segment in personal lines insurance, specifically, family office clients. She has an established track record working with family offices and will be responsible for working with agents and brokers to develop strategic opportunities that meet the unique needs of family office clients.

Norris most recently worked as a private client advisor at Hub International Insurance Brokers. Prior to that, she held leadership roles at the Insurance Design Center LLC, Family Office Exchange LLC (FOX), and Bernstein Investment Research and Management.

Founded in 1863, Fireman’s Fund is based in Novato, Calif., and is a member of the Allianz Group.

Debbie Miner of Henriott Group Inc. in Lafayette, Ind., is the new chairman of the board of NetVU, the network for users of Vertafore insurance technologies.

Miner started working in the industry in 1972 for Bundy-McNear Insurance as a receptionist and claims clerk. In 1972 she began working for Henriott Group and currently serves as technical services manager and bond specialist.

Miner is involved in the NetVU Midwest Users’ Group and is also a member of the accounting, industry relations and BenefitPoint virtual chapters. She just attended her 26th consecutive NetVU Conference in Nashville.

Keith Savino, partner and chief operating officer, WRG in Warwick, New York, has been voted chairman-elect. Savino has served on the connectivity research and development committee. He has also served on the ACORD board and executive committee, is the current national director for the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey, and a council leader for AUGIE.

In addition, two board members are joining the executive committee: Barb Dale and Steve Aronson.

Dale is property/casualty operations manager at SilverStone Group in Omaha, Neb., and has been in the insurance industry for more than 30 years. Dale has served on various NetVU committees, including WorkSmart R&D and Education. She is also involved with the Independent Insurance Agents of Omaha and Nebraska.

Aronson, president of Aronson Insurance Agency in Newton, Mass., has been an agency technology advocate for over 25 years. He has held committee and leadership positions with many users groups including AMSUG/NetVU, AUGIE and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s ACT committee and he has been an instructor for many industry programs.

Three new members are being added to the board of directors: Brent Rineck, chief information officer at ABD Insurance and Financial Services in San Mateo, Calif.; Grant Shepard, a producer with Holmes Murphy in Dallas; and Joyce Sigler, vice president, training and automation administrator for the Jones-Wenner Insurance Agency in Ohio.

Jamie Bisker joined Aite Group as a senior analyst in the company’s property/casualty insurance team. He is based in Columbus, Ohio.

Bisker has more than 28 years of experience across insurance lines of business, having served as an IT specialist, research director, consultant and global thought leader.

Before joining Aite Group, Bisker worked most recently for IBM Research as the research relationship manager for insurance. He also served as a senior analyst and research director at TowerGroup. Prior to TowerGroup, he worked for 14 years across the life, P/C and workers’ compensation lines at Nationwide Insurance.