People

Palisades Safety and Insurance Management Corporation, a New Jersey private passenger automobile insurer, announced that Ed Fernandez has assumed the role of president and CEO, effective immediately. Fernandez succeeds Gerry Wilson, who will continue to serve the company as co-chairman of the board, along with Hal Belodoff.

Fernandez joins Palisades after 19 years with Chubb. His most recent position was chief field officer for Chubb Personal Insurance, where he developed a track record for profitable growth and as a strong supporter of the independent agency system. Prior to Chubb, Fernandez spent 12 years with Crum & Forster. Throughout his career he has worked in many areas of property/casualty insurance, including underwriting, claims, operations, finance, and general management.

Hilb Rogal & Hobbs has appointed John Lyon president and chief executive officer of its Connecticut branches, which include locations in Hartford, Hamden and Old Saybrook, Conn. Formerly vice president, Northeast Region practice leader and national practice team member, Lyon has been with HRH for 10 years, and has 17 years in the insurance field. Prior to joining HRH, Lyon worked for a regional broker in Connecticut where he was responsible for the development of new business and the management of existing accounts. Lyon will be based in the Hartford, Conn. office.

Karen Tim has been appointed new agency manager of American Hobbyist Insurance, and Erica Maurer has been named sales and marketing coordinator. The firm, a national provider of collector-vehicle coverage, recently moved its headquarters from Stuart, Fla. to Jenkintown, Pa. Maurer will provide marketing support to agents and is the point of contact for agents who wish to become appointed.

Matthew Hillberg has joined the Provider Insurance Group in Needham, Mass. as an account executive responsible for building insurance programs for new business accounts. Prior to joining Provider Group, Hillberg worked at Norfolk and Dedham Group providing underwriting services for 90 agents throughout New England.

Cornelius E. Golding has been appointed to National Atlantic Holdings Corp.’s Board of Directors, according to James V. Gorman, chairman and CEO. The Freehold, N.J. firm provides specialized property-casualty insurance products and related insurance services. Golding is a certified public accountant and has more than 25 years experience in the property and casualty insurance industry. From 1981 to 2003, he served in various roles at Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company of Madison, N.J., including senior vice president and comptroller and later as the chief financial officer. Golding is a financial consultant for property casualty insurance companies and serves on the boards of directors of The Bank of Somerset Hills, a publicly traded New Jersey Bank, and the United Auto Insurance Group of North Miami Beach, Fla.

ACE Westchester Specialty Group, the U.S.-based wholesale-focused property and casualty operation of the ACE Group of Companies, appointed Joseph Casey as senior vice president, Management Liability for its Professional Risk Division. Based in Atlanta, Ga., Casey will have responsibility for day-to-day wholesale operations of all management liability products and services, which comprise directors and officers, employment practices, fiduciary liability, and financial institutions product offerings. He will oversee new business development, implementation of underwriting strategy, and development of new products. Casey has more than 13 years of risk management, underwriting and business development experience in the insurance and financial services arena. He joined ACE USA in 2000, as vice president, product line manager for ACE USA’s retail-focused Professional Risk Division. His previous tenure includes several senior leadership roles with National Union (AIG) in New York City and Starr Excess in London.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. announced that after a 27-year career at MMC, Barbara S. Perlmutter, senior vice president of public affairs, will retire at the end of April.

Assuming her responsibilities will be James D. Speros, who will join MMC as senior vice president and chief marketing officer on April 24. In that role, Speros will be responsible for MMC’s global marketing and communications strategies supporting MMC’s business objectives and enhancing the company’s reputation. His responsibilities will include developing integrated marketing programs across the company including branding, relationship marketing, advertising, media relations, public affairs, market research, online marketing, thought leadership, internal communications and corporate philanthropy. He will report to Michael G. Cherkasky, MMC president and chief executive officer.

Speros has been chief marketing officer for the U.S. practice of professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP, which he joined in 1998.

Perlmutter joined MMC in 1986 as director of public affairs. Prior to that, she served as assistant to the president and senior analyst of National Economic Research Associates, an operating company of MMC, which she joined NERA in 1979.

ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, has appointed two executives in ACE Risk Management.

Karen Sawyer has been named senior vice president and national customer retention manager, responsible for strengthening customer and broker relationships on a national level.

Carol Frey has been appointed vice president of national sales and marketing, with responsibility for developing and managing sales and marketing initiatives for new business.

Sawyer has more than 35 years of experience in underwriting, risk management, sales and business development in the insurance arena with particular emphasis on serving the regional large-risk marketplace. She most recently served as the New York branch manager for ACE Risk Management.

Frey has 19 years of experience in international underwriting and financial management in insurance. She most recently served as vice president, ACE Captive Strategies, where she was responsible for dual marketing of ACE USA’s and ACE Tempest USA, Inc.’s captive and alternative risk capabilities. Frey will maintain this role as a representative of ACE Risk Management.

Insurance brokerage Krauter & Co. has expanded its operations into Chicago and has hired John B. Ault, a former Marsh Inc. managing director, to lead the new office. This is the sixth office New York-based Krauter & Co. has opened in the past 15 months. Ault, a 22-year veteran of Marsh, was involved in business development, client relations and senior operational management at Marsh and has developed and managed many complex risk programs.

Johnathan Brutlag has been named branch manager to oversee the Atlanta office of All Risks Ltd., a Baltimore, Md.-based national independent insurance wholesaler with offices nationwide. He will be in charge of continuing growth in the southeast, while focusing on relationship, service and overall product offerings. He will oversee brokerage, contract binding and support operations. Prior to joining All Risks, Brutlag was a senior vice president with Aon Risk Services Inc. of Atlanta.

Houston-based HCC Insurance Holdings Inc. reports that John N. Molbeck, Jr. will become the company’s president and chief operating officer with his employment contract extending through May 31, 2009.

Molbeck previously held this position at HCC from 1997 to 2002. Most recently he was chief executive officer for Jardine Lloyd Thompson, from which he retired in 2005. Molbeck, who re-joined the HCC Board in April 2005, will remain a director during his tenure as president and is expected to continue on the board after he retires.

Stephen L. Way, chairman and chief executive officer previously held the positions of president and COO, henceforth, these positions will be filled separately. All insurance related operations will report directly to Molbeck while strategic planning, finance, mergers and acquisitions, and investments will remain under the direction of Way.

Three new national account representatives Michael Behan, William Schmidt and Mark Young have joined Crawford Integrated Services in Atlanta.

Behan joined Crawford in 2003 as a workers’ compensation adjuster in Kenner, La.

Schmidt rejoins Crawford after several years with other companies, most recently, York Insurance Services in Parsippany, N.J., where he served as director of sales. Young joined Crawford in 2004 as a client service manager in Dallas. Prior to joining Crawford, Young served as account executive, manager of Business Development, and account manager for a large Property & Casualty Risk Management Services company in Dallas.

Crawford Integrated Services is a new business unit serving the claims end of the workers’ compensation industry.

Carmel, Ind.-based Oak Street Funding has named Brad Coffin as manager of sales and marketing. Oak Street Funding provides capital to insurance agencies for capital improvements, acquisitions and the purchase of additional customer policies.