People

Narragansett Bay Insurance Co. of Pawtucket, Rhode Island has named Mark Talerico chief risk officer.

Talerico will oversee Narragansett’s distribution of risk in homeowners insurance, and guide the insurers exposure management.

Prior to joining Narragansett Bay, Talerico worked as senior vice president for portfolio management at reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter. He has also served previously as vice president of enterprise risk management for Risk Management Solutions, a catastrophe simulation provider to the industry.

Virginia-based brokerage Thomas Rutherfoord Inc., has named John Hamilton senior vice president/division manager of its Atlanta office. Hamilton is the former chairman and managing director of Wachovia Insurance Services in Georgia. Prior to his position at WIS, he worked as chairman and chief executive officer of Hamilton Dorsey Alston.

Thomas Rutherfoord Inc. also announced that Craig Perry, vice president, will assume new duties in the Atlanta office. Perry will spearhead the development of risk management and international accounts and the office’s due diligence practice. Prior to joining Rutherfoord Perry worked for Marsh Inc. in New York and Atlanta, where he served as managing director. Before joining Marsh, Perry spent 17 years with Johnson and Higgins in New York and London. He joined the Atlanta office of Rutherfoord in 2004.

West Chester, Pa.-based Venture Insurance Programs named Michael Rogers executive vice president and managing director of a new specialty property unit.

Rogers will establish a startup program for Venture that specializes in property and inland marine business. His primary focus will be coastal property. In addition, Rogers will serve as a property expert to other Venture programs. He most recently served as new business manager and property manager for the NIF Group, where he was responsible for property brokerage business for the New York City office. Rogers has also held positions with United National Insurance Group and United States Liability Insurance Group.

Erie Insurance Group named Terrence W. Cavanaugh president and chief executive officer, and an elected member of the firm’s board of directors.

Cavanaugh joins Erie from Chubb Corp. where he most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer for its surety business. The Chicago native had a 33-year career with Chubb, beginning as a bond underwriter for Chubb Surety in 1975. In 1999, he was appointed chief marketing officer for Chubb.

Dallas-based Colemont Insurance Brokers has named Michael O’Brien and David Lewison vice presidents for its Hartford, Connecticut office.

O’Brien will oversee marketing and production of health care, financial services and professional liability accounts. Before joining Colemont, he was a managing underwriter at Chubb Executive Risk and responsible for managing a team underwriting directors and officers liability, employment practices liability, crime and ERISA coverages. He was also an underwriter and plan administrator and has experience in property and casualty in addition to financial services.

Lewison specializes in directors and officers, and internet liability. He joins Colemont from Commerce Insurance Services, where he was in the executive risks division. Previoulsy, he was with Stewart Smith as senior vice president for professional and management liability in New York.

Although he is vice president of the Hartford operation, Lewison will work out of Oradell, New Jersey.

Fairfax, Virginia-based insurance agency Johnson & Strachan Inc. hired Chip Henson as a property and casualty sales executive.

Henson previously worked as a senior sales representative for Liberty Mutual, where he specialized in business property and casualty insurance. Prior to joining Johnson & Strachan, Henson was an agency producer for USI.

Woodbridge, New Jersey-based wholesale brokerage NIP Group has named Jerry Barry president of its specialty brokerage division, and promoted Dean Mortilla to vice president. The specialty brokerage division includes construction, healthcare, specialty property and casualty practices.

Barry moves to the division after serving as assistant vice president at NIP’s captive division, where he oversaw sales and marketing. He previously held sales and marketing positions with Merck & Co.

Mortilla has been with NIP’s specialty brokerage since its inception, most recently serving as senior broker. He has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry.

Gary Buchanan has joined AmWINS Brokerage of New York as vice president.

Buchanan has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. He will focus mainly on financial risk placements, including directors and officers, errors and omissions, employment practices, fiduciary, crime and product liability. He joins AmWINS from Wells Fargo Insurance Services, where he was vice president. Prior to that, he held positions with Marsh, AIG, AEGIS and Crum & Forster.