People – Southeast
The Crichton Group, an independent insurance agency in middle Tennessee, has appointed a new partner and a new director of risk management. In addition, it has also added an account executive and an account manager to its team.
Joe Lacher has been named vice president and partner; Tracy Light has been promoted to director of risk management; Ansley Douglas has joined as an account executive; and Teresa Walker has joined as an account manager.
As partner, Lacher will help lead the agency and support clients. Prior to this position, Lacher was a group benefits advisor.
As director of risk management, Light will be responsible for the agency’s risk management services, including claims and risk control. Prior to this role, she was an account manager for the risk management sector.
As an account executive, Douglas will manage the private client book of business. Douglas has 25 years sales management experience, most of which with Marsh & McLennan and Liberty Mutual.
As an account manager, Walker will help lead the agency’s group benefits department. Previously, Walker was a team lead/contract benefits counselor for Benefit Communication Inc.
CNA Financial Corp. has appointed Rocco Orlando as senior vice president of sales and distribution for the U.S., Canada and Europe. He will focus on improving the company’s market position with its producers.
Orlando joined CNA in November 2012 as vice president of the Birmingham, Ala. branch. He has 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, including seven years as a regional vice president and two years as a branch manager with The Hartford.
Florida-based American Professional Liability Underwriters Inc. (AmPro) has added Gary Smid as a senior broker to its new office in Tampa.
Smid has 18 years of insurance underwriting experience, including eight as a professional liability underwriter with Lexington Insurance Co. and six years with Travelers.
AmPro, a wholesale broker of professional liability insurance, is a division of Gabor Insurance Services Inc.
Property/casualty insurance media company Wells Media Group announced four C-suite and managerial staff promotions. Julie Tinney now serves as chief marketing officer, Josh Carlson has been promoted to chief technology/innovation officer, Andrew Simpson is chief content officer, and Lauren Knapp is sales manager.
“We had the most successful year in our history last year. Our growth has created new opportunities, and we’re positioning our company for continued growth,” said Wells Media Group CEO Mitch Dunford.
Tinney, most recently vice president for sales and marketing, is now responsible for the company’s promotional and branding strategies, sales management, corporate communications and public relations. Her media career began at Petersen Publishing Co. in Los Angeles. She was the Western regional sales manager for Selling Power magazine, and also owned an independent media rep firm.
Carlson, previously vice president of technology, heads the team responsible for all aspects of web publishing including server and database administration, email delivery, online ad trafficking and creation and development of online products. With a background in marketing, Carlson brings a unique business understanding to web development, technology and innovation.
Simpson, formerly vice president of content, will continue to oversee team coverage for Wells Media’s multiple print and digital platforms, and will also be responsible for multi-channel publication and syndication of Wells Media’s content across brands online, in print and mobile, and via audio and video platforms. Simpson is a veteran of insurance publishing and journalism. In 1983 along with a business partner, he founded InsuranceTimes, a Northeast regional trade weekly, and Financial Services Times, a financial services monthly. The company sold Financial Services Times to ABC Capital Cities in 1994 and, in late 2003, Simpson sold InsuranceTimes to Wells Media Group. Wells then folded InsuranceTimes into its flagship publication, Insurance Journal, in 2004.
Knapp has served as the Midwest sales manager for the company for the past seven years. In her new role, she will be providing day-to-day leadership of the Insurance Journal, ClaimsJournal.com, MyNewMarkets.com and Carrier Management sales team members. Her career has included marketing and sales positions with Maclean Hunter Publishing, Thomson Financial Publishing and Ball Publishing. Knapp was instrumental in the launch of Wells Media’s Folio award-winning Carrier Management magazine.
Martin Brauner has joined Aspen U.S. Insurance as senior vice president and product line leader for Excess Auto Liability. He will report to Roxanne Mitchell, executive vice president and chief casualty officer,
Brauner joins Aspen U.S. Insurance with 20 years of experience. Prior to joining Aspen, he was responsible for a commercial automobile underwriting team for Lexington Insurance Co. He previously held positions at Big Moose Holdings and United States Fidelity & Guaranty Co.