People

Ohio-based Westfield Insurance promoted Joseph C. Kohmann to group finance leader (CFO) and treasurer. He replaces Robert Krisowaty, who retires with more than 10 years of service.

In July 2010 Kohmann assumed the position of assistant group finance leader. He joined Westfield in 2000 as chief financial officer and treasurer of Westfield Bank, a subsidiary of Westfield Group. Prior to joining Westfield, he was the chief financial officer of Janna Industries in Akron, and the assistant corporate controller at Austin Powder Co. in Cleveland.

Dennis Raab was named chief financial officer of Columbus, Ohio-based Huntington Insurance, a wholly owned subsidiary of Huntington Bancshares Inc.

Raab, a 16-year veteran of the insurance industry, will manage all of the financial procedures and practices of Huntington Insurance.

Raab worked for 21 years for General Electric in various divisions, including Insurance Holdings and Consumer Financial Services. Most recently, he served as chief financial officer for Insurance.com. Raab also served as chief financial officer for Allianz Global Risks US Insurance in Chicago.

Insurance broker Lockton added Scott Schulte as a producer in its St. Louis, Mo., office. Schulte has more than 13 years of experience in the health care industry. Prior to joining Lockton, Schulte was a sales executive at several leading employee benefits and life insurance companies in St. Louis, most recently at Mutual of Omaha.

Lockton also made promotions within its Kansas City Employee Benefits Agency. Previously unit managers for health and welfare clients, Tracy Musolf and Mark Seely, will now service Lockton clients as practice leaders.

With more than 21 years of combined client service experience at Lockton, Musolf and Seely will now mentor unit managers, and provide direction and strategy to help them oversee the deliverables and performance of other benefit consultants. The new practice leaders will also more closely manage current insurance carrier relationships.

Middleton, Wis.-based Capitol Insurance Companies announced three promotions. Kevin A. Klestinski was named vice president of property/casualty underwriting, Richard F. Boettner is now director of underwriting — brokerage and general agent binding, and David W. Schirmer was named director of audit and product development.

Klestinski joined Capitol in 2006 as director of marketing operations. In November 2008, he became director of property and casualty underwriting — independent agents.

Boettner joined Capitol in July 2002 as staff services director, moved into the property/casualty underwriting department in May 2004 as property/casualty manager, and was promoted to director of property/casualty underwriting — independent agents in 2005. He later became the director of property/casualty underwriting — brokerage.

Schirmer joined Capitol in June 2003 as underwriting manager of Capitol Specialty Insurance Co., becoming director of underwriting — general agents in 2005. He has accepted the position of director of audit and product development, and will focus on P/C underwriting changes and product development.

Norman-Spencer Agency of Dayton, Ohio, named Brian Norman, formerly executive vice president, as president of the company.

Additional appointments to Norman-Spencer executive team are: Porus Austin as chief operating officer; Pat Malone, in addition to his position of chief financial officer, director of Boat/Yacht Specialty Division; and Greg Woryk as chief marketing officer.

As COO, Austin is responsible for operations, automation and human resources for all Norman-Spencer entities. For 20 years, Austin was a partner and owner of Western Marine Insurance Services, which merged with Norman-Spencer in 2008. Malone, who also serves as CFO, joined Norman-Spencer in 2007 from Liberty Mutual Agency Markets and has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. Woryk brings 20 years of experience to his new position. He most recently was vice president of Marketing for a 1,200 unit franchise organization.

Insurance broker and risk advisor Marsh appointed Mike Kern to head its new Kansas City, Mo., office. Kern has 20 years of insurance brokerage and underwriting experience. He will oversee operations in Marsh’s Kansas City office and will be responsible for growing and retaining business in Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska.

He joins Marsh from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., where he most recently served as area executive vice president in Wisconsin. Prior to joining Gallagher, Kern worked at Wausau Insurance Cos. and Liberty Mutual Insurance.

Denver-based Signature Select LLC, a retail insurance broker subsidiary of The IMA Financial Group Inc., expanded its commercial lines insurance practice in Kansas City, Kan., by adding vice presidents Larry Laubach and Mike Nolan, and business development executive Gilbert Keller. The three joined Signature Select when it acquired The Century Group of Kansas.

Laubach, previously a co-owner of The Century Group, specializes in a consultative approach to all lines of insurance. He began his insurance career in 1986 and has worked for national insurance companies where he gained experience in underwriting, sales, management and excess and special risks.

Nolan began his insurance career in the 1980s and was previously a co-owner of The Century Group. He has expertise in all lines of insurance.

Keller specializes in commercial lines of insurance for the construction, manufacturing and property management industries.

Signature Select also promoted Chad Elgas to vice president of the Kansas City, Kan., market. Elgas will manage strategic growth in Kansas City and the surrounding region.

He recently played in instrumental role in the company’s acquisition of The Century Group. He has worked in the insurance industry since 1998 on both the carrier and the brokerage sides of the business.

New Berlin, Wis.-based United Heartland promoted Jane Ische to director of Claim Strategy and Lee Zubek to director of field claims.

Ische has served in a variety of positions with United Heartland during the past 15 years, most recently as manager of claim operations.

Zubek has served as regional claims manager for the company during the past year. She has 33 years of experience in the insurance industry, with an emphasis in claims and a specialization in workers’ compensation insurance.

Insurer Genesis added Chris Golonka to its public entity division as vice president and underwriting executive of the Midwest region.

Golonka, who is based in Chicago, most recently served as vice president of the public entity group at ACE USA, where he oversaw the management, underwriting and production of public entity and scholastic business in the western half of the U.S.

Privately owned insurance brokerage firm Hylant Group added two insurance industry experts to its Chicago office. Neil Silverblatt joined the Property & Marine Risk Practice as client service executive, and Joel Speckman joined the Surety Risk Practice as the practice leader.

They will operate out of Hylant Group’s Chicago office and will support Hylant’s 12 offices throughout five states.

Prior to joining Hylant Group, Silverblatt amassed a decade of experience in the global property unit at Marsh where he specialized in large global property and placements.

Speckman has nearly 25 years of surety bond business experience. He is active in the industry, serving on the board of directors of The Surety Association of Illinois, as a regional steering committee member of The National Association of Surety Bond Producers and a member of The Construction Financial Management Association. He will lead Hylant’s Surety Practice.