People & Places

National

London-based Rokstone, the Aventum Group’s re/insurance MGA, appointed Alex Berisha head of U.S. marine cargo and Derek Vandermyde as underwriting manager, Inland Marine. Both are based in New York.

Berisha joins from Liberty where he was vice president, U.S. marine cargo manager for the past 17 years. Vandermyde joins from Starr Insurance where he was senior underwriter for inland marine.

Marsh named Janice Kowell marine, cargo and logistics practice leader, U.S. and Canada. Kowell is based in Portland, Ore.

Kowell succeeds Michael Pellegrini, who has been named regional head of Marsh Specialty, U.S. and Canada.

Kowell brings more than 40 years of marine insurance experience to the role. She joined Marsh’s Marine and Energy practice in 1981.

Broker WTW appointed Brad Messinger leader of the financial institutions and professional services industry division. Messinger assumes the role while continuing his current duties as the region leader for the Northeast.

Lockton, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., appointed Andrea Lieberman U.S. financial services claims leader.

Lieberman brings over 30 years of experience to Lockton, including 27 years at Marsh.

Sarah Downey transitions from financial services claims leader into the newly created role of U.S. financial services head of operations.

East

Integris Group, headquartered in Glastonbury, Conn., named Christina Canales-Perry director of claims. Before joining Integris, Canales-Perry was a partner at Morrison Mahoney LLP, specializing in the defense of medical professional liability claims.

Falvey Insurance Group, headquartered in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, hired Tom Nasso as chief underwriting officer. Nasso most recently served as executive vice president, head of ocean marine at Ascot Group.

Tom Gibbons joined the nationwide agency network Iroquois as an agency manager in Portland, Maine. Gibbons will serve members in New England.

Independent insurance agency RCM&D, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, named Angela Dignan as healthcare division director. Dignan has been with RCM&D for more than 16 years, serving in various leadership positions.

Midwest

Leif Assurance, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, hired Robert Worden as a construction insurance specialist.

Worden has nearly 15 years of insurance industry experience. Before joining Leif Assurance, he most recently served as senior vice president, insurance sales and support, insurance education specialist at Bremer Bank.

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, Calif., hired Rick Kahle as senior vice president within its employee benefits group in the Kansas City metropolitan area market. Kahle previously served as co-founder at Crux-Xcelerate and producer/president at Lockton Companies.

Alliant named James Spears senior vice president within its Alliant Americas division. He is based in Kansas City. Spears has over 15 years of experience in property/casualty and risk management. Before joining Alliant, he served as area vice president at Gallagher.

Ann DiPasquale joined Alliant as senior vice president within its employee benefits group. DiPasquale is based in Kansas City and has more than 15 years of benefits, healthcare and consulting experience.

Alliant hired Morgan Jensen as vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Based in St. Louis, Jensen has over 20 years of insurance experience.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company (RMIC), headquartered in Rockford, Ill., named Rob Jacobson president and CEO.

Jacobson has over three decades of property/casualty insurance, including leadership roles at Liberty Mutual, AAA The Auto Club Group and, most recently, Kingstone Insurance Co.

Former president and CEO Kent Shantz stepped down effective Nov. 1, 2023, and will remain with RMIC as a senior management consultant through August 2024.

H.W. Kaufman Group, headquartered in Farmington Hills, Mich., promoted 11 associates.

Mark Engel was promoted to senior vice president, managing director, RB Jones, from corporate vice president, managing director, RB Jones Marine & Energy.

David Janis was promoted to corporate vice president, general counsel, H.W. Kaufman Group, from general counsel, H.W. Kaufman Group.

Tyson Peel is now regional vice president, managing director, Burns & Wilcox Canada, from vice president, director, commercial insurance, Burns & Wilcox Canada.

Justin Sadaphal is now vice president, Burns & Wilcox Canada, from associate vice president, Burns & Wilcox Canada.

Brad Turner was promoted to vice president, national product manager, flood, Burns & Wilcox, from associate vice president, national product manager, Burns & Wilcox.

Heather Posner was promoted to vice president, national product manager, private client, Burns & Wilcox, from associate vice president, national product manager, private client, Burns & Wilcox.

Laura Baker was promoted to associate vice president, producer development, H.W. Kaufman Group, from director, producer development, H.W. Kaufman Group.

Patricia Chiodo is now associate vice president, HR business partner, Burns & Wilcox Canada, from director, HR business partner, Burns & Wilcox Canada.

Pam Alphabet was promoted to associate vice president, regional practice leader, personal insurance, Burns & Wilcox, from regional practice group leader, personal insurance, Burns & Wilcox.

Yuri Petrasz is now associate managing director, Burns & Wilcox, from manager, commercial insurance, Burns & Wilcox.

Dario Nalli was promoted to senior director, digital business development, H.W. Kaufman Group, from director, digital business development, H.W. Kaufman Group.

South Central

Von Breaux joined Novatae Risk Group, headquartered in Grapevine, Texas, as chief operating officer. Breaux has more than 35 years of insurance industry leadership experience. He previously served as chief development officer at BXS Insurance, and as president and CEO at Sleeper Sewell Insurance Services and ANBTX Insurance Services Inc.

Alliant Insurance Services named Richard Woods vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Woods is based in Dallas. Before joining Alliant, Woods was a risk management consultant at Lockton.

Greg Sanford joined Alliant as vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Sanford is based in Houston.

Southeast

Alliant Insurance Services named Kyle Sullivan as vice president for its Americas Division. He is based in Tampa, Florida.

Alliant hired Macenzi Holmes-Morton as vice president in the same division, focused on growing the client base in the Southeast. He is based in Miami.

McGriff, a Charlotte-based insurance broker and subsidiary of Truist Insurance Holdings, named two people to help lead its risk services division.

Brandon McCosh was promoted to national director, risk control; and Shane Sumrall was named national director for claims.

McCosh joined McGriff’s risk services division in 2017. Sumrall has been with McGriff since 2008.

West

Lee Exton has joined Woodruff Sawyer as vice president, employee benefits. Before joining Woodruff Sawyer, Exton spent over 30 years in employee benefits and health care consulting at Marsh McLennan, HUB International, Watson Wyatt, and Keenan. Exton is based in Irvine, Calif.

Josh Tyndell has joined Lockton in its Seattle office. Tyndell has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. Before joining Lockton, he was a founding partner at BK-JET Group which was acquired by HUB International in 2018.

Digital insurance specialist, Joshu, headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., named Mark Burkhart as vice president of growth. Before coming to Joshu, Burkhart managed relationships at Decision Research Corporation and was a segment lead within the specialty division at Berkley Technology Services.

Alliant Insurance Services hired Martin Khalaf as senior vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Khalaf is based in San Diego, Calif.

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