People

Ron Lockton, who has served as vice chairman of global insurance broker Lockton Inc. for the past two years as part of the succession plan, is expanding his role to become president and chief executive officer of the firm.

He succeeds Glenn Spencer, who has resigned as president and CEO for personal reasons, according to the company. The company gave no further explanation of the departure of Spencer, who was named president and CEO in May, after 11 years with the broker. Spencer previously served as chief operating officer, president of U.S. operations and executive vice president of operations.

Ron Lockton will work with David Lockton, U.S. President Peter Clune, International CEO Neil Nimmo, and Lockton leaders around the world. Ron is the son of Lockton’s late founder, Jack Lockton, and is David’s nephew.

Keystone Mutual Insurance Co., a Missouri-based medical malpractice carrier, has appointed David von Gontard as the company’s general counsel.

In this position, von Gontard will be responsible for the legal affairs of the company and its affiliates, including claims management.

Woodmere, Ohio-based MarshBerry has hired Bob Barber as a talent acquisition manager. His responsibilities include overseeing a team of direct reports to source and screen high quality sales professionals for the role of commercial producer and present candidates to agency clients.

Barber brings a broad range of leadership experience in human resources and other business services.

Prior to MarshBerry, Barber led and managed a team at the Varsity News Network where he implemented and executed human resource strategies that lead to exceptional growth within the organization. Barber improved employee performance companywide by creating new strategies to measure employee engagement, increase documentation, drive team goals and create onboarding strategies and training series for employees.

Founded in 1981, MarshBerry’s primary objective is to help insurance agents, brokers and carriers as they work to maximize their value through industry-specific services.

MJ Insurance has added Matt Stephanak to the benefits consulting team as a health risk analyst in its Indianapolis office.

Stephanak will utilize his technical aptitude to measure, analyze and make tactical and strategic recommendations on business issues. In addition, Stephanak will develop and leverage actionable analysis to support key company initiatives for benefits consulting clientele.

Prior to MJ Insurance, Stephanak served as a claims associate at CoLiance Risk Advisors/Assured Partners of Indiana. There, he assisted the agency’s claim advocacy manager, monitored claims and managed and distributed monthly claim reports.

MJ Insurance is a property/casualty and employee benefits agency that, since 1964, has grown from a two-person start-up to an agency with more than 140 employees in both Phoenix and Indianapolis.

Brent Lombardi joined National Real Estate Insurance Group (NREIG) in Kansas City, Mo., as president, effective July 1.

Lombardi oversees all NREIG departments: sales, service, loss prevention, claims and quality control. He reports to Tim Norris, co-CEO, NREIG; and Mike Wrenn, co-CEO, NREIG, and CEO, Affinity Worldwide.

Lombardi’s experience includes over 25 years in the property/casualty insurance industry. His career began at Nationwide, where he started as a field claims representative and progressed into a variety of insurance operations and internal audit leadership roles in Ohio and North Carolina.

He also was vice president of Internal Audit at Grange Insurance in Columbus, Ohio. In his most recent role as corporate risk officer of Grange Insurance, Lombardi directed its enterprise risk management function.

National Real Estate Insurance Group is designed to meet the unique needs of residential real estate investors. The group serves over 65,000 locations across all 50 states.

NREIG is part of Affinity Worldwide.

National professional liability and management liability wholesale insurance brokerage, Founders Professional, has added Catherine Koclanes as a wholesale broker in Chicago, Illinois.

Koclanes will assist Founders’ retail partners in securing coverage for their management liability and professional liability risks.

Prior to joining Founders Professional, Koclanes was a professional liability broker with a wholesale brokerage, in Tampa, Florida, where she focused on securing professional liability insurance across numerous industries. Koclanes has extensive experience with professional liability insurance and will continue to provide Founder’s retail agents with solutions to their complex risks.

Managing general agency and surplus lines insurance broker, J.M. Wilson, has added Ryan Bartolacci as assistant fleet underwriter in its Portage, Michigan, office and Joni Linhart as transportation underwriter in its Carmel, Indiana, office.

Bartolacci is responsible for quoting new and renewal fleet transportation accounts, setting up and binding policies, assisting underwriters, and serving independent insurance agents in 21 states.

Bartolacci previously was an intern for J.M. Wilson in the Personal Lines Department. He previously interned with two independent agencies, Gibson in South Bend, Indiana, and Russell & Schrader Insurance Agency in Charlotte, Michigan, as well.

Linhart is responsible for quoting new and renewal transportation risks, and serving independent insurance agents in Indiana.

She has more than nine years of industry experience. Most recently, Linhart worked at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. She has earned her Certified Insurance Service Representative designation.

J.M. Wilson is headquartered in Portage, Mich.

Jay Kallas has joined Mayer Brown’s Chicago office as counsel and member of the Global Insurance Industry group.

Kallas has 17 years of industry experience and formerly was with Drinker Biddle & Reath.

He concentrates his practice on structured insurance and reinsurance transactions and has worked on some of the largest and most complex deals in the insurance industry.

Newport Beach, Calif.-based Alliant Insurance Services Inc. added Jennifer Varanese as vice president within the company’s Employee Benefits Group in the Columbus, Ohio.

Varanese joins Alliant with extensive experience across all facets of employee benefits. She also holds licenses in life, health, annuities, and property and casualty insurance and is highly regarded for her leadership and complex problem-solving skills.

Prior to joining Alliant, Varanese was executive vice president with one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage firms. There, she spearheaded the restructuring of the company’s Human Capital Practice in Columbus and oversaw an extensive portfolio of large-to-midsized clients hailing from the retail, nonprofit, healthcare, legal and manufacturing industries.

The Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Midwest Division has appointed two new members to its executive committee. Sabrina Hart will serve as chair of the board of directors and Emily Hathcoat will serve as vice chair.

Also joining the board are Sharon Fernandez, Seth Hopkins, Amy Littleton and Paul L. Wheaton.

Hart is Midwest regional executive for Zurich North America, the North American arm of global insurance carrier, Zurich Insurance Group. In addition to her executive role at Zurich, Hart serves on the board of governors at St. Joseph’s University Academy of Risk Management and Insurance at the Haub School of Business; the Board of Visitors at the University of North Carolina; the Board of the Katie School of Insurance and Risk Management at Illinois State University: and the Board of the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce.

Hathcoat is vice president of Corporate Marketing and Advertising at CNA, a global insurance carrier. She has been with CNA for nearly two decades. In addition, Hathcoat serves on the board of InVEST; the board of the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association; and the associate board with Ravinia Festival.

Fernandez serves as a president with Bristol West Insurance Company, a specialty underwriter. She has more than two decades of experience in the insurance industry at Bristol and The United Services Automobile Association. Fernandez holds the CPCU designation.

Hopkins is the chief marketing officer and commercial practice leader at HUB International, a multinational insurance brokerage. Hopkins has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience, focused on growing operations in the commercial and high net-worth insurance space.

Littleton is senior vice president at KemperLesnik, a public relations, sports marketing and event management firm. Littleton has been leading the organization for more than a decade, including the agency’s insurance specialty team.

Wheaton is a global client service director at EY, a multinational professional services firm. Wheaton has nearly three decades of experience in delivering exceptional client service to global clients in insurance, manufacturing and tech sectors.