People and Places

The National Association of Mutual Insurance Cos.(NAMIC) named SECURA Insurance President and CEO John Bykowski as the chairman of its board of directors during the association’s annual convention Sept. 16-19 at Grapevine, Texas.

Before joining SECURA in 1997, Bykowski served as the senior vice president of marketing for West Bend Mutual Insurance.

Bykowski, a Marquette University graduate, also spent part of his 35-year property and casualty insurance career with Wisconsin Employers, Allstate and Milwaukee Insurance.

Schaumburg, Ill.-based the Society of Actuaries (SOA) announced that Cecil D. Bykerk was elected president of the Society of Actuaries for the 2008 — 2009 term. Bykerk will serve as president-elect during the association’s 2007 — 2008 year and will begin his presidential duties at the SOA’s annual meeting to be held in October 2008 in Orlando, Fla.

Bykerk currently serves as president of CDBykerk Consulting where he provides actuarial consulting and is also executive director of three high risk pools in Alaska, Iowa and Montana serving medically uninsurable individuals. He has been a fellow of the Society of Actuaries since 1973 and is also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Medical professional liability insurer Washington Casualty Co. (WCC) named Mike Rutz to the newly created position of managing director.

WCC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lansing, Mich.-based FinCor Holdings, a health care risk management and insurance provider serving 19 states.

Rutz has been with WCC since January 2006, initially serving as vice president of marketing. He has held positions with well-known companies such as Professional Liability Insurance Company of America, Aon and Midwest Medical Insurance.

In his new role, Rutz will be responsible for day-to-day operations and management, as well as client retention and growth.

Former GOP Illinois State Representative Terry Parke has joined Secure Services Corp. (SSC) as director of Business Relations.

An insurance agent, Parke was the state representative for the northwest suburbs (Schaumburg, for 22 years. His district office was in Schaumburg. He was an acknowledged spokesperson on insurance issues in Springfield and past president of the National Conference of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL).

Oakbrook, Ill.-based Secure Services Corp. (SSC) offers products and services for patient, provider, and payer security needs in the health care marketplace.

U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. opened a brokerage operation in Sydney, Australia. The operation will be called U.S. Risk International Pty Ltd. Paul Sedgwick will serve as managing director of U.S. Risk International Pty Ltd.

Sedgwick joins U.S. Risk after serving as chief executive officer of Insurance Brokers Network Australia Ltd., where he managed a cluster of 82 insurance brokers across Australia, and was responsible for driving 30 percent membership growth and strong premium income, and establishing a wholesale brokerage division.

Sedgwick has worked in the Australian insurance industry for 27 years, also holding positions that included managing director of International Insurance Placements.

The Missouri Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions & Professional Registration announced that John Rehagen will serve as Captive Insurance Program manager for the Insurance Solvency & Company Regulation Division.

This announcement comes after Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation earlier this year allowing for the formation of captive insurance companies to bring as much as $10 million to the state’s revenue over the next three years.

Rehagen previously examined the financial reports of Missouri domestic insurance companies as a financial examiner for the department.

Encompass Insurance promoted Ken Branch to assistant vice president, Sales and Distribution.

Part of the Allstate group of companies, Encompass sells automobile, homeowner and related insurance products. Products are sold exclusively through independent agencies. Encompass is headquartered in Northbrook, Ill.

Branch joins Encompass from Allstate Insurance, where he held a number of key leadership positions within the company’s sales organization. Most recently he served as regional distribution leader in the Allstate Midwest Region in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Indianpolis-based the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC) named David L. Lehman, president of Mennonite Mutual Insurance Co., Orrville, Ohio, as the 2007 recipient of the Chairman’s Award.

The award was created to recognize leadership, accomplishment, and outstanding service to NAMIC and the property/casualty insurance industry.

Lehman was recognized during the opening general session of NAMIC’s 112th Annual Convention being held in Grapevine, Texas.

Lehman currently serves as chairman of NAMIC’s Property Casualty Management Conference Advisory Committee. He has served as chairman of both the Property Casualty Conference and Farm Mutual Conference, board member of the NAMIC Merit Society and NAMICO, and member of the federal tax and convention planning committees.

Lehman is a past chairman of the Ohio Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

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