People – East

The New York State Senate has confirmed Governor Andrew Cuomo’s pick to become the state’s top financial regulator. The confirmation vote for Maria Vullo, Cuomo’s nominee for superintendent of the New York State Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), was unanimous.

Cuomo, a Democrat, nominated Vullo in January. She has been running the NYDFS as its acting superintendent since February.

The New York Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on Vullo’s nomination and recommended that she be confirmed. The state banking and insurance committees also held hearings on her nomination.

Vullo, a lawyer who represented banks, described herself during recent state legislative committee meetings as “pro-business and pro-consumer.”

Vullo will succeed former NYDFS Superintendent Benjamin Lawsky, who left the agency last year. Under Lawsky, NYDFS earned a reputation as an aggressive regulatory body that extracted hefty fines from global banks and other financial institutions.

Rhode Island Governor Gina M. Raimondo recently hosted official swearing-in ceremonies for a new chief judge and an associate judge of the state Workers’ Compensation Court.

Judge Robert Ferrieri is the new chief judge of the court. He will replace the outgoing Chief Judge George E. Healy, who retired last July after 25 years of service.

Judge Ferrieri has served on the Workers’ Compensation Court since 2008. During his tenure, he has taken time to educate high school students about working safely and to speak to other attorneys about workers’ compensation issues. Previously he was a partner at Lombardi & Ferrieri, P.C. He is also an adjunct professor at Roger Williams University and the Community College of Rhode Island.

Michael J. Feeney is the new associate justice. Feeney will replace former Judge Bruce Q. Morin.

Feeney has been a practicing attorney since 1988, most recently as a partner at Jeffrey & Feeney Attorneys at Law in Warwick. He also previously served as the assistant town solicitor in East Greenwich and participates in the Superior Court Pilot Program, which provides legal services to indigent defendants in criminal cases.

Raimondo said Healy joined the court when it was first created in 1991, when the workers’ compensation system was near collapse. “Over the years, he helped to lead reforms that reduced average claim costs without cutting benefits. Thanks to his service, the court can more effectively and more efficiently serve Rhode Island workers who are injured on the job. I wish him all the best in retirement,” she said.

Global insurance broker Lockton has chosen insider Glenn A. Spencer as its next president and chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2017.

Spencer will succeed John L. Lumelleau, who has led Lockton as president and CEO since 2002 and through its transformation into a global company.

Spencer currently serves as Lockton’s global chief operating officer and president of U.S. operations. He has held several operations leadership roles with privately-held Lockton since 2005. Previously he worked as an executive with insurance brokers Johnson & Higgins, Marsh, and Palmer & Cay. He began his insurance career at the Travelers in 1987.

Lumelleau will continue as president and CEO, working with Spencer on the leadership transition until his retirement on April 30, 2017.

Lumelleau, who joined Lockton in 1997, has served as president and CEO since 2002. During these two decades, Lockton has globalized and grown twelve-fold from a $97 million operation with just seven offices in the U.S. to a $1.3 billion global company with 6,000 associates in 78 offices.

Lumelleau will continue to serve Lockton as a special advisor after his retirement.

Lockton provides risk management, insurance, benefits consulting, and retirement services.

W. R. Berkley Corp. has appointed David A. Dunn as president and chief executive officer of its trucking insurance specialist, Carolina Casualty.

Dunn has 40 years of experience in the P/C industry, principally in the specialty transportation segment. Most recently, he has served as president of the transportation division of the U.S. specialty insurer RLI, where he served since 1997.