People & Places

Ohio Senate Insurance Committee Chair Scott R. Nein, a Republican, has joined the Ohio Association of Insurance Agents as executive vice president, the group announced recently.

The group, affiliated with the national Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, said Nein’s role in the No. 2 staff position entails assisting in the overall management of association activities including oversight of staff and select association goods, services and programs. Nein will also support the CEO, Thomas H. Hardy, by serving as liaison to key committees.

Nein’s position as chairman of the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee is not his only asset to the Ohio agents’ lobby. He serves on other key committees and previously served in the Republican leadership of the Ohio House of Representatives. Of notable interest to the insurance industry, he sponsored Senate Bill 97, which addressed the uninsured/underinsured motorists coverage crisis in Ohio. He also sponsored SB 154, modifying Ohio’s insurance agent laws.

Chicago-based commercial insurer CNA Financial Corp. appointed Craig Mense as chief financial officer. Mense will be responsible for CNA’s corporate finance department, which provides asset and capital management, investor relations, corporate accounting, financial reporting, corporate tax, financial regulation, and internal audit services to the organization.

Mense comes to CNA from St. Paul Travelers, where he served most recently as president and CEO of its global run-off operations. In that capacity, he was responsible for all discontinued businesses, including Gulf Insurance Group, Domestic Assumed Reinsurance, International Reinsurance. He was also chief operating officer of the Gulf Insurance Group, with oversight of all company operations.

CNA also announced that Brenda Gaines joined its board of directors, formerly CEO of Citigroup’s Diners Club North America and serves on the boards of Office Depot, March of Dimes, Economic Club of Chicago and the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.

The Target Markets Program Administrators Association has a new president. He is Art Seifert, founder, president and CEO of Ananadale, Va.-based Lighthouse Cos., and one of the original members of the Target Markets organization.

Lighthouse, formed in 1994, is a national specialty program underwriting wholesaler. It specializes in programs for eldercare, audio visual equipment; employment placement industry; nonprofits and insurance agents’ E&O and lawyers’ professional liability.

Seifert assumes the presidency from Glenn Clark, owner and president of Rockwood Programs in Wilmington, Del., also one of the founders of the organization who has served as president since its birth four years ago. The Target Markets Program Administrators Association is an organization dedicated to the unique challenges of program administrators. Its headquarters is in Wilmington, Del.

Catastrophe specialist International Catastrophe Insurance Managers appointed Rod Smith as vice president of sales and marketing for the Eastern seaboard. Smith will be responsible for ICAT’s producer relationships along the East coast. Smith has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, most recently as vice president with National Program Management, where he developed Web-based marketing campaigns targeted toward producers and their clients. Prior to that, Smith was regional vice president at XL Capital and marketing director at AIG.

Carol Fischer has joined the Naperville, Ill.-based Independent Mitigation and Cleaning/Conservation Network as vice president of business development. Fischer will be responsible for bringing IMACC services and technologies to the insurance industry, according to a statement released by the company. Additionally, she will be involved with the continued growth and development of network membership.

Fischer, formerly national accounts director for Rainbow International Restoration and Cleaning, will report to IMACC President Pat Harmon. Fischer lives in Texas, where she will add to IMACC’s regional presence. IMACC is a network of independently owned and operated mitigation, cleaning and conservation contractors. It is dedicated to linking insurers with mitigation and restorative services through training, communication and informational technologies.

Chicago-based auto claims software-maker CCC Information Services Group Inc. has named John D. Collins to its board of directors and to serve on the Board’s Audit Committee. Collins fills a vacancy created when CCC recently increased the size of the board of directors from seven to eight members.

Collins brings 44 years of auditing experience to CCC, with more than 40 of those years in the employ of KPMG LLP. Most recently Collins held the position of senior audit partner at KPMG’s New York office. At present he is a member of the board of trustees and chairman of the finance committee at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.

During his time at KPMG, Collins handled principal client responsibilities for such companies as General Electric, Citicorp, Travelers Group and Pepsico. In addition, he served as U.S. representative to the International Auditing Procedures Committee for the International Federation of Accountants.

John B. Collins Associates Inc. announced that Tim Poeton has joined the firm as a vice president in their New York office. In his new role, Poeton will be responsible for establishing new reinsurance brokerage client relationships as well as serving the needs of existing clients. He brings nearly 30 years of insurance and reinsurance experience, in both the London and U.S. markets, to the company.

Poeton began his career at Lloyd’s of London, later working with Grieg Fester and Sedgwick Re / Guy Carpenter. Most recently he specialized in the development of MGA program business as a partner at Cambridge Risk.