People – West

Encino, Calif.-based NAS Insurance Services has expanded its national specialty insurance business with the addition of Matt Singerman, chief financial officer, and Jeremy Barnett, senior vice president of marketing to the executive team.

NAS’ product teams are also expanding as the demand for specialty reinsurance grows. Desiree Khoury has been promoted to specialty reinsurance manager and will manage product implementation, contract administration and will oversee marketing strategy for all reinsurance products.

In claims, Connie Rivas has been promoted to claims and contracts manager.

NAS is a product-oriented, independent underwriting manager of specialty insurance with full binding authority to underwrite on behalf of Lloyd’s of London and other carriers.

Salt Lake City, Utah-based The Buckner Co. named Frank Lancaster vice president and corporate controller.

Lancaster is an accounting professional who has spent most of his career in insurance.

Since January The Buckner Co. has increased its employee ranks 10 percent.

The Buckner Co. occupies four offices in two states, serving construction, agriculture, and commercial businesses, as well as personal homeowner and auto insurance, employee benefits, trucking and transportation insurance and surety bonding.

Klayton Caldiero has joined Tustin, Calif.-based Yates as vice president.

He is tasked with expanding Yates’ casualty capabilities. He will be concentrating on his specialties, including construction, environmental and manufacturing.

Caldiero started his insurance career 11 years ago on the retail side of the business with a specialization in residential construction placements. He has been a wholesale broker for the past six years coming from a Los Angeles based MGA/wholesale operation.

Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. named Linda M. Hunter vice president, Sacramento Employee Benefits practice leader of the San Francisco, Calif.-based firm.

Hunter will focus on client relationship management and business development.

Hunter has more than 30 years of experience. Prior to Woodruff-Sawyer, Hunter was president and founder of Compensation Planning Group. The company went through several mergers, first becoming a part of Total Benefits Solutions, and then ABD and Wells Fargo.

Colorado Springs, Colo.-based Insurance Technologies LLC named Mike Mecham senior vice president of client services.

Mecham’s responsibilities will include managing all client service implementations for all the company’s product lines. Mecham has worked at Insurance Technologies for 11 years.

Insurance Technologies provides sales automation solutions to the financial services industry.

IMA Inc. named Lise Kafka to its health risk management practice, Life IQ, and Christopher Walters has joined IMA’s sales team.

Kafka and Walters will be located in IMA’s Denver office.

Kafka will contribute to Life IQ, IMA’s multidisciplinary health risk management consulting practice.

Walters will work with employers to protect their assets. He oversaw a large occupational medicine clinic in Colorado for nearly 10 years.

IMA is a diversified financial services company specializing in insurance, asset and risk management with 450 employees and offices in seven markets across the nation.