People – Southeast

Insurance broker Marsh has named Christian Ryan, a real estate, gaming and hospitality insurance broker, as its U.S. Gaming Practice leader.

Ryan joins Marsh from Willis North America where he has spent the last nine years, most recently serving as an executive vice president and client advocate within its Leisure Practice. He specializes in advising gaming conglomerates, hotels and resorts on risk programs.

In addition to leading Marsh’s U.S. Gaming Practice, Ryan will join the firm’s U.S. Real Estate, Hospitality & Gaming Practice’s executive committee.

He is based in Dallas and reports to Jeff Alpaugh, Marsh’s Global Real Estate, Hospitality & Gaming Practice leader.

Marsh has also appointed Courtney Leimkuhler to the role of chief financial officer, effective March 1, 2015.

Leimkuhler will succeed CFO Paul Malvasio, who is retiring in March after a career in the insurance industry that spans more than four decades.

Leimkuhler, who has served as CFO of Marsh’s U.S. and Canada Division since December 2013, will continue to be based in New York.

Prior to joining Marsh, Leimkuhler spent nine years at NYSE Euronext, where most recently she led corporate strategy and implementation and was responsible for all mergers and acquisitions, investments, joint ventures, and divestitures. She also spent several years at Goldman Sachs in the equities and principal investing divisions.

Beazley Plc hired Matt Barone from American International Group Inc., becoming the second insurer in a month to recruit from AIG to build groups that sell coverage protecting corporate clients against crimes.

Barone joins the fidelity bond and crime team in New York, according to a statement from Dublin-based Beazley.

Barone worked for AIG for 16 years, and his focus for the past 12 has been underwriting commercial crime business in the West Coast, Beazley said.

Beazley has been expanding in the U.S, hiring more than 20 new underwriters and opening offices in Miami and Dallas, in the last two years.

Adrian Cox, head of Beazley’s specialty lines division, relocated to the U.S. last year to oversee the expansion.

Century Risk Advisors in Boca Raton, Florida, hired Debra Bogdanoff as a commercial insurance advisor for its Professional Practice division. Bogdanoff will be working with law firms, accounting firms and other professionals to provide insurance plans. Prior to joining Century Risk Advisors, Bogdanoff was in the accounting industry for three years, working with high net worth clientele.

The CPCU Society elected Leadership Council members for 2014-15 at its annual meeting recently in Anaheim, California. The CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) Society provides educational programs and leadership opportunities for its 23,000 members in the property/casualty insurance industry. Its Leadership Council provides input on the strategic direction and performance of the CPCU Society’s chapters, interest groups, committees and task forces. The CPCU Society’s new Leadership Council members include:

President and Chair: Jane M. Wahl, a process manager in State Farm’s Jacksonville, Florida, office. Wahl earned her CPCU designation in 1992 and also holds a number of other designations and is an ASQ Six Sigma Black Belt.

President-Elect: Brian P. Savko, a team manager in State Farm’s Murfreesboro, Tennessee, office. He holds a master’s degree in financial services from the American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and is a member of the Society of Financial Service Professionals.

Secretary/Treasurer: Stanley W. Plappert, who practices law in Ocala, Florida, and owns Plappert Insurance Group Inc. He has also been elected to the board of directors of the Florida Independent Insurance Agents, of two community banks, and of the International Insurance Interest Group and Agent & Broker Interest Group committees.

Thomas F. Mulligan, president and chief executive officer of Western World Insurance Group, announced that he is retiring effective Jan. 1, 2015, after 33 years of continuous service.

While Mulligan will continue to participate on the Western World board of directors, Robert J. Livingston, who is currently the chief operating officer and chief financial officer, will assume the role of president and chief executive officer.

Livingston has been with Western World for 37 years. He first became an officer of Western World in 1980 when he was elected assistant treasurer, and has held positions of increasing responsibility before being elected to his current position in 2010. He is an active participant in the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America on the Finance Issues committee and Reinsurance subcommittee.

On Oct. 2, 2014, Western World was acquired by Validus Holdings, Ltd., a Bermuda-based global reinsurance and insurance company. Validus paid $690 million for Western World, a specialty U.S. commercial insurer that offers insurance products on a surplus lines and admitted basis. Western World’s three operating companies are domiciled in New Hampshire and are headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.

Topics Florida USA