People

W. Martin Yung has been selected chief executive officer for JDW Insurance, headquartered in El Paso, Texas.

Yung is a shareholder and a member of the board of directors. He has served as president of the firm since February 2000, and will continue in that capacity.

Yung holds the professional designation of Associate in Risk Management (ARM), has more than 27 years of experience in the industry and is a Texas licensed risk manager. He specializes in the healthcare industry, professional service firms, real estate, construction, manufacturing, restaurant chains and organizations with international exposures.

Yung is a past president of the board of Intersure, an international consortium of insurance brokers, and past chairman of CNA Insurance Cos.’ regional PACER counsel. In addition, he has served as vice president of Independent Insurance Agents of El Paso and past board member of Big Red Captive Insurance Ltd.

Texas-based independent insurance and financial service firm Higginbotham has appointed commercial insurance broker Jack Shell to develop its new transportation unit. Shell, hired in April 2011 at Higginbotham’s Houston branch office, has concentrated experience mitigating the exposures that characterize the transportation industry.

As director of transportation, Shell will oversee the delivery of specialized insurance products and risk management services to the firm’s growing list of transportation clients. The unit will serve clients with small and large fleets, primarily for hire and private carriers, short and long haul carriers, container/flatbed/dry van/reefer haulers, trash haulers/mixers, hazmat haulers, hotshot delivery and charter buses.

Shell came to Higginbotham from Warriner & Associates, a Houston insurance agency catering to the transportation industry. Shell began his career at Flat Iron Credit Corp. assisting independent insurance agencies with premium financing. He is a certified insurance counselor (CIC).

Shell is a member of Texas Motor Transportation Association, Houston Safety Council of Professionals and Hispanic Motor Carriers Association.

Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA) announced that Swiss Re America Senior Vice President Peter Opinante is taking over as chairman of the board of directors. Opinante, who served as deputy chair, fills the seat vacated by Sophia Philips who recently resigned for personal reasons.

Opinante will now serve for an additional four months in addition to his two-year term. Over the years, he has served in a number of key positions and has been instrumental in the creation of new strategic planning efforts, IMUA said.

Michelle Hoehn, vice president of inland marine product and underwriting at Travelers, will serve as deputy chairperson and Bill Rosa, vice president at XL Group, will serve as vice chairman.

BancorpSouth Insurance Services Inc. has added Larry D. Batie II as marketing manager for the Texas region. He is based in Houston.

Batie has extensive experience in the industry and previously served as account executive and assistant vice president at Marsh & McLennan Cos. He is a certified insurance counselor (CIC) and is a member of the National Society of Certified Insurance Counselors.

U.S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. promoted Mike Mullens, the current national practice leader for the U.S. Risk healthcare division, to executive vice president.

Mullens has more than 35 years experience in the insurance industry specializing in general liability, property and professional liability for a broad array of healthcare risks.

U. S. Risk Insurance Group Inc. is a specialty lines underwriting manager and wholesale broker headquartered in Dallas.