People and Places

SeibertKeck Insurance Agency Inc., based in northeast Akron, Ohio, has announced the appointment of Craig A. Hassinger to the position of president of the organization. He will report to Chairman and CEO Richard Hite.

Hassinger previously served the organization as chief operating officer. In this position, he worked with SeibertKeck staff to implement a number of efficiencies that allowed the agency to achieve double-digit revenue growth during his tenure.

Hassinger began his insurance career in 1990 at Westfield Insurance Group and where he held the positions of marketing manager and underwriter. Hassinger is a member of the Council of Insurance Agents and Brokers, Professional Insurance Agents Association, and the Independent Insurance Agents Association.

Johanne Williams has been named as Hassinger’s replacement as SeibertKenck’s chief operating officer. Williams will report to Hassinger and Hite. As COO, Williams will oversee all agency operations, including human resources.

Williams most recently served as vice president of Operations at a large independent agency in Canton, Ohio. She also worked as a risk manager for the University of Akron. Williams received her CPCU designation in 1995. She has served on the Board of the Insurance Women of Akron and the Independent Insurance Agents Association.

Cincinnati-based Great American Insurance Group announced the promotion of Thomas E. Smith to divisional president of the Great American Custom Insurance Services Division of Great American Insurance Company. Smith had been senior vice president of Claims for Great American Custom.

Smith is a property and casualty insurance professional with thirty years of experience working in both the primary and reinsurance sectors of the industry. Prior to his employment with Great American Custom, he served as senior vice president of Claims for American Re-Insurance Company.

Smith directs the activities of Great American Custom’s California offices in Los Angeles and San Diego, as well as operations in Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and Providence.

American International Group Inc.appointed Nicholas J. Ashooh as its senior vice president, Communications. Ashooh succeeds John T. Wooster, Jr.who had filled that role on a temporary basis since year-end 2005, and earlier had been AIG vice president, Communications from 1989 to 2001.

Most recently, Ashooh was vice president, Corporate Communications, at American Electric Power in Columbus, Ohio, a role he assumed in 2000.

In his new role he will report directly to AIG President and Chief Executive Officer Martin J. Sullivan. His responsibilities will include corporate and employee communications, publications, advertising and global branding, media and public relations, marketing communications and the AIG archives. He will also have management responsibility for communications policies, programs and activities undertaken by AIG subsidiaries domestically and overseas.

Hylant Group, a full-service business insurance agency, has hired Basima Rumman to serve as vice president in the company’s Large Account Practice. She will be based in Hylant’s Troy, Mich., office.

Previously, Rumman was a 25-year veteran and vice president with Marsh McLennan Cos. Inc, where she handled some of the largest multinational property accounts in the world. She has designed, developed and implemented a wide variety of risk management programs, while establishing market relationships and carrier knowledge that places her in the industry’s top tier. Rumman will continue the same work with Hylant’s Large Account Practice, focusing on international property coverage for Fortune 1000 firms.

The Executive Liability Division of Great American Insurance Company appointed Nelson Kefauver to manage its Non-Profit D&O Unit. Kefauver will be responsible for continuing to grow Great American’s sizable Non-Profit book as well as managing Great American’s relationship with AUSCO, an MGA that writes Non-Profit D&O and Employment Practices Liability on Great American paper.

Kefauver has been with the ELD’s underwriting department for seven years, most recently as assistant vice president responsible for publicly traded and large private accounts.

ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, has appointed Scott Lambert as senior vice president, ACE Global Solutions. He will have responsibility for leading the ACE USA International Advantage product and underwriting team, including overseeing staff management and its overall growth and profitability.

The ACE USA International Advantage unit provides international insurance products and services for U.S.-based businesses.

Lambert has more than 19 years of insurance experience. He most recently served as senior vice president, Regional Operations for ACE Professional Risk, where he was responsible for the overall management, marketing and underwriting operations for ACE USA’s professional liability and management liability product lines.

Carmel, Ind.-based Conseco, Inc. has named C. James Prieur as its new chief executive officer, effective Sept. 7.

Prieur, who was president and CEO of Sun Life Financial, replaces former top Conseco executive William S. Kirsch, who resigned in May. Prieur also will join Conseco’s board of directors.

Interim CEO James E. Hohmann will become president and chief operating officer.

Submit press releases for People-Midwest to Susan McKenna at smckenna@insurancejournal.com.