People – South Central
Austin-based Watkins Insurance Group, one of the largest full-service, locally owned independent insurance agencies in central Texas, has added Chris Scott as vice president of Finance.
Scott brings to Watkins Insurance Group more than 15 years of experience as a finance professional with a talent for developing detailed financial and operational plans, building business-to-business relationships, and providing strategic, but practical, solutions for a wide variety of complex business problems.
Founded in 1949, Watkins Insurance Group is one of the fastest growing, locally owned independent insurance agencies in central Texas. Headquartered in Austin and named a 2016 IIABA Best Practices agency, Watkins Insurance Group has six locations throughout Texas, including offices in Longview, Marble Falls, Mineola, Tyler and Waco.
Meloney Perry, founder of the Dallas-based insurance defense law firm Perry Law P.C., has been elected as the 2017-18 chair of the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas.
The state bar’s Insurance Law Section enables attorneys to address areas of Texas insurance law in a bipartisan manner through both policyholder and insurance company attorneys.
This section focuses on both substantive, procedural insurance law and litigation with a goal of educating and serving the legal profession and public.
Perry will also oversee the Journal of Texas Insurance Law, which is written and edited by section members and published three to four times a year to provide continuing education on insurance law.
Perry is an insurance defense attorney in the Dallas area with 20 years of experience defending insurance companies in coverage disputes, bad faith and class action litigation. A Women’s Business Enterprise National Counsel-certified business, the firm serves as the primary regional counsel for a major national insurance firm.
Perry Law, a women-owned law firm, represents business owners across the country involved in insurance and business disputes.
As an author and frequent presenter on insurance coverage and the law, Perry often conducts continued legal education seminars for clients.
Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc. appointed John Doyle as chief executive officer of its broker, Marsh. Doyle will report to Marsh & McLennan Companies President and CEO Dan Glaser and continue to serve on the company’s executive committee.
Doyle succeeds Peter Zaffino, who has accepted a leadership role at AIG. Zaffino had served as CEO of Marsh since 2011, and as chairman of Risk and Insurance Services since 2015.
Doyle was named to the newly created role of president of Marsh in April 2016. Now, as both president and CEO of Marsh, Doyle will continue to oversee the firm’s global brokerage businesses while assuming responsibility for Marsh’s Global Risk & Specialties, portfolio businesses and operational functions.
Prior to joining Marsh & McLennan in 2016, Doyle was CEO for AIG’s commercial insurance businesses worldwide. Previously, Doyle served as president and CEO of Chartis U.S.
Trusted Choice, the consumer branding program for the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America (Big “I”), has promoted Kevin Brandt as its next executive director.
Brandt succeeds Dave Evans, who has served in this role since 2006 and has been with the association since 1998. He has also served as publisher for the association’s magazine.
Brandt joined the Big “I” team in 2003 as a software developer and has risen through the ranks. Since 2007, he has run the Trusted Choice day-to-day business as director of operations.
Trusted Choice was launched by the Big “I” and several independent agency companies to create a consumer brand for independent insurance agents and provide national advertising and other strategic tools to reach consumers. More than 26,000 insurance agencies and 70 carriers are members.
Katie Butler, vice president of communications, will succeed Evans as publisher of the association magazine.
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards appointed Marc L. Zimmermann, Ph.D., of Prairieville, to the Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council.
Zimmermann is a psychologist in private practice and will serve as a representative of the Louisiana Psychological Association on the Council.
The Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council is responsible for monitoring and reporting to the governor and the legislature on the implementation and administration of laws pertaining to the administration of workers’ compensation claims.