People – East

The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. has appointed Tracey Caffrey Ant as senior vice president of field sales and execution for the company’s middle market segment. She will report to David Carter, head of The Hartford’s middle market segment.

In her new role, Ant will have direct responsibility for sales growth in the middle market segment. She will also have responsibility for enhancing overall distribution for the company’s commercial markets division. She is based in The Hartford’s New York City office.

Ant joins The Hartford from Marsh, where she held roles of increasing responsibility during her 20-year tenure, serving most recently as managing director and primary U.S. casualty placement leader for Marsh’s global risk management and national brokerage clients.

She has also served as Marsh’s national middle market placement leader, with responsibility for the placement of all casualty lines. Ant began her insurance career as a casualty underwriter with The Hartford.

The president and CEO of the insurer of military families, USAA, announced he will retire from USAA in the first quarter of 2015.

“It has been my privilege to work at USAA for nearly 20 years. However, in early 2015, it will be time for me to pass leadership of this great association to the next CEO,” said Maj. Gen. Josue “Joe” Robles Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.).

USAA Chairman of the Board Gen. Lester Lyles, USAF (Ret.) said the USAA board of directors has a “succession plan in place, which includes a comprehensive internal and external search for USAA’s next CEO” and expects to announce a successor for Robles by the end of 2014.

After serving on the USAA board of directors from 1990 to 1994 while on active duty, Robles joined the company in 1994 as chief financial officer and controller. He also served as corporate treasurer and chief administrative officer before assuming the role of CEO and president in 2007.

During Robles’ tenure, USAA has been expanding membership eligibility to all who have ever honorably served in the U.S. military and their eligible family members.

XL Group has promoted Joseph A. Tocco to chief executive of North American Property and Casualty, a post previously held by Seraina Maag who joined American International Group Inc. last November to lead AIG Property Casualty’s Europe, Middle East and Africa regional business.

Tocco will report to Greg Hendrick, chief executive of XL’s Insurance operations. He most recently led XL’s North America Property business as well as XL Global Asset Protection Services and will continue to be based in New York. Prior to joining XL in 2011, Tocco served at Zurich Financial Services as the head of its North American property group.

XL also announced that Ken Riegler, head of XL’s North America Primary Casualty business, will take on the additional responsibility of leading the North American Distribution and Network. In his expanded position, Riegler will play a prominent role in shaping distribution strategy across XL’s North American portfolio of businesses. He will report to Tocco, and will continue to be based in New York.

Prior to joining XL in 2011, Riegler served as president of ACE USA’s Foreign Casualty and North American Multinational Client groups.

The Arbella Insurance Group in Quincy, Mass., announced the appointment of Joseph L. Salerno as vice president of claims.

Reporting to Arbella COO Janet Corcoran, Salerno will lead the entire Arbella claims organization and will be responsible for all functional areas of the department.

His responsibilities will include providing claim services for personal and commercial lines of business in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New Hampshire. Arbella has more than 350 claim professionals located in its home office and five branch claim offices.

Salerno is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of claim leadership and technical experience. Most recently with Travelers Insurance, Salerno’s experience also includes positions at Zurich and Great American.

Cowles & Connell of N.J. announced the addition of Darren Dooskin to the position of associate vice president and property/casualty broker.

Dooskin will be responsible for the marketing and production of property/casualty accounts in the New Jersey and New York region. Previously, he was employed at Atlantic Risk Specialists in a similar capacity. Cowles & Connell of N.J. is a wholesaler located in Westampton, N.J., and serves the New Jersey and New York region.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers hired Brody Fontaine to join its New York office as group benefits advisor.

Fontaine will focus on building the benefits practice for Heffernan, focusing on mid-size employers. Fontaine is a former account executive with experience in benefits, client retention and sales.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Los Angeles and Orange County, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; St. Louis, Mo., and New York, N.Y.