People – Southeast

Retail insurance broker EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center), has named Chris Duncan to the firm’s executive team as chief growth officer (CGO).

As CGO for EPIC, Duncan will focus on growing EPIC’s presence throughout the United States, primarily through expansion of the company’s benefits business and acquisitions.

Duncan will be based in Atlanta and will report directly to EPIC CEO John Hahn. He will work with Hahn, EPIC Chief Strategy Officer Derek Thomas, and other members of the EPIC executive leadership team on all growth initiatives.

Duncan brings 26 years of experience in finance, risk management, security and mergers and acquisitions.

Prior to joining EPIC, Duncan served for six years with Mercer Health & Benefits, most recently as partner and health and benefits business leader and U.S. acquisitions leader. He has also held roles at Marsh as managing director, at Delta Airlines as chief risk officer, and at Frito-Lay as director of risk management and security.

Kentucky Public Protection Secretary Bob Vance retired effective May 31.

Gov. Steve Beshear said his chief of staff, Larry Bond, will be the acting secretary until a permanent replacement is named.

Beshear appointed Vance after winning election in 2007. Vance worked in the banking industry in Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana.

The Public Protection Cabinet regulates banks, insurers and investment companies along with horse racing, alcohol sales and other industries. The state insurance regulatory office headed by Sharon P. Clark, insurance commissioner, falls under the Public Protection secretary.

Great American Insurance Group promoted Jeffrey Cruey to divisional president of its specialty property and casualty agribusiness division.

Cruey joined the company in 2011 as a divisional senior vice president within the specialty human services (SHS) division where he managed the underwriting, marketing and operations functions.

Prior to joining Great American, Cruey was vice president of commercial lines at Ohio Casualty Insurance/Liberty Mutual Agency Markets. He has 30 years of underwriting, product development and management experience in property and casualty insurance operations.

Peabody, Mass.-based Energi, a provider of risk management and insurance programs for the energy industry, said Christopher Lohmann has joined the company as vice president of Alternative Energy Solutions (AES). Previously, Lohmann was a senior finance policy advisor at the Department of Energy, where he led the development of finance policy for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

While at DOE, Lohmann led programs to drive private capital investment in advanced domestic clean energy technologies. He assisted state and local governments with more than 100 energy financing programs utilizing federal funds, which helped to raise more than $1 billion of committed private capital.

As vice president of AES, Lohmann will manage Energi’s AES Warranty Programs–which recently announced projects in Hawaii and Toronto–as well as program development, business development and building strategic relationships. He will work with Energi’s partners, insurance brokers/agents, policyholders and various stakeholders across the market, including banks and financial institutions that lend on renewable and energy efficiency projects.

Socius Insurance Services Inc., a management liability and property/casualty insurance wholesaler, has hired Brian Cone to join its property/casualty practice. Cone will be based in Birmingham.

Cone’s former responsibilities included casualty brokerage and sales, as well as work as an independent adjuster. At Socius he will focus on helping to build the property/casualty brokerage practice in the Southeast.

Workers’ compensation insurer The MEMIC Group has appointed Tod Austin as a vice president of underwriting.

Austin will work out of MEMIC’s Tampa, Florida, office and will oversee production underwriting staff in MEMIC’s marketing territories in the South and Mid-Atlantic regions including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Florida.

Austin brings 25 years of experience in the independent agency and brokerage business to his new position.

Atlanta-based insurance broker Beecher Carlson Insurance Services reported that Steele Hutto has joined the firm as business development specialist focused on the healthcare industry.

Hutto will be based in the Nashville office and report to Kevin Gabhart, managing director.

Hutto brings experience in underwriting, most recently serving as an underwriting specialist at CNA Financial. His previous roles include senior underwriter and underwriter at AIG.