People – Southeast

The Hartford Financial Services Group has named Matthew Kirk senior vice president of sales and distribution for the company’s commercial markets division. He is based in Hartford, Conn.

Kirk joined The Hartford in 2006, most recently serving as senior vice president and director of government affairs. He led all governmental interactions for The Hartford during the global financial crisis and managed the company’s engagement with regulators and legislators on multiple industry issues. Prior to joining The Hartford, Kirk served in the White House as deputy assistant for legislative affairs to President George W. Bush.

He succeeds Mike Concannon, who was appointed to lead The Hartford’s Group Benefits segment earlier this year.

Succeeding Kirk as senior vice president of government affairs will be Jay Rosenblum. Rosenblum will oversee The Hartford’s state and federal advocacy. He joined the company in 2009 and has led the federal affairs team in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining The Hartford, Rosenblum represented the accounting profession in Washington, D.C. for nine years, first at Ernst & Young and later as the head of Grant Thornton’s government affairs office. Earlier in his career, he held several roles in the Clinton administration.

And Laura Haines has been promoted to succeed Rosenblum as vice president of federal affairs. Haines has served as assistant vice president for government affairs since 2006. She began her career at The Hartford in 1993 in group benefits sales and was the top group sales producer in 1996 and 1997 for the priority accounts segment. From 1999 to 2002, Haines worked for Standard Insurance Co. selling group life and disability insurance. She returned to The Hartford in 2002 when she joined the federal affairs office.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. has appointed J. Michael Bischoff as chief financial officer. Bischoff will report directly to the company’s president and CEO, Brian Duperreault. Bischoff had been serving as interim CFO since March 2012 when then-CFO Vanessa Wittman resigned to join Google’s Motorola Mobility Holdings unit.

Workers’ compensation company Patriot National Insurance Group has named Bob Peters as chief operating officer. Peters will oversee the operations of Guarantee Insurance Co., a subsidiary. He reports to Charles Schuver, president of Guarantee, and will be based at Patriot National headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Before joining Patriot National, Peters was senior vice president and general manager of policy operations for Zenith Insurance Co. Peters has also held various positions with Liberty Mutual Insurance Co. Patriot National Insurance Group has two operating subsidiaries: Guarantee Insurance Co. and Patriot Underwriters Inc.

Ashley Pace has joined Lockton Companies in Memphis as an employee benefits consultant and producer. He will advise clients on health and welfare programs, human resources issues, and health risk solutions. Pace will also be responsible for new business development.

Pace joins Lockton after seven years with Regions Insurance and more than 14 years in the development and management of health and welfare programs.

Glatfelter Program Managers (GPM) announced Shawn T. Yingling has joined the company as president of Glatfelter Religious Practice. Yingling has worked in the insurance program industry for 24 years. He began his career at Glatfelter in 1988 as a commercial underwriting specialist for the VFIS program, and then joined the claims department as a liability claims representative. Yingling later was promoted to regional marketing representative for Glatfelter’s Ambulance Insurance Services, served as a producer for VFIS and then was promoted to Pennsylvania marketing and sales manager. Most recently, he served as vice president for a New York-based program manager.

Glatfelter Religious Practice also announced a new relationship with Church Mutual. Glatfelter will market Church Mutual nationally on an open brokerage basis.