People – West

Privately owned insurance brokerage Britton Gallagher, based in Cleveland, Ohio, has tapped Eric Treend to serve as executive vice president of its expanding Recreation & Attractions Division.

To support the expansion, Britton Gallagher has added staff to the division including several sales, claims management, loss control and marketing personnel.

The division will provide insurance and risk management products and services for family entertainment centers, amusement parks, special events and pyrotechnic clients.

Founded in 1942, Britton Gallagher maintains a specialty in areas such as amusements, pyrotechnics, life sciences, professional athletes and entertainers, employee benefits, and executive risk.

Graves Insurance, based in Kirkwood, Mo., hired Allie Cannon as personal lines account manager and promoted Amanda Hurst to commercial account manager.

Cannon’s responsibilities include assisting producers in generating new business, as well as serving specific clientele and prospects. She will work directly with company producers to prepare and review their documents, as well as seek new clients.

Hurst will play a key role in optimizing client coverage, and will provide ongoing supervision and communication to the company’s client base. She has worked in the insurance industry for 10 years.

Founded in 2008, Graves Insurance specializes in higher end residential insurance and small to mid-sized commercial insurance.

Clayton, Mo.-based independent insurance agency POWERS Insurance and Benefits promoted Chris Sullivan to risk management advisor.

Sullivan specializes in commercial risk management consulting. He also handles new account development and continues to take care of his clientele’s personal insurance and family risk management needs.

Prior to this promotion, Sullivan served as an insurance advisor for the company. He previously worked at a large national insurance organization as an agent.

POWERS Insurance and Benefits provides personal and business insurance, surety, risk management and employee benefits.

Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson hired Sarah Schell in its Arlington Heights, Ill., office as transportation underwriter.

Schell will quote new and renewal commercial transportation risks, and work with independent insurance agents in Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Schell previously worked for an insurance company as a claims adjuster for eight years. She handled commercial general liability, inland marine, commercial transportation, builders risk, watercraft and heavy equipment claims.

State Auto Financial Corp., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, made changes to its leadership team.

Kim Garland has been tapped to head Personal Lines. Garland joined the company as senior vice president, standard lines, and is responsible for all personal lines business, including farm and ranch, as well as small commercial business. He’ll also be managing director of State Auto Labs, a newly formed small incubator/research and development unit. Garland was most recently chief product officer of AIG’s consumer division.

Commercial Lines will be led by Jessica Buss, senior vice president, specialty lines. She will add middle market and large commercial business to her responsibilities. Buss joined State Auto in 2009 through its acquisition of the Rockhill Insurance Group, where she was chief operations officer (COO) and chief financial officer (CFO). She previously served as CFO of Citizens Property Insurance Corp.

Greg Tacchetti joins State Auto as senior vice president and chief information and strategy officer. Tacchetti was an owner, founder and CEO of AssureStart, which sells small business insurance online. He was chief administrative officer of Fireman’s Fund Insurance Co. and Allianz of America, and held a senior management role with Safeco.

Steve Hunckler becomes senior vice president and chief administration/services officer. He currently serves as State Auto’s senior vice president and chief claims officer. Hunckler joined State Auto in 2009 after serving as executive vice president and chief claims officer at Balboa Insurance in Irvine, Calif.

Paul Stachura joins State Auto as senior vice president and chief claims and loss control officer. He currently is chief claims and loss control officer at QBE North America. He previously was with Fireman’s Fund Insurance and Chubb Corp.

CNA appointed Julie Stephenson as senior vice president and chief underwriting officer for CNA Commercial. She is based in Chicago.

Most recently, Stephenson served as senior vice president and global liability manager for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

Stephenson succeeds John Beckman, who has accepted the role of senior vice president and chief transformation officer for CNA Commercial.