People
Washington D.C.-based broker Ames & Gough has named Christine Payne as senior account manager. Payne, who has more than 25 years of insurance industry experience, will oversee service and insurance placements for a wide range of clients in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, as well as other regions within the U.S. She most recently served as a senior account manager at Lockton.
Insurance broker Marsh has named Jill Sulkes head of its U.S. financial institutions practice. Sulkes, based in New York, most recently served as a managing director in Marsh’s financial and professional liability practice, where she specialized in directors’ and officers’, errors and omissions, employment practices and fiduciary liability insurance for financial institutions. She has also been involved in new product analysis, business development, and professional development and training of Marsh colleagues.
New York-based managing general agent WKF&C Agency has promoted Michael Sillat to president and chief operating officer. Sillat joined WKF&C in 2002 as chief financial officer. In 2005 he took on the additional responsibilities of chief operating officer. He spent 13 years in corporate finance and commercial contracts management for Linde AG, an engineering and contracting firm based in Germany.
Ann Weaver has been named head of the Insurance Solutions Group at New York-based MphasiS. Weaver previously served as risk services’ chief information officer for global products at Aon. In her new role, she will lead a team of domain experts and technical consultants as MphasiS grows its insurance practice.
New York-based Merchants Insurance Group has named Shad McKnight as vice president of underwriting and product development. McKnight has served as vice president of product management, associate vice president of underwriting and product management, program and communications director and business technology consultant for fraud investigations for several national insurance carriers.
Erie Insurance has appointed Leah M. Micholas as vice president and branch manager of its Pittsburgh branch office. She will direct and manage revenue growth, field sales and agent and customer relationships. Micholas, a 21-year insurance industry veteran, joins Erie from The Hartford where she spent 14 years in progressive sales roles, most recently as regional sales manager of select customer and personal lines. She has also held positions with The Maryland Insurance Group and Aetna Life & Casualty.
J. Scott Penny has been named chief acquisitions officer for Florida-based insurance agency Brown & Brown Inc. Penny has served as one of the company’s regional presidents since July 2010 and previously served as a regional executive vice president. He will continue to be responsible for oversight of retail profit center operations of certain of the company’s subsidiaries in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Washington. Penny will also continue to oversee the operations of Axiom Re, Inc. in Florida and North Carolina, and will assume responsibility for the oversight of Florida Intracoastal Underwriters. Penny began his career with the company in 1989 in Daytona Beach. He received the company’s Top Gun award in 1994.
Farmer’s Insurance Group has named Todd Brooks senior vice president of its eastern zone, which includes Virginia. He most recently served as vice president of field operations for Farmer’s eastern growth markets. Brooks joined Farmers in 1987 and has held served in a number of claims, underwriting, sales, marketing and management positions, including vice president and chief underwriting officer in personal lines underwriting.
Robert A. DiMuccio, chairman, president and chief executive officer of R.I.-based Amica Mutual Insurance Company, has been elected as the new chair of the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). DiMuccio has served as Amica’s chairman since 2008, and as its top corporate officer since 2005. He joined Amica in 1991 and has also served as senior vice president, treasurer, chief financial officer and executive vice president at the insurer.
Bermuda-based Argo Group appointed Andrew Carrier as chief underwriting officer. He will oversee underwriting across Argo Group worldwide and will retain his current responsibilities as president of Argo Re and as underwriting director for Argo International.
Sandra Parrillo, president and CEO of R.I.-based Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Company has been named chair of the board of directors of the National Association of Mutual Insurers (NAMIC). Parrillo joined The Providence in 1977 and held a number of underwriting and management positions within the company — including vice president, secretary and senior vice president of underwriting and marketing — before assuming the role of top corporarate executive for the insurer.