People – South Central

Houston-based Columbia Lloyds Insurance Co., a provider of homeowners and tenant dwelling insurance throughout Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, appointed John R. Todd as president and chief executive officer, and Shabbir “Sam” Bana as chief operating officer.

Todd has been with Columbia Lloyds since 2010, having served as the chief legal officer and was responsible for the Litigation and Regulatory/Compliance legal divisions. Additionally, more recently he was a member of and ultimately led Reinsurance and Operations.

Prior to joining Columbia Lloyds, Todd specialized in insurance law, as a private practice attorney.

Bana is joining Columbia Lloyds as the chief operating officer. He is a 22 year industry veteran, most recently serving as chief innovation officer and vice president of FarmAssure LLC.

Bana has extensive experience in developing insurance systems, developing and managing automobile insurance programs, and general business management. He was the president and CEO of A Abana Insurance Services Inc. for 14 years, prior to creating Bana Enterprises Inc., a business management consulting company.

Dallas-based ANBTX Insurance Services Inc. promoted Jeri Payne to executive vice president, agency operations and services.

Payne joined ANBTX in 2010 as vice president, commercial lines department manager. Her new role as EVP, agency operations and services, will include additional departmental management and oversight.

Mike Baker joined ANBTX as vice president in the commercial property/casualty insurance division.

Formerly with CIB (Commercial Insurance Brokers Inc.) in El Paso, Baker has over 12 years of industry experience and carries the Certified Insurance Counselor designation.

Baker has a wide range of professional experience including expertise in large commercial property risks, industrial manufacturing sectors, home builders, recyclers, restaurants and contractors.

ANBTX also added Tammy Mullins as commercial lines account executive and Shad Durham as senior claim manager in its commercial property/casualty division.

Mullins comes to ANBTX from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. and brings 18 years of experience in commercial P/C account management. In addition to managing a large, diversified book of business, she will help manage commercial lines marketing, workflow processes and customer risk management.

As senior claim manager, Durham will be responsible for client claims advocacy including monitoring the insurance carrier claim management process, reserve setting, coverage analysis and litigation strategy. Previously a catastrophe claims specialist with State Farm, Durham has 10 years of claim adjusting and counseling experience.

ANBTX Insurance Services, formerly Sleeper Sewell Insurance Services, is a subsidiary of American National Bank of Texas.

Texas-based CPro Associates, a wholesaler specializing workers’ compensation and occupation injury insurance products and services, hired Jon Archer as national marketing director for alternatives to workers’ comp.

Archer has more than 25 years of experience in the workers’ comp nonsubscriber market. He will work with independent agents in Texas and Oklahoma on workers’ comp alternatives, as well as ways to help clients to reduce occupational injuries and control costs.

A recognized authority on workers’ comp alternatives, Archer is a frequent speaker to groups across Texas and Oklahoma including TXANS (Texas Association of Responsible Nonsubscribers), Council on Education in Management, Houston Association of Health Underwriters and Independent Insurance Agents of Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, El Paso and San Antonio.

Prior to joining CPro, Archer was senior marketing specialist for Great American.

Austin, Texas-based independent insurance agency, Watkins Insurance Group, added Colin Williams as vice president of Business Development.

Williams joins 15 primarily commercial lines-focused producers at Watkins’ Austin headquarters. He has more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry.

Founded in Austin in 1949, Watkins Insurance Group has additional locations throughout Texas, including Holly Lake, Longview, Marble Falls, Mineola, Tyler and Waco.

Conroe, Texas-based independent insurance wholesaler, Ashley General Agency, added Adam Arnold to its underwriting team.

Arnold has extensive experience in the insurance industry that includes a background with a well-respected managing general agency and a national insurance carrier specializing in program business.

His career includes over 11 years of marketing, specialty program underwriting, territorial management and retail agency development. Arnold has underwriting expertise in both admitted and non-admitted facilities.

The new board members of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association must include three members who live in coastal counties, three members who live at least 100 miles from the coast, and three insurance industry representatives who write and renew windstorm and hail insurance along the Gulf Coast, under the provisions of Senate Bill 900, which was passed by the Legislature this year.

The new members, whose terms began on Oct. 1, are:

• Blair Crossan of Addison, regional vice president for Nationwide Insurance with more than 15 years of experience in the Texas market;
• Joshua Fields of Harlingen, vice president of Shepard Walton King Insurance Group;
• Michael Gerik of McGregor, executive vice president for Texas Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co.;
• Scott Kesner of El Paso, president of Century 21 The Edge and chairman of the Texas Association of Realtors;
• Ronald Lawson of Allen, vice president of marketing for Republic Underwriters Insurance Co.;
• Georgia Neblett of Port Aransas, director of external affairs for The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute and a member of the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce Tourist Bureau;
• Tony Schrader of Round Rock, a former deputy commissioner with the Iowa Department of Insurance and the Texas State Board of Insurance;
• Bryan Shofner of Lubbock, senior vice president of MHBT, an independent insurance broker and a former president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas;
• Chandra Womack of Dickinson, president of Aran & Franklin Engineering and a licensed professional engineer specializing in windstorm and structure design.

Stephens Insurance LLC hired industry veterans and energy specialists, Stuart Wallace and Morgan Moore, in Houston.

Wallace will serve as president of the recently opened Stephens Insurance Houston office. Previously, Wallace was with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. for more than 15 years, where he was a lead producer and held several senior management positions concluding with managing director of the Energy Practice Group.

Moore joins as senior vice president. She previously worked with Wallace at Arthur J. Gallagher where she focused on energy-related primary casualty programs and client relations. Her experience spans guaranteed cost, deductible, self-insured retentions and captive insurance programs.

Earlier, she was a national accounts underwriter for the Global Marine & Energy, Primary Casualty Division at American International Group (AIG) in both the Houston and Manhattan offices.

Stephens Insurance is headquartered in Little Rock, Ark., and has more than 150 associates in offices in Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Dallas, Austin, Jackson and most recently, Houston. It is a subsidiary of Stephens Inc., a full service investment banking firm headquartered in Little Rock.

Joe O’Connor has joined Texas-based Southwest Risk LP as senior vice president, broker and underwriter with a primary focus on developing new marine and energy products. He is based in Houston.

O’Connor has 23 years of global experience with both domestic entities and various Lloyd’s Syndicates as a delegated cover holder.

He has served in senior leadership capacities with large carriers and has successfully built two marine and energy start up underwriting operations. He is currently a member of the United States Maritime Law Association, Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute and the Houston Mariners Club.

Southwest Risk is a specialty lines insurance broker for high hazard business exposures.