People

Grinnell, Iowa-based property and casualty insurer/reinsurer, Grinnell Mutual, named Dave Wingert, executive vice president and chief operating officer, to serve as acting president.

Larry Jansen retired on Dec. 15, 2017, after a 38-year run with the company, including the last six years as president and CEO, and Jeff Menary, executive vice president of line operations, was named Jansen’s successor earlier in 2017. In September, Menary was diagnosed with West Nile virus, and is undergoing rehabilitation. As he rehabilitates, Wingert will serve as president.

Wingert joined Grinnell Mutual in 2011 as chief financial officer, vice president of the Finance division, and treasurer. He previously served as the senior vice president and controller at Aviva USA in Des Moines, Iowa.

Wingert holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration accountancy from Iowa State University, is a certified public accountant (CPA), and holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) designations.

Andrea Thorpe, of Bloomington, Illinois, has been named vice president of Commercial/Agribusiness Underwriting at COUNTRY Financial. She replaces Sheri Bane who is retiring.

Thorpe will lead the Agribusiness Underwriting, Commercial Underwriting Operations and Field Underwriting divisions at COUNTRY Financial.

She began her career with the company in 2001 and has served in various roles, including vice president of Customer Service, director of Customer Service, manager of Marketing projects, manager of Precision Marketing, and manager of Customer Relationship Management.

Thorpe earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Illinois State University. She graduated from a COUNTRY Financial leadership development program and earned her Six Sigma Black Belt certification in 2011. She completed the Leadership Illinois program in 2013.

Kansas City, Missouri-based global professional services firm, Lockton, added Mark Haegele and Brian Fallon to its employee benefits team in St. Louis.

As a producer, Haegele will identify clients and their complex risk exposures, while Fallon will lead a team that handles the day-to-day employee benefits activities of clients.

The two previously operated their own benefits consulting firm, Halleon Health Advisors.

Fallon, the new employee benefits unit manager in the Provider Relations Practice, collaborated with Lockton Associates in his previous partner role at Halleon Health Advisors. Prior to Halleon, Fallon worked at HealthLink Inc., an Anthem company, for 16 years as regional vice president of network management, payer relations and business development.

Most recently, Haegele was managing partner of Halleon Health Advisors. Prior to Halleon, he spent 14 years at HealthLink Inc. as regional vice president of sales. He also worked for HealthScope Benefits as an AVP of network development.

Greg Easley has been elected president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Indiana (Indiana Big “I”).

Easley currently serves as chairman of Associated Risk Managers International (ARM), and previously has held the positions of secretary and board member with ARM of Indiana.

A former treasurer and board member with Big “I” of Indiana, Easley is a 25-year veteran of the insurance industry, having served as agent for the RMD/Patti Insurance Agency in Richmond, Indiana, since 1992. RMD/Patti Agency was a co-founding ARM of Indiana agency in 1969.

ARM is and independent agency network with over 200 independent member organizations.

Highland Risk Services Inc. added Matt Prewitt to its wholesale brokerage as vice president. He is based at Highland’s headquarters in Chicago.

Prewitt brings 15 years of insurance experience to enhance and expand Highland Risk Services’ business production and development. Prior to joining Highland, Prewitt was the senior vice president of the Healthcare division for Risk Placement Services.

Columbus, Ohio-based auto insurance startup, Root Insurance, hired Jon Allison as its first general counsel.

Prior to joining Root, Allison served on the senior management team of CareSource, a regional non-profit managed health care plan. He was also the Ohio counsel for the Property and Casualty Insurers Association of America (PCI). Allison also has served as chief of staff to Ohio Governor Bob Taft, managed the Ohio Department of Commerce, and served in the Ohio Secretary of State’s office.

Automobile coverage from Root Insurance is available in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, Utah, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas.