People – South Central
Hotchkiss Insurance Agency LLC (HIA) promoted Farrah Carlton to vice president of service. Carlton will lead client services initiatives and service management across all HIA offices.
She previously held several positions at HIA, most recently serving as the director of service in the HIA Dallas office. Carlton joined HIA in 1996 while attending the University of Texas/Dallas where she earned a BBA in Finance.
IMA Inc. added three new business development associates to the Dallas office.
Jim Schaefer joined the Dallas team as vice president of employee benefits; Ross Hamann joined the Dallas benefits team in business development; and Scott Lea joined the Dallas commercial lines team in business development.
While Schaefer and Hamann specialize in employee benefits solutions, Lea will work with the P/C team, specializing in hospitality, construction and additional industries.
Schaefer has more than 25 years of experience in the healthcare/employee benefits industry. Prior to joining IMA, Schaefer held a senior position within the health and welfare practice of a nationally known consulting firm where he worked extensively with public sector clients of varying size and complexity.
Hamann has employee benefits experience both on the carrier and broker side of the business. He is focused on improving the health and well-being of each client’s employees while improving the client’s bottom line through strategy and integrity.
Hamman holds his Life and Health Insurance Counselor (LHIC) designation.
Lea has worked in the insurance industry since 2005. He most recently was with the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) where he was tasked to build an insurance department and workers’ compensation safety group for restaurants with Texas Mutual Insurance Co. Additionally, a restaurant insurance program was developed in response to the Affordable Health Care Act.
Lea holds his Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) designation.
Markel Corp. promoted Wendy Houser to president, Mid South region, of Markel’s Wholesale division.
Markel Wholesale’s Mid South region includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Houser joined Markel in 2008 and helped to establish Markel’s Mid South office. In 2010, she moved to Richmond to manage the wholesale marketing team and was quickly promoted to managing director. Houser was promoted again in August 2012 to managing director, underwriting and production and moved back to Plano, Texas, to lead the Mid South’s underwriting and marketing teams in achieving premium growth and profitability for the breadth of products written in the region.
Houser has more than 16 years of experience in marketing and insurance. She worked as a broker for 11 years at Commercial Insurance Underwriters Inc. and Alexander Morford & Woo Inc. She is an instructor for the NAPSLO Advanced School and received the W. Dana Roerhig Award for her active role on the NAPSLO convention committee.
Burns & Wilcox Brokerage hired David Gross as managing director in its North Dallas office.
Gross will open the Burns & Wilcox Brokerage office in North Dallas, expanding the group’s geographic reach that now stretches to both coasts and extends south through Texas. His team is responsible for delivering innovative solutions and providing expanded market access, both throughout Texas and nationwide.
Gross brings more than 20 years of experience to his new position.He most recently served as vice president and senior broker-casualty for CRC. Gross spent 10 years in primary and excess casualty underwriting before moving to brokerage.
Willis North America, a unit of global risk advisor and insurance broker Willis Group Holdings, appointed Renee Folkerts as surety manager at Willis of Oklahoma.
Folkerts will be responsible for client service and business development. She will work to expand Willis’ footprint in the Oklahoma marketplace and align the firm’s global resources to deliver outstanding surety and risk management services to local clients.
Based in Oklahoma City, Folkerts has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to joining Willis, she served as surety account manager at Lockton.
Jonathan Bobbs and Aaron Hoefle joined independent insurance wholesaler, All Risks Ltd., in Dallas.
Bobbs, a brokerage underwriter, has expertise in property business. Bobbs previously was a national marketing director/business development with Combined Group of Dallas.
Hoefle, a production associate, comes to All Risks as a graduate from the University of Iowa, where he studied Finance, Economics and Risk Management. He will participate in the All Risks’ university program this summer.