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Brightway Insurance has named Courtney Heidelberg as its public relations and communications manager. Heidelberg brings 16 years of experience as a professional communicator to Brightway, where she leads communications efforts including serving as the primary contact for media.
Heidelberg, who works out of Brightway’s Jacksonville, Fla.-based headquarters, comes to the company from On 3 Public Relations in Tallahassee, where she was director of Accounts for nearly three years. Additionally, she worked as a PR practitioner in Florida state government for nine years, which included serving as the communications director for the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Heidelberg also served in the U.S. Army and in the Florida National Guard as a Signal Officer. Her military service included a year-long tour in Iraq in 2004-2005.
Heidelberg is a member of the Florida Public Relations Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Appointed by Gov. Rick Scott, she served on the Veterans Florida Board of Directors from 2014 to 2016.
Brightway Insurance has also expanded its network of insurance retail locations in Jacksonville with the addition of insurance agent and new Brightway Agency Owner Anne Stanford.
Stanford has more than 20 years of experience in the Jacksonville property and casualty market, formerly owning a State Farm Insurance agency from 1991 – 2009.
Brightway Insurance is a national property/casualty insurance retailer selling through a network of franchised independent agencies throughout the country. The company provides its agency owners with access to insurance companies, along with a system of support.
DUAL North America has announced that Jim Giordano will be joining the company as a non-executive director.
The company said in this role, Giordano will contribute to the DUAL Board in areas relating to corporate strategy, underwriting and financial performance, as well as bring carrier and producer knowledge.
With over 40 years’ of experience in the industry, Giordano has held a number of senior roles including more recently being co-founder and chief underwriting officer of the Canopius Group, which he was involved with for over a decade before retiring in April 2015 after the acquisition by the Sompo Group. Prior to Canopius, he was chief underwriting officer of Trenwick Managing Agents Ltd. and chairman of Trenwick America Reinsurance Company’s Underwriting Committee. He joined Trenwick in 1999 when Chartwell (formerly NWNL Re, which he joined in 1981) was acquired by Trenwick Group Ltd. Prior to that, Giordano worked at both American Re and the Hartford Group.
Giordano is on the Boards of Endurance at Lloyds, Endurance Worldwide Insurance Ltd, and Cinium Financial Group.
He is based in Naples, Fla., where the company is headquartered.
DUAL Commercial LLC is a specialty program administrator offering property & casualty products through specialized subsidiary companies. DUAL Commercial is part of the DUAL Group, an international underwriting agency and a Lloyd’s coverholder.
CBIZ added three professionals to lead the new CBIZ Insurance Services Inc. practice in Sarasota, Fla.
Keith Mercier joins CBIZ as president of CBIZ Insurance Services, Florida, West Coast. In his new role, Mercier will be responsible for providing insurance products and service to clients and prospects.
Prior to CBIZ, he served as regional vice president of Sales for Bouchard Insurance, where he was responsible for the overall sales management of the company’s Southwest Florida practice.
Patrick Wright will serve as executive vice president of CBIZ Insurance Services, Florida, Southeast. He joins CBIZ from Bouchard Insurance where, as a sales executive, he gained experience in serving large companies.
Matthew Mercier joins CBIZ as director of Community Insurance & Risk Management, CBIZ Insurance Services, Florida, Southeast.
The Sarasota office will add to the existing CBIZ Florida offices located in Clearwater, Tampa, Orlando, Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Together, the CBIZ Florida offices provide a full array of the professional services offered by the organization nationwide.
CBIZ Inc. provides professional business services that help clients manage finances and employees. CBIZ provides its clients with financial services including accounting, tax, financial advisory, government health care consulting, risk advisory, real estate consulting and valuation services.