People – South Central

Texas-based Higginbotham hired Sean Bell as an associate of commercial property/casualty insurance for its practice in Austin.

Bell has experience in brokerage with an independent agency and in claims with an insurance carrier.

Bell began his career as a property claims professional with Zurich Insurance in Tampa, Fla. He specialized in commercial property field claims involving theft, vandalism, hail, wind and water losses.

In 2013, Bell became an account executive with Goosehead Insurance in Dallas where he brokered personal insurance policies. He subsequently moved to Austin to help open Goosehead’s local office.

Matthew Zuraw has been named assistant vice president of underwriting in GEICO’s Dallas regional office. Previously, Zuraw served as director of sales and service for the company’s Coralville, Iowa, office.

Zuraw succeeds Greg Jacobi, who will lead underwriting at GEICO’s San Diego regional operation.

Zuraw joined GEICO as a product analyst in 2004 and received multiple promotions before becoming a management intern in GEICO’s Macon, Ga., regional office in 2009. He moved to GEICO’s Virginia Beach, Va., office in 2011 to become an underwriting manager before being promoted to service director in San Diego in 2012.

Michael E. LaRocco has been officially named president and chief executive officer of State Auto Financial Corp., taking over those duties from Robert P. Restrepo Jr., who is retiring.

LaRocco also has been elected as a director of the company. Restrepo was re-elected as a director and will remain as chairman until his retirement on Dec. 31, 2015.

State Auto Financial Corp., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is a superregional property and casualty insurance company. Its South Central region headquarters are in Austin.

Willis North America appointed William Noonan executive vice president and regional construction practice leader for Willis’s South region. He will work with Willis North America’s National Construction team and Willis Group’s Global Construction Industry group to serve clients in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and the Carolinas.

Noonan has 20 years of experience in the construction risk management industry. He previously served as senior vice president of Risk Management for Structure Tone Organization, a construction management, general contracting and design firm.

Austin, Texas-based wholesale insurance broker, McGowan, Donnelly & Oberheu LLC (MDO), has added Bethany Asselin as an account executive.

Asselin will be responsible for the production of new and renewal business and establishing new retail agency relationships. She has more than 10 years of professional and management liability experience and has spent time as both a wholesaler broker and carrier underwriter.

Before joining MDO, Asselin was a marketing broker at a national broker in its Chicago, Ill., and Farmington, Conn., offices. Previously, she was a senior underwriter for Allied World Assurance Corp. (AWAC).

MDO is a member of the McGowan Companies. Other members the McGowan Companies include McGowan Program Administrators (MPA), McGowan Excess & Casualty (MEC), McGowan Governmental Underwriters (MGU), and McGowan Risk Specialists (MRS).

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. announced that Peter Zaffino, president and CEO of Marsh, has been appointed chairman of the company’s Risk & Insurance Services segment, which includes Marsh and Guy Carpenter. Zaffino will continue to serve as president and CEO of Marsh.

Marsh & McLennan also announced that Peter Hearn, most recently the chairman of Willis Re, will join Guy Carpenter as its CEO in May 2016.

Alex Moczarski will continue to serve as president and CEO of Guy Carpenter through May 2016. Upon Hearn’s arrival at Guy Carpenter, Moczarski will serve full time in his role as chairman of Marsh & McLennan International.

The Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA) recently elected its slate of officers for 2015.

Michelle Hoehn, The Travelers Group, was re-elected as IMUA chairperson.

Also re-elected were Deputy Chairperson William Rosa, XL Reinsurance, and L. Pat Stoik, Chubb Group, as vice chairperson.

The group also chose its board of directors. Members of the board include Diane Shelton, Catlin U.S.; James Cordrey, Hanover Insurance Group; Grace Thomas, Great American; Tom Brochett, Munich Re America; Donald Keahon, Aspen Specialty; Michael Miller, Markel Corp.; David Higley, The Hartford; Bruce S Jervis, ACE North America Property; Sheila O’Keeffe, Gen Re; Rich Pye, Zurich and Joseph Rich, Liberty Mutual.

President and CEO Kevin O’Brien and Vice President and Secretary Lillian Colson were also re-elected.