People – Midwest

Columbia, Mo.-based Cornerstone Management Partners Inc. named William J. Wheeler as the firm’s new chief executive officer. He succeeds Cornerstone founder, President and CEO James C. French.

French will remain with Cornerstone Management Partners, and in addition to his role as CEO Emeritus he will help guide the transition, providing continuity and operational leadership.

Wheeler has 30 years’ experience in insurance, holding senior executive positions at regional property/casualty companies. He most recently served as vice president of product development at Appalachian Underwriters, a national surplus lines broker that operates in 50 states. Wheeler also has served as president and chief operating officer of Consumers Insurance Co. of Murfreesboro, Tenn.

Cornerstone operates in a four-state regional area as a monoline auto insurance company, with additional services provided through its brokerage and finance divisions.

Indianapolis-based Specialty Insurance Group (SIG) appointed Charles (Charlie) Landrum as underwriting director, with a specialty focus in the sports and entertainment markets.

Prior to joining SIG, Landrum was the president of T.H.E. Insurance Company, a nationwide insurer of mobile amusement and amusement park risks. Landrum has more than 30 years of experience specializing in program design and casualty specialty lines. He has earned the CPCU, AIC, CLCS and SCLA professional designations.

Risk International, based in Fairlawn, Ohio, announced that Mark Freiman joined the outsourced risk management provider as a senior consultant in the company’s newly launched Benefits Advisory Services.

Freiman has nearly 20 years’ of group benefits consulting experience. He served previously as assistant director of pricing analytics for the Cleveland Clinic and as a senior analyst at Oswald Companies, a regional insurance brokerage. He also managed pension services at The Center for Health Affairs and served as a pension actuary at a global consulting firm.

Chicago, Ill.-based Berkley Fire & Marine Underwriters hired Kiley O’Connell as territory underwriting manager for the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. He is based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

O’Connell most recently served as senior business developer for Great American Insurance Co.’s property and inland marine division. Prior to Great American, O’Connell held underwriting positions at The Cincinnati Insurance Cos.

Berkley Fire & Marine Underwriters specializes in inland marine and related property insurance.

Jay MacLellan has been named media relations director at Columbia, Mo.-based Shelter Insurance Cos.

He takes over as media liaison from Joe Moseley, vice president of public affairs, who is retiring.

MacLellan began his career with Shelter in September 1997. Since then, he has served in several roles and is currently Shelter’s director of public relations and corporate training.

Shelter offers auto, home, life, farm and business insurance services to customers in 18 states.

Chicago-based property/casualty insurance organization, CNA Financial Corp., appointed Gary DelBuono vice president of product management.

DelBuono brings more than 30 years of underwriting and product development industry experience. He comes to CNA from Liberty Mutual, where he served as senior vice president and product manager in the general liability space developing new products and enhancing existing products.

Wholesale insurance provider J.M. Wilson hired Erika Barney in its Arlington Heights, Ill., office as a transportation underwriter.

Barney will be responsible for quoting new and renewal bobtail and transportation risks for Illinois agents. In addition, she will service new and existing bobtail and transportation risks for agents in Iowa and Nebraska.

She previously worked for Progressive Insurance and Liberty Mutual in the claims reporting and servicing department. Prior to that, Barney worked at CVS Caremark in project management.

J.M. Wilson also added Josh Mauk as a transportation underwriter in its Carmel, Ind., office. Mauk is responsible for quoting new and renewal trucking, non-trucking, business auto and public auto risks for Indiana agents.

Mauk graduated from Olivet College in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Insurance and Risk Management. Prior to earning his degree, Mauk worked as an intern for J.M. Wilson in Portage, Mich.

Samantha Johnston also has joined J.M. Wilson as assistant property/casualty underwriter in its Portage office.

Johnston was a property/casualty intern at the company in May 2014. Prior to that, she worked at Frankenmuth Mutual as a student associate in the claims department.

An Olivet College graduate, Johnston holds a degree in Insurance and Risk Management.