Burns & Wilcox, a national specialty insurance managing general agency, has promoted Wayne Bates to director of the company’s Special Risk Division (SRD), International and promoted him to associate vice president. Bates previously served as director of Burns & Wilcox’s London Consortium Department and deputy director of SRD, International, responsible for underwriting and marketing of the key London contracts on which Burns & Wilcox assumes risks via its affiliates.

Bates also manages reinsurance activities involving current contracts, as well as the development of new contracts and programs in the London market. He also oversees the overall operations of Illinois R.B. Jones, a wholly owned subsidiary that specializes in providing specialty lines coverage to agents and wholesalers nationwide.

Under Bates’ direction, the SRD, International division has experienced outstanding growth, expanding the group’s premium volume in the London market 15 percent from 2004 to 2005 alone. Bates expects the division to grow at least another 10 percent next year.

Burns & Wilcox, based in Farmington Hills, Mich.-based company, serves more than 30,000 agents through its network of 36 offices in 24 states.

ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, has opened a Kansas City branch office headed by Jason Patchen, assistant vice president and branch manager.

Patchen will work closely with brokers and clients in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Indiana to cultivate relationships and expand ACE USA’s local presence. He also will oversee the branch’s production, distribution, product sales and marketing and general operations.

Patchen has 10 years of insurance underwriting and management experience and has held positions in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and Indianapolis. He joins ACE USA after seven years at Chubb Insurance, where he most recently served as commercial manager for its Kansas City branch office.

General Casualty has promoted Paul Schulte and Rick Wittmann at its Sun Prairie, Wis., headquarters.

Schulte was promoted to senior vice president of General Casualty’s personal lines department following a 12-month appointment as interim department head. Schulte has worked for the Company for more than 35 years and most recently served as the assistant vice president of personal lines operations.

Wittmann was promoted to assistant vice president of General Casualty’s home office marketing department. He has held numerous financial positions with General Casualty since joining the Company in 1989. He oversees the marketing department’s financial responsibilities. General Casualty Insurance Companies, headquartered in Sun Prairie, Wis. is a member of Winterthur U.S. Holdings, Inc.

The Association of Lloyd’s Brokers has named Linda Deiss, vice president and underwriting manager of AVRECO, chairperson of the association. Deiss will serve for one year, with appointment to the board for three years. AVRECO, founded in 1962 with offices in Chicago and New York City, specializes in niche liability and property business.

National program administrator Venture Insurance Programs announced that Maydelis Torres has joined the company as a senior underwriter and territory manager for the Preferred Club Program’s Central, Northwest and Southwest regions. She will be responsible for growing and managing the program’s book of business in her regions.

Torres joins the Preferred Club Program with nearly 20 years of insurance experience with carriers, managing general agents and retail agencies, including as account executive for St. Paul Insurance Company. She also served as senior underwriter with ECS, Inc. (now XL Capital) and Crum & Forster Insurance Company. Venture Insurance Programs is a program administrator based in West Chester, Pa.

Stephanie Pace Marshall has been elected to the board of directors of Wisconsin-based Sentry Insurance a Mutual Company. Marshall is the founding president of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, Aurora, Illinois. She is also an author, an internationally recognized speaker and a member of numerous civic and philanthropic boards.

Integro has appointed Paul J. Souppa has been appointed principal, property practice for the company’s Chicago office. Souppa has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, most recently as senior vice president with Marsh’s Property & International Practice. Prior to joining Marsh in 1994, he held various underwriting and marketing positions with Aetna Casualty & Surety.

Integro is a new insurance brokerage irm with offices in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Atlanta, Bermuda, Toronto and Montreal.

Paul Braithwaite, managing director at Chicago-based Navigant Consulting, has been elected as president of the Casualty Actuarial Society, and Thomas G. Myers, vice president, product management for High Point Safety and Insurance Management Corporation, Louisville, Ky., has been named president-elect.

Braithwaite has been a fellow of the CAS since 1983. He has served in a variety of leadership positions for the CAS, including vice president of administration and on the board of directors. He has also served as the chairperson of several committees, including the audit committee.

ARAG, a Des Moines, Iowa, provider of legal insurance and related services, has named Robert M. Fishman as chief executive officer and president. Fishman comes to ARAG after serving as executive vice president and chief underwriting officer for Zurich North America. He had been with Zurich since 1994 in a number of executive-level capacities. He has also held key positions at Lexington Insurance Company and Progressive Group. In addition, Fishman was a practicing attorney for six years. Fishman succeeds retiring company president, Jim Brennan.