People Moves: Ryan Specialty Appoints Senior Distribution Roles; VIAA Promotes Morris to Commercial Lines Coach

Ryan Specialty appoints new senior distribution leadership roles within Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers

Ryan Specialty, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, has announced promotions to key new roles within the underwriting managers specialty.

Tom Curran has been appointed chief wholesale distribution officer. Curran has over 25 years’ experience in the industry and most recently served as chief marketing officer for WKFC Underwriting Managers and its subsidiaries, CorRisk Solutions and AgRisk Underwriters, all Ryan Specialty managing general underwriters. Previous positions also include branch manager at All Risks, Ltd., Risk Management Practice at PwC, and wholesale broker at Kerwick & Curran, Inc.

James Shaffer has been appointed chief retail distribution. Shaffer has served as executive vice president, sales & marketing for SUITELIFE Underwriting Managers for the past three years. Prior to Ryan Specialty’s acquisition of the SUITELIFE business from Venture Programs, Inc., in 2019, Shaffer served as executive vice president of that organization, where he spent 20 years of his career in program development, program operations, sales and marketing.

VIAA Promotes Linsey Morris to commercial lines coach

Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of nearly 150 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois, recently promoted Linsey Morris to commercial lines coach. Her responsibilities include working with the company’s development team to assist its Independent Strategic Member (ISM) alliance with attaining technology and revenue goals. Morris will provide commercial technology assistance that specifically focuses on risk management, marketing, and prospecting.

Prior to joining VIAA, Morris worked for sister company Powers Insurance & Risk Management as a Commercial Account Manager. She worked for nearly 10 years at Powers in various capacities and has more than 15 years of personal lines insurance industry experience.

Topics Commercial Lines Excess Surplus Business Insurance