People

Will Weston, vice president and principal of Blanchard & Calhoun Insurance Agency in Augusta, was elected president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Georgia, Inc. (IIAG) during the association’s recent annual meeting. Weston has been a member of IIAG’s Executive Committee since 2006 and will continue to serve through his five-year term. He has served on the board of directors for many years as president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Augusta and as a district director.

Colemont Insurance Brokers promoted Bob Black to vice president in the company’s Atlanta office. Black joined Colemont in 2004 as an associate broker responsible for marketing all lines of property and inland marine business. He specializes in the placement of a variety of property risks, including catastrophe-exposed business, national property schedules, distressed business, and builder’s risks. Prior to joining Colemont, he worked for Ernst & Young LLP and CashTech Solutions in a consulting and sales capacity.

The American Insurance Marketing & Sales (AIMS) Society, has elected new officers and directors for the organization, which is open to anyone engaged in sales and marketing in the property and casualty insurance business.

New officers are:

• President James P. Gosselink, who is owner and principal of Tulip City Agency, an eight-person multiline agency in Pella, Iowa.
• Vice President Curtis M. Pearsall, who is vice president of New York-based Utica National Insurance Co.
• Secretary Mike Herzak, who is president and chief executive officer of Insurance Systems Group of Cleveland, Ohio.
• Treasurer Marty Lebson, who is principal and vice president of Insurance Resource Group, part of top-100 brokerage The Capacity Group, Mahwah, N.J.
• Immediate Past President Ronald D. Stauffer, who is vice president of Phelan Insurance Agency, headquartered in Versailles, Ohio.

Directors elected to new three-year terms include:

• George A. Zelhof, who is owner and producer for United Assurance Inc., of Fair Lawn, New Jersey
• Keith A. Savino, who is chief operating officer for Warwick Resource Group, of Warwick, New York
• Richard H. Dygve, who is principal and vice president for Johnson & Strachan Insurance Agency, or Fairfax, Virginia
• Philip R. Bogle, who is president of Bogle Agency Inc., in Lyndhurst, New Jersey

Clements International, a Washington, D.C.-based global insurance broker, has named J. Christopher Beck president. Beck was previously senior vice president of the company. Beck has led the sales divisions of Clements International since 2000. With more than 20 years of insurance experience, he was responsible for key insurance programs for international organizations and the expatriate community.

Wells Fargo Insurance Services has named Joseph Norick, based in Sherman Oaks, Calif., vice president and practice leader for Wells Fargo Special Risks’ National Equine Group. He is responsible for operations, carrier relationships, sales, and placement of all equine products worldwide. He has helped to develop and launch the National Equine Group, which specializes in livestock mortality, major medical, surgical, farm and ranch, in addition to other various equine coverages at Wells Fargo. Norick previously owned and operated J. Norick & Co. Inc., an international horse brokerage based in both Wellington, Fla., and in the Netherlands.

Liberty Mutual Agency Markets’ Regional Companies Group has appointed three vice presidents to its commercial lines product management team.

Aswin Krishnan will manage the workers’ compensation line. Most recently, he was vice president of commercial lines product development for The Hartford.

Tiffany Reiner will manage the businessowners and farm lines of business. She was formerly product manager for commercial lines product management at Agency Markets. John Vrijmoet will manage the commercial auto line of business. Previously, he was senior vice president – auto for Privilege Underwriters in White Plains, New York.

Los Angeles-based Aon/Albert G. Ruben Insurance Services Inc. has appointed Fred Milstein as managing director, worldwide marketing and business development. In his new role, Milstein will work with Aon/Albert G. Ruben offices across the globe on marketing and business development initiatives.

Prior to joining Aon/Albert G. Ruben, Milstein was president and a founder of cineFinance, an international completion guarantee company serving the motion picture and television industry. Previously, Milstein held executive positions with the Completion Bond Co., Miramax Films and William Morris Agency.

The Travelers Cos. Inc. named Anne MacDonald as executive vice president, chief marketing officer. MacDonald will have responsibility for the company’s marketing, brand management and advertising strategy, and she will serve on the company’s management committee. The appointment is effective July 27, 2009.

MacDonald will work with Corporate Communications & Branding and will report to Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jay Fishman.

At the business unit level, MacDonald will provide marketing and advertising oversight for all three of the company’s business segments, with a particular focus on Personal Insurance’s branding and customer experience. .

Most recently, MacDonald was a partner with Rockefeller Consulting Group. Prior to that, she served as the president and chief marketing officer of Macy’s Inc. and as the chief marketing officer for Citigroup’s consumer division.