People

Gregg Effner has joined Main Street America Group as assistant vice president of distribution management. Effner, who has 30 years of property/casualty industry experience, will be based at the company’s corporate headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., and report to Doug Eden, senior vice president of field operations.

In this newly created position, Effner will develop Main Street America’s corporate distribution strategy, including independent agency management best practices and a compensation strategy. Effner will also establish a strategy for Main Street America relative to aggregators and wholesalers, as well as large agents and brokers. Effner will work in conjunction with the company’s four regional presidents.

Prior to joining Main Street America, Effner was vice president, director of corporate analytics, at Zurich North America in Schaumburg, Ill. Prior to joining Zurich, Effner was at CNA Financial Corp. in Chicago. He has also held management roles at Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. USF&G Corp. and Northwestern National Insurance Group.

Insurance broker Marsh Inc. has named Mark C. McGivney as chief financial officer. McGivney joins the firm from the Hanover Insurance Group, where he was senior vice president of finance, corporate treasurer and chief financial officer for the company’s property/casualty business. As CFO, McGivney assumes responsibility for a worldwide staff of more than 1,000 professionals.

McGivney joined The Hanover in 1997 as vice president of mergers and acquisitions. Prior to that, he worked in investment banking in the financial institutions sector at Merrill Lynch and Salomon Brothers.

Less than six months after being promoted to the job, Joseph J. Beneducci has tendered his resignation as CEO of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co.

Chuck Kavitsky, president of Allianz of America and the former Fireman’s Fund chief executive whom Beneducci replaced, has been named interim CEO.

Beneducci started his job as CEO on Jan. 1, 2007, and resigned for personal and career reasons, according to Susan Murdy, the company’s director of media relations.

The company is searching for a permanent successor.

Beneducci is a long-time Fireman’s Fund executive, having joined the company in 1998 after a 10-year career at Chubb. He previously served as president and chief operating officer before succeeding Kavitsky, who was promoted to a new position as president of Allianz of America.

First Guard Insurance named Donna Fortuna as its new president. Fortuna will oversee daily business operations and fiscal allocations for the Venice, Fla.-based company. In her most recent position as secretary of First Guard, Fortuna handled all minutes for FGIC and filings for the states.

Insurance broker Beecher Carlson has expanded its executive liability team with the addition of Leaticia Roberts as client service manager in Atlanta and Kimberly Fine as senior vice president from the New York office.

Roberts will be responsible for servicing and brokering executive liability products. She also has underwriting, retail and wholesale brokerage responsibilities. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Roberts served as a client representative for the Marsh’s FINPRO team in Atlanta. Roberts has also worked at Western Risk Specialists and Swett & Crawford.

Fine has 18 years of experience in the legal industry developing educational programs for legal firms. At Beecher Carlson, she will focus on business and client development for executive liability products. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Fine served as managing director with ALM (formerly American Lawyer Media), where she worked with the editors for Corporate Counsel magazine, The American Lawyer, IP Law & Business and Law Firm Inc. She created events and a suite of educational programs.

Raleigh, N.C.-based MJM Inc., appointed Phil Peart as vice president of International Business Development.

Peart joined MJM in 2003, and has been involved in the insurance investigation industry for 30 years. His expertise lies in investigating fraudulent claims in foreign countries. Prior to MJM, Peart published an international investigations magazine and convened a anti-fraud conferences in Asia.

C.V. Starr & Co. has promoted Jeffrey M. Hafter to president, replacing William J. Weichold, who is retiring after 24 years with the company.

Hafter was recently executive vice president of C.V. Starr & Co. with responsibility for developing the company’s East coast expansion and supporting the parent company in the acquisition of new agencies. Hafter held various senior management positions with the company between 2001 and 2004. Prior to joining C.V. Starr & Co., Hafter held several positions with major U.S. insurance companies from 1987 to 2001 and from 2004 to 2006.

H.W. Kaufman Financial Group/Burns & Wilcox Chairman, President and CEO Alan Jay Kaufman recently announced the realignment of the company’s senior management team. Seven executives were promoted to a senior vice president or vice president positions with corporate responsibility to both the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group and Burns & Wilcox. They report directly to Kaufman. The promotions include:

Gary Batten to senior vice president from vice president. In addition to his continued management of the New Orleans and Baton Rouge offices, Batten also is responsible for Burns & Wilcox’s Atlanta, Little Rock, Ark., and Birmingham, Ala., offices.

Donald Carson to senior vice president from vice president. He retains responsibility for the Dallas/Fort Worth and Houston offices. Carson also is responsible for Kaufman Financial Group/Burns & Wilcox special projects and operations.

Michael Franzese to vice president from vice president and manager of the Daytona Beach, Fla., and Tampa, Fla., offices. He will continue to direct these offices.

The remaining Kaufman Financial Group/Burns & Wilcox senior management team remains unchanged.

Kansas City-based wholesale broker Westrope has added Joyce James as the Eastern Region client manager, responsible for client relationships, service and account retention. James has more than 20 years of insurance experience.