People – East

Ames & Gough, an insurance broker and risk management consultant specializing in serving design professionals, law firms, associations/nonprofits and other professional service organizations, has appointed Wayne T. Marshall as vice president and client executive.

In addition, Marshall will lead the firm’s New York operations, where Ames & Gough plans to open an office in the immediate future.

As an expert in complex claims involving architectural and engineering firms, Marshall previously was with Berkley Design Professional in New York as a senior vice president and professional liability claims manager. Before that, he was with Catlin as a senior claims examiner and subsequently as an assistant director of U.S. Litigation Management of XL Catlin following the merger of the two insurers.

As an attorney, Marshall previously served as an insurance litigator and a senior claims counsel for Zurich North America, where he focused on architect, engineer and construction related claims.

The Woodlands Financial Group (TWFG), a national agency based in The Woodlands, Texas, is launching an effort to expand into the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states of New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Vic Cordone, a 37-year Allstate veteran and former principal of FMJ Agency Alliance, will lead the new business efforts, according to Gordy Bunch, president and CEO of The Woodlands Financial Group.

Bunch stated in a company press release that Cordone’s insurance industry experience and contacts will enable him to immediately begin recruiting independent and captive agents to set up TWFG branches in the target states. Cordone is tasked with adding 100 to 150 agencies to the national TWFG family.

Cordone will be based in New Jersey and will personally handle brokering agents in the new wholesale and retail markets.

TWFG currently lists more than 300 retail branches in 22 states and has 3,000 affiliations with independent agents in 38 states.

Bunch launched The Woodlands Financial Group in 2001. He stated in the release that this new expansion program will offer tools to new and veteran insurance professionals as they join TWFG.

Hub International Northeast (Hub Northeast), a subsidiary of Hub International Limited (Hub), has hired Paul Collins as president and CEO.

Based in Manhattan, Collins will be responsible for overseeing all retail and wholesale operations for the Northeast region of Hub, which includes offices spanning across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. He is assuming the previous role of Marc Cohen, who was appointed President of Hub International Limited earlier this year.

With 20 years of experience as a leader in the insurance brokerage community, Collins most recently served as head of corporate risk and broking for the Northeast Region of Willis Towers Watson (Willis). Prior to this role, Collins held various positions at Willis, each with increasing responsibilities. These positions included serving as a managing partner at Willis of New Jersey, a managing partner at Willis of Georgia and a growth leader at Willis of New York.