People & Places
Scottsdale Insurance Company named Michael D. Miller as president and chief operating officer. Miller replaces retiring SIC President R. Max Williamson. Miller has more than 27 years of experience in the insurance industry, including working in several areas of Nationwide, the parent company of SIC, for more than 19 years. He joined Scottsdale Insurance Company in 1995 as vice president of finance and treasurer. He then spent three years as senior vice president of finance for the Nationwide Property and Casualty Companies, before returning to SIC in August 2003 as executive vice president of operations and administration.
Rocco DeMateis has been named territorial sales vice president at Grass Valley, Calif.-based Networked Insurance Agents. DeMateis will consult with existing affiliates and seek to appoint new agencies in Orange County, Calif. DeMateis has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He spent five years with Equitable Life Insurance and 18 years with Allstate in personal production and sales management. For the last two years, DeMateis has been a commercial broker with Tutton Insurance Services.
California-based The Harry W. Gorst Co. and Compass Insurance Group of Agencies Inc.announced the hiring of Evon Rios as a broker to be situated in the San Diego area. Rios will be responsible for increasing business, new and renewal, specifically in the professional liability arena. In addition to the usual E&O, D&O and EPLI coverages, Rios also specializes in medical malpractice. Rios has 21 years of experience in the industry. In addition to time spent on the wholesale side of the industry, she has worked in a retail agency and was an underwriter at Coregis Inc. For the past seven years, she has been at KFIS Inc. in San Diego.
The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies added Justin Roth, a P/C insurance lobbyist, to its Washington, D.C., office. Formerly a senior lobbyist with the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America for four years, Roth is senior director – government affairs for NAMIC. Roth also served as legislative assistant to former Florida Congressman Joe Scarborough and Florida State Senator Anna Cowin.
Former property/casualty claims adjuster, subrogation analyst and insurance attorney Christian Rataj has joined NAMIC as state affairs manager for the Western U. S. Based in Denver, Rataj will advocate on behalf of NAMIC member companies before state legislatures and departments of insurance in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Rataj practiced law in Denver for seven years, most recently as an associate litigation attorney with the law firm of Milan and Malara, P.C. He has taught business law as an adjunct professor at a number of colleges and universities in Colorado and has served as a contract lobbyist for American Family Insurance Co. for several legislative sessions in the state of Colorado.
The Insurance Marketing Communications Association elected Peter Broadbent, CEO of Wahlstrom Group, based in Stamford, Conn., to its board of directors. Broadbent joined Wahlstrom in 1983 and became president in 1998. Following Wahlstrom’s merger with Bozell Yellow Pages and Initiative Media Directory Marketing in 2001, Broadbent was named COO. He became CEO in 2002.
Tacoma-based Bratrud Middleton Insurance’s President & CEO Charles W. Miller has been named chairman & CEO. Executive Vice President Kurt C. Carlson has been named president and COO.
Miller has been in the insurance industry since 1975 and with Bratrud Middleton since 1989. He began his career with Bratrud in Tacoma as a partner and commercial lines producer. He became sales manager in 1993 and was appointed president & CEO in 1995. As chairman & CEO, he will be responsible for the successful implementation of the strategic direction and vision for the company.
Carlson has been in the insurance industry since 1986 and with Bratrud Middleton since 1989. He started at Bratrud as a commercial sales specialist and became a vice president and partner in 1994. He served as sales manager and senior vice president from 1998-2002 and was promoted to executive vice president in 2002. As president & COO, he will be responsible for the overall operations and business affairs of the company.
Acordia Inc., a Wells Fargo Co., announced that Linda Kaahanui has accepted the position of managing director of its Portland, Ore., office. Kaahanui has over 24 years of insurance experience and has served as an employee benefits consultant and broker. She began her career with Blue Cross, and later moved into the brokerage business with the former Sedgwick (currently Marsh) Portland office.
Redwood City, Calif.-based ABD Insurance and Financial Services has appointed Henry Good as a risk management consultant in its Applied Risk Management Group. Good spent 35 years at Rohm and Haas Company, serving as its director of insurance for the past 16 years. He recently retired from the company, where he was active in numerous insurance company and broker risk management advisory boards. He also served for several years as president of the Quality Insurance Congress.
Irvine, Calif.-based Compensation Risk Managers of California, LLC has announced the appointment of Edward Low as the firm’s new claims account coordinator for California. In his new position with CRM, he will work directly with CRM’s third-party claims administrator in California. Low has served as a workers’ comp insurance representative with the State Compensation Insurance Fund and as a claims examiner with the Fremont Compensation Insurance Company. In addition, he also worked as a claims specialist with CNA Insurance and as a senior claims examiner for Tokio Marine Management.