Kaufman Group, Burns & Wilcox Promote 23 Associates Including D’Antoni

Global insurance services firm H.W. Kaufman Group and its subsidiary Burns & Wilcox, a North American wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager, have announced numerous leadership promotions. Twenty-three insurance industry associates across 15 locations in the United States and Canada were promoted at a recent recognition dinner during the annual Kaufman Leadership Meeting.

One of the promotions is Blaise D’Antoni, who was promoted to Corporate Executive Vice President, Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Corporate Senior Vice President, Managing Director. In his new role, based in New Orleans, D’Antoniwill oversee the growth and operations of the Burns & Wilcox South Region, with offices that extend from Texas to the Carolinas.

D’Antoni has spent more than two decades with the company underwriting in Commercial and Personal Insurance within the Gulf States. He has also managed the office through natural catastrophes, including Hurricane Katrina, providing brokers and agents with support.

Other promotions announced during the 2019 Kaufman Leadership Meeting include:

• David Derigiotis was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice President, Professional Liability, Burns & Wilcox, from Corporate Vice President, Professional Liability (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Bill Gatewood was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice President, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, from Corporate Vice President (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Rich Gobler was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Corporate Vice President, Managing Director (San Francisco, California)
• Kori Johanson was promoted to Chief Compliance Officer, Corporate Senior Vice President, H.W. Kaufman Group, from Chief Compliance Officer (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Christine Tricoli was promoted to Corporate Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, H.W. Kaufman Group, from Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officers (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Mark de Waal was promoted to Executive Vice President, Afirm, from Senior Vice President (Grand Rapids, Michigan)
• Matthew Brady was promoted to Vice President, Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox from Vice President, Associate Managing Director (Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas)
• Taylor Smith was promoted to Corporate Vice President, Corporate Development, H.W. Kaufman Group, from Associate Vice President, Corporate Development (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Tyson Peel was promoted to Vice President, Burns & Wilcox Canada, from Director, Property & Casualty (Toronto, Ontario)
• Nicole Greene was promoted to Associate Vice President, National Brokerage Operations, Professional Liability, Burns & Wilcox, from Associate Vice President, Brokerage Director, Professional Liability (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Laura Guthinger was promoted to Associate Vice President, Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Managing Director (Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina)
• Anella Niewenhous was promoted to Associate Vice President, Regional Practice Group Leader, Personal Insurance, Burns & Wilcox, from Regional Practice Group Leader (Morehead City, North Carolina)
• Carolyn Reiter was promoted to Associate Vice President, Associate Managing Director, Global Excess Partners, from Associate Vice President (New York, New York)
• Berri Willis was promoted to Associate Vice President, Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Managing Director (Charlotte, Morehead City, and Wilmington, North Carolina)
• William Briscoe was promoted to Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Associate Managing Director (Oxford, Mississippi)
• Becky Thomas was promoted to Associate Managing Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Underwriting Manager (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Kelly Viviano was promoted to Senior Director, Corporate Communications, from Director, Corporate Communications (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Felicia Armstrong was promoted to Underwriting Director, Burns & Wilcox, from Underwriting Manager (Denver, Colorado)
• Rahmad Bauldrick was promoted to Director, Regional Practice Group Leader, Professional Liability, Burns & Wilcox, from Brokerage Manager (Chicago, Illinois)
• Michael Muglia was promoted to Director, National Underwriting Operations, Professional Liability, Burns & Wilcox, from Underwriting Manager (Farmington Hills, Michigan)
• Patricia Chiodo was promoted to Manager, Human Resources, Burns & Wilcox Canada, from HR Leader (Toronto, Canada)
• Brad Swift was promoted to Manager, Casualty, Burns & Wilcox, from Broker (Chicago, Illinois).

H.W. Kaufman Group includes: Burns & Wilcox, Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, Burns & Wilcox Canada, Atain Insurance Companies, Afirm, Global Excess Partners, RB Jones, Stonemark, Minuteman Adjusters, and London-based, Chesterfield Insurance Brokers, Lochain Patrick, Cranbrook Underwriting and Node International.

Topics Agencies Underwriting Agribusiness Michigan Canada Professional Liability