People – East

Markel Corp. in Richmond, Virginia, reported that Thomas S. Gayner, president and chief investment officer, and Richard R. Whitt III, president and co-chief operating officer, will serve as co-chief executive officers of the company starting in the new year.

In addition, F. Michael Crowley, president and co-chief operating officer, will serve as the sole president of the company, also beginning in January.

Crowley, Gayner and Whitt will continue to report to Alan I. Kirshner, who will serve as the company’s executive chairman.

Kirshner, Markel’s current chairman of the board and CEO, said the appointments set the “stage for Markel’s future and builds upon and continues a long tradition of collegial and collaborative leadership, management and decision-making.”

In addition to serving as co-chief executive officers, Gayner will oversee the company’s investment portfolio and non-insurance operating companies, known as Markel Ventures, while Whitt will oversee the international insurance and reinsurance operations.

Crowley will continue to oversee the global insurance, specialty and wholesale operations and their marketing, human resources and strategic management functions.

Rhode Island Superintendent of Banking and Insurance Joseph Torti III will leave his post at the end of the year and join Fairfax Financial as vice president of Regulatory Affairs.

Torti has served for more than 25 years with the Rhode Island Insurance Division, beginning his career as a senior examiner. Torti was appointed associate director and superintendent of Insurance for Rhode Island in 2002. In 2008, he was appointed the state’s superintendent of Banking and Insurance.

He’s been serving as chair of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ (NAIC) Financial Condition (E) Committee and chair of the Audit Committee of the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Compact. He also co-chairs the NAIC Principle-Based Reserving Implementation (EX) Task Force and is a member of the NAIC Audit Committee.

Torti’s successor will be chosen and appointed by the director of the Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation.

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer, Jr. announced the appointment of Robert D. Morrow, Jr. as the state’s associate insurance commissioner for Hearings.

As associate commissioner, Morrow will serve as the commissioner’s designee for most quasi-judicial hearings, where aggrieved parties have the opportunity to have their cases heard. Hearings include appeals of consumer complaints and good faith cases.

Prior to joining the Maryland Insurance Administration, Morrow most recently served as managing counsel at the Transamerica Life Insurance Co.

The Excess Line Association of New York (ELANY) has hired James Davis as financial director. Davis will be responsible for the financial review and analysis of all eligible listed excess line insurers to verify their financial strength. He’s based in New York City.

Davis recently retired from the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) after 29 years of service. He was most recently assistant chief in the Financial Division of the Property Bureau at DFS.

Plymouth Rock Assurance has promoted Larry Nisenson to president of the Plymouth Rock Prudential Agent Division. He is based in Red Bank, New Jersey.

Plymouth Rock’s Prudential Agent Division supports New Jersey Prudential Financial’s professionals who are authorized to distribute Plymouth Rock’s auto insurance products in New Jersey.

Nisenson has been serving as vice president of Sales for the Prudential Agent Division since joining Plymouth Rock in 2014. He has more than 20 years’ experience in insurance sales, including executive positions at Allstate, AIG and AXA Equitable. He succeeds Jim Tignanelli, former president of the Prudential Agent Division, whose retirement will be effective, Jan. 1, 2016.

Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company, Maryland’s largest writer of workers’ compensation insurance, announced the following promotions:

Carmine D’Alessandro was promoted to vice president of Legal Services. D’Alessandro is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Legal Department, Special Investigations Unit and the Subrogation Department.

Lisa Kruska was promoted to vice president of State of Maryland and Strategic Business Units (SBU). Kruska is responsible for leading the company’s State of Maryland claims and risk management programs as well as the SBU, which is a multi-disciplinary team providing service for governmental and direct policyholders.

Sharon Rowell was promoted to vice president of Marketing and Business Development. Rowell is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the company’s marketing strategies.