People – South Central

Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection (BHTP) expanded its national sales force by hiring Bill Miller as executive vice president – sales. He is based in Grapevine, Texas.

Prior to coming to BHTP, Miller was the senior global-supplier-management director at Paris-based Carlson Wagonlit Travel. At CWT, Miller oversaw a multi-million dollar transactional revenue stream that encompassed three global distribution systems.

Miller also has experience with FarePortal, Travelocity and America Airlines.

Thornton Cornell has been named regional financial officer for State Auto’s Western Region. Cornell, a CPA, will be based in Austin, Texas.

Cornell brings to this new role a vast knowledge and experience working in the property/casualty insurance industry in areas such as planning, budgeting, financial analysis and financial oversight of key business initiatives. In addition, he has extensive experience in claims planning and reporting, and litigation analysis including internal audit. Cornell began his career as an auditor with a global accounting firm.

Cornell will have responsibility for the development of management information for regional sales, underwriting and operations. He will also develop pricing programs to optimize business results by identifying opportunities for personal and business insurance program improvements.

Gov. Rick Perry appointed Ryan Brannan of Austin as Commissioner of Workers’ Compensation at the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), effective Aug. 1,for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2015.

Brannan replaces Rod Bordelon, who is leaving the post after nearly six years at the helm.

Brannan was most recently an advisor in the Governor’s Office Division of Budget, Planning and Policy, focusing on issues relating to the insurance industry, including property and casualty insurance, workers’ compensation, healthcare, public health and health and life insurance.

Wholesale insurance broker and managing general agent, Worldwide Facilities Inc., announced that Rick Burns has joined its Houston, Texas, office as senior vice president and product development officer.

Worldwide’s Houston office primarily serves the energy and marine market.

Burns spent the past 23 years with Global Special Risks in Houston where he served as president and subsequently as chief underwriting officer. He began his career as an underwriter with AIG and later with Underwriters Indemnity.

Safety National Casualty Corp., a provider of excess workers’ compensation insurance and large casualty multi-line offerings, promoted Jason Tamblyn to regional underwriting manager, in Safety National’s new Dallas regional office.

Tamblyn will focus on underwriting and servicing accounts that fall under Safety National’s large casualty lines of coverage, which include large deductible workers’ compensation, commercial auto and general liability.

Working closely with Dick Hinch, Safety National’s regional business development manager based in San Antonio, Tamblyn will serve as the underwriter for large casualty accounts in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Colorado.

Safety National’s other regional offices are located in New York, Atlanta, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles, with corporate headquarters located in St. Louis, Mo.

East Texas-based Threlkeld & Company Insurance (TCI) has promoted Dustin Glover to the position of vice president of commercial lines.

Glover joined TCI five years ago as a producer, primarily writing oil and gas business.

TCI was established in 1982. TCI currently has 43 employees and is a direct descendant of Clyde & Prestridge Insurance Agency, which was established in 1929.

Willis North America, a unit of Willis Group Holdings, the global risk advisor, insurance and reinsurance broker, appointed Jeff Turner as managing partner at Willis of Texas Inc.

Turner will be responsible for Willis’s Houston operations, leading a team of nearly 100 insurance and risk management professionals. He will focus on business development and expanding Willis’ footprint in the marketplace. In addition, he will work to align resources from across Willis’s global platform to deliver the best risk management solutions and services to local clients. He will report to KJ Wagner, national partner – West Region, Willis North America.

Turner has 19 years of experience in the insurance industry. He joined Willis in 2012 and most recently served as senior vice president and producer in Willis’s New York Metro office. Before joining Willis, Turner held prominent roles at the Texas-based insurance broker, Higginbotham, and also Bridge Insurance Partners LLC.

Willis of Texas consists of roughly 260 associates serving national and local clients from its offices in Houston, Dallas and Austin.