People

The Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big “I”) recently presented Caliper Corp.’s founder and CEO Herb Greenberg with its chairman’s award.

Greenberg was presented with the award for his numerous accomplishments in his business, civic and personal life, including his efforts to improve the performance of the IIABA’s state associations and member agencies for nearly five decades.

“Our association and its members rely heavily on the Caliper Profile, which Herb Greenberg developed, for hiring, coaching and managing employees. The Caliper Profile is the gold standard in personality assessments,” said the Big “I’s” President Paul Buse.

Since the Big “I” and Caliper partnership began in 1973, insurance firms have used the Caliper Profile to help determine the qualities for success in a range of roles, from producers to salespeople, and from customer support staff to top managers.

In a move that expands its reinsurance brokerage business in the Southeast, global professional services company Towers Watson has established a brokerage operation in the Burlington-Greensboro, North Carolina area.

Heading up the new brokerage operation in the region are executive vice presidents David Johnson and Horace M. (J.J.) Johnson, who are brothers. Both have joined Towers Watson from Axiom Re, the reinsurance subsidiary of Brown & Brown. David Johnson and J.J. Johnson co-founded Axiom Re with their father Jay Johnson in 2000.

Prior to joining Towers Watson, David Johnson and J.J. Johnson were Axiom co-presidents and co-chief operating officers. David Johnson began his career at Aon, working in treaty reinsurance and capital market solutions, before helping establish Axiom Re. J.J. Johnson started with Chartwell Reinsurance before the founding of Axiom Re.

James Hole, managing director and head of property/casualty sales for Towers Watson, said the move will enable Towers Watson to strengthen its position n the Southeast region, while complementing its position in the Florida market.

Zurich announced that Jim Dowdy will add responsibility for its North America railroad insurance practice in addition to overseeing Zurich’s specialty lines property business. The company also appointed Ron Mathewson and Gary Linde as casualty underwriters supporting the railroad business.

Dowdy joined Zurich in January 2010. He previously served as senior vice president for Ironshore Insurance Services and has held a variety of ositions in the insurance industry over the past 30 years.

Mathewson joins Zurich from Chartis Excess Casualty where he was national practice leader for railroad business.

Linde joins Zurich from Odyssey Reinsurance Corp. where he served as assistant vice president in support of rail insurers for facultative reinsurance.

Cincinnati-based Great American Insurance Group announced that its corporate claims division hired Emmet M. Murphy as a vice president responsible for the environmental claims unit.

Murphy joins Great American from The Hartford and its complex claims group where he most recently held the title of assistant vice president and senior counsel. He brings 21 years of claims and management experience.

Stanley Zax, president and CEO of Woodland Hills, Calif.-based Zenith National Insurance Corp., will be retiring, and Jack Miller, chief operating officer, will take over.

Zenith, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Toronto-based Fairfax Financial Holdings Ltd., said Zax’s retirement takes effect Jan. 1.

Zax, 74, has been CEO of Zenith since 1977, and will continue as Zenith’s chairman and will chair the Fairfax Advisory Board.

Miller, executive vice president and the chief operating officer of Zenith and the president of its operating insurance subsidiary, will become president and CEO of Zenith on the day Zax retires.