People and Places
David Molchan has been appointed as regional advertising manager for Insurance Journal East. Molchan has extensive experience in business-to-business advertising sales and ad sales management at several trade magazine companies. Most recently, Molchan served as the regional sales manager for the eastern U.S. at Lightwave Magazine, published by Pennwell Publishing. Prior to that, he spent more than 10 years serving first as a regional sales manager, and then advancing to the position of national sales manager for Electronic Component News, published by Chilton Publishing and Cahners Publishing, respectively.
In his new position at Wells Publishing, Molchan will work closely with Insurance Journal‘s current advertisers, as well as prospective advertisers, in the Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City, Delaware and Maryland regions. Molchan can be reached by e-mail at: dmolchan@insurancejournal.com, by phone at: (610) 293-1114, or by mail at: 15 Highview Dr., Ste. 301, Radnor, Pa. 19087.
Dave Thomas, managing editor of Insurance Journal‘s southeast magazine, has been appointed to the position of online editor. In this new position, Thomas will oversee all editorial content for InsuranceJournal.com and ClaimsGuides.com. Thomas will work closely with members of the Insurance Journal editorial team and Web site development team to provide strategic direction for Well’s Publishing’s online operations. Thomas will continue to serve as IJ’s southeast managing editor as well.
Thomas, who has been with Wells Publishing since April 2001, is a native of Pennsylvania, and has a degree in communication studies from East Stroudsburg University. Prior to joining Insurance Journal, he served as a sports editor for the La Jolla Light newspaper in San Diego. Thomas has been a freelance sportswriter for the La Jolla Village News in San Diego since July 2001.
Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Insurance Associates of Northern California has hired Ray Klembith as vice president, commercial insurance. Prior to joining Insurance Associates of Northern California, he was a senior account executive with Summit Global Partners in Austin, Texas. In that position, Klembith handled the middle to large commercial account sector.
Allmerica Financial Corporation announced that Bonnie K. Haase has been appointed vice president and chief human resources officer. In this capacity, Haase will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s employee development, benefits, staffing and performance management programs. She also will serve as a member of the company’s Operating Committee. Haase comes to Allmerica from General Electric, where she worked for the past 13 years. Most recently, she served as human resources leader for the Global Sales and Marketing organization of the General Electric subsidiary, Industrial Systems. Haase also was a human resources executive at GE Capital Services and served in a variety of human resources roles at Fidelity Investments in Boston from 1983 to 1991.
The American Agents Alliance announced the hiring of Ricardo Meraz as its new sales and marketing manager. Meraz comes to the Alliance after graduating from Cal State San Bernardino with a bachelors degree in Business Administration. He is currently working on his MBA in Marketing Management at CSSB. Meraz brings a vast knowledge of sales and marketing to the association, and will apply his experience to developing a broader member base for the Alliance. Meraz is fluent in Spanish and is currently working on his fire & casualty insurance license.
Greg T. Crouse has been appointed president of San Francisco-based Crouse and Associates. As president, Crouse will continue to maintain his client base and also lead the management team. In 1986, Crouse began his insurance career as a claims adjuster for Farmers Insurance. In 1987, he began working on large accounts and program business as a commercial underwriter of property and casualty lines. From 1990-1995 he was a casualty facultative underwriter at American Reinsurance and managed reinsurance clients in the western states for individual risks, programs and large account business. In 1995, when two of the three partners at Crouse decided to retire, Greg Crouse joined Bill Crouse at the firm and assumed the responsibilities of production and sales.
Art Moossmann has been named president, Specialty Insurance at Novato, Calif.-based Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. The Specialty business combines the company’s marine business lines with its excess and surplus, professional liability and agribusiness products. Moossmann joined Fireman’s Fund in 1999 as president and CEO of Fireman’s Fund McGee Marine Underwriters, the New York-based unit of Fireman’s Fund. He previously served as president of the International Marine business at Guardian Royal Exchange. He began his career in insurance as an underwriter at Talbot Bird & Company Inc., which was sold to Guardian Royal Exchange in 1987.
SCF of Arizona has named several new appointments. Duane T. Miller has been promoted to executive vice president and COO and Anna Rodriguez promoted to director, investments. DeeAnn Palin has been named vice president, human resources and organization development.
Miller has been with SCF since 2000 as CFO. Previously, he spent 20 years working in finance, insurance and management at companies such as American Founders Life Insurance Co., Johnson & Higgins/Kirke-Van Orsdel Inc., Sun America and Allstate.
Palin joins SCF after serving as regional human resources manager for Target Corp. in Houston.
Rodriguez, who will manage SCF’s investment portfolio, joined the company in 1999. In 2002, she formed the Investment Team. She previously worked for AirEvac Services, Samaritan Health Service (now Banner Healthcare) and Ernst & Young.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Hull & Company announced employee changes in its Montana and Denver offices.
Don Hummel will be relocating to Seattle where he will take on the role of regional vice president. He will retain overall responsibility for the Montana offices and will be adding development of the states of Washington and Oregon to his duties.
Additionally, Chuck Cassidy will assume the role of vice president and branch manager for both the Kalispell and Great Falls offices.
At the same time, Ralph Robinson will assume the position of vice president and branch manager of the Denver office of Hull & Company. Michelle Refuerzo will return to the Denver office as a broker.
Dave Bise will take over the responsibility of running recently-acquired Mile High Markets as its vice president.
Michael A. Paiva has joined the Personal Insurance Federation of California as senior legislative advocate. As consultant to Senator Jackie Speier, chairperson of the Senate Insurance Committee, Paiva analyzed insurance bills for the Committee and worked with all stakeholders interested in legislation pending before the Committee. In addition, he served as policy expert on legislation in a number of important areas including environment, judiciary, education, labor and industrial relations. He served as legislative assistant to Assemblymember Fred Keeley prior to joining Senator Speier.
Stuart Nakutin has joined San Diego-based Cavignac & Associates as director of insurance operations and loss control. In his new position, Nakutin is responsible for supervising the company’s entire support and service staff. He also will be involved with managing loss control, workers’ compensation and risk management for some of the company’s larger clients. Nakutin brings 15 years of experience in loss control, claims handling and management to Cavignac & Associates. Prior to joining the firm, he worked as a claims manager for Liberty Mutual, located in San Diego, where his responsibilities, apart from managing claims, included coordinating safety programs and educational seminars for agents.
Los Angeles-based Heritage General Agency has added Edwin Galvez to its team as the senior personal lines underwriter for the HGA personal lines in-house facility in the Los Angeles office. Galvez will be responsible for writing and placing new business for the personal lines facility. With more than 15 years experience in the industry, he previously worked for another large MGA as a personal lines underwriter in Chatsworth.
Richard B. Fritzke has joined the Denver office of national specialty insurance wholesaler, underwriter and managing general agent Burns & Wilcox Ltd. in the position of personal lines production underwriter. Fritzke is responsible for growing Service General’s portfolio through marketing, underwriting and agent service. Service General is Burns & Wilcox’s personal lines division. Prior to joining Burns & Wilcox, Fritzke operated a life and health insurance agency in Colorado. His insurance background also includes selling property/casualty insurance while serving as a direct sales representative for one of the top Allstate Insurance agencies in the West Central region.
Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Heffernan Insurance Brokers announced the appointment of Phillip Bachler as a producer in its Palo Alto office. With production and account responsibilities in the Bay Area and nationwide, Phillip is charged with developing new business opportunities primarily in the high technology industry, but will also focus on golf courses and other large entrepreneurial ventures. Bachler joins Heffernan after a sales and marketing career in Silicon Valley, most recently working for Technology Insurance Services as vice president of business development. Prior to that, he had a successful 18-year career in financial printing services in the Bay Area at RR Donnelley Financial, Bowne of San Francisco and Pacific Financial Printing.
Zurich announced that Thomas Bradley has been hired as COO of finance and administration and CFO of its North American commercial operations. Bradley most recently served as executive vice president and CFO for The St. Paul Companies Inc. In that role, his responsibilities included oversight of systems, treasury and controllership and external reporting and taxation. In addition, he managed St. Paul’s relationships with rating organizations, investors, analysts and regulatory agencies. Bradley joined St. Paul in 1998 when the company acquired USF&G, where he was serving as vice president and corporate controller. He has 25 years of insurance industry experience.
Bob Mann has been appointed executive chairman of New York-based Riskclick, replacing Tim Wright. Mann spent over 25 years in the high tech industry, the last 20 of which have been in software and services. Prior to founding Siebel Systems in Europe, he was vice president for Legent and also worked at Interworld. Mann has developed sales and marketing campaigns specifically for Fortune 500 companies and has built and managed global sales channels and strategic partnerships with companies such as IBM, Accenture, PWC and Andersen. Over the last two years, he has worked with European technology companies as a non-executive director and chairman.
Richard P. “Dick” Marshall has been named president-CEO of Camelback Captive and Risk Management Services LLC, which specializes in all aspects of risk mechanisms ranging from preparing feasibility studies to captive-risk retention group management. Prior to his position at Camelback, Marshall served as the Arizona Department of Insurance’s first Captive Insurance Administrator. His prior experience includes several senior level positions in the alternative risk area. Marshall previously worked for Frontier Insurance Group as the senior vice president for the Alternative Risk Division. He also worked at Meadowbrook Insurance Group.