People – Midwest

Insurance holding company American Financial Group Inc., headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, has promoted Mark A. Weiss to vice president.

Weiss joined AFG in 2010 and most recently served as assistant vice president and assistant general counsel. In addition, he serves as vice president and chief compliance officer for American Money Management, a wholly owned investment management subsidiary of AFG where he provides legal advice in connection with the company’s investment portfolio.

Through the operations of Great American Insurance Group, AFG is engaged primarily in property and casualty insurance, focusing on specialized commercial products for businesses, and in the sale of fixed and fixed-indexed annuities in the retail, financial institutions and education markets. Great American Insurance Group’s roots go back to 1872 with the founding of its flagship company, Great American Insurance Co.

Insurance wholesaler J.M. Wilson promoted Jenna Caschetta to property/casualty underwriter in its Arlington Heights, Ill., office, and added Gerry McCabe as P/C underwriter.

Caschetta is responsible for quoting new and renewal accounts for a wide variety of commercial property and casualty risks, as well as issuing policies and servicing accounts for independent insurance agents.

Caschetta joined J.M. Wilson in 2013 as an assistant underwriter. Prior to J.M. Wilson, Caschetta worked in the restaurant industry.

McCabe will be responsible for quoting new and renewal professional liability, garage and binding accounts, as well as serving independent insurance agents in Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.

He has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, working with both carriers and managing general agencies. McCabe has completed his IIA (Independent Insurance Agent) certification in general insurance and business writing.

The company also announced that IT Project Manager Tammy Dodd has received the Acord Certified Expert (ACE) certification. She is one of 202 individuals in the ACE Community and one of the first from a managing general agency to receive this designation.

J.M. Wilson is a managing general agency and surplus lines broker providing independent insurance agents with access to specialty markets for both personal and commercial lines.

St. Louis, Mo.-based POWERS Insurance and Benefits announced that Christen Beardall, a POWER associate, was named the “2014 Outstanding Customer Service Representative (CSR) of the Year” for Missouri.
The award was presented by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research.

Beardall has served as a personal lines manager and systems administrator at POWERS Insurance and Benefits for 11 years. She was selected for this award due to outstanding service and professionalism within the insurance community.

A family-owned and operated company founded in 1991, POWERS Insurance and Benefits provides personal and business insurance, as well as employee benefits and risk management services.

Chicago-based insurance CNA has appointed Ziad Kubursi to senior vice president, Financial Institutions and Management Liability.

Ziad brings more than 18 years of insurance industry experience to this role, most recently serving as senior vice president, head of the Management & Professional Liability division for Philadelphia Insurance Co., a member of Tokio Marine Group.

Prior to Philadelphia Insurance Group, Ziad held key positions at AIG’s financial lines organizations, including zonal vice president & regional executive, senior vice president national accounts, and head of financial lines – growth economies.

Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. (BSA)., headquartered in Brentwood, Tenn., selected Tonya Robinson as a new claim specialist in its Champaign, Ill., claims office.

Robinson’s responsibilities include reviewing, processing and handling workers’ compensation claims.

Prior to BSA, she was employed by Selective Insurance as its workers’ compensation claim specialist for six years. She holds an associate-in-claims designation and a Kentucky adjuster license.

Brentwood Services Inc. specializes in structuring and managing alternative market solutions for employers and insurance providers.

Brentwood Services Administrators Inc. provides claims management and loss control services to employers and employer associations with self-insured and large deductible programs for workers’ compensation and other casualty lines.

Brentwood Reinsurance Intermediaries Inc. (BRII) provides insurance and reinsurance brokerage services encompassing self-insurance, guaranteed cost and deductible insurance with a focus on workers’ compensation, excess liability lines, and accident and health reinsurance.