People

Brian L. Risen, senior vice president, Mackinaw Underwriters, a member of the AmeriTrust Group Inc., has been promoted to president of the Meadowbrook Insurance Agency in Southfield, Michigan.

Risen has over 23 years of insurance industry experience. Prior to joining Mackinaw Underwriters, he was senior vice president of Business Development for a division of W. R. Berkley Insurance Group. Risen also held senior positions with Lockton Affinity, Zurich NA, and Universal Underwriters. He holds the CPCU, ARM and ALCM designations.

Founded in 1955, AmeriTrust Group Inc. (formerly Meadowbrook Insurance Group Inc.), is a specialty, niche-focused commercial insurance underwriter and insurance administration services provider.AmeriTrust Group operates as the U.S.-based insurance holding company for Fosun International Ltd.

Wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager Burns & Wilcox has relocated and expanded its Minneapolis, Minnesota, office and appointed Tom O’Donnell as associate managing director.

O’Donnell previously served as a senior commercial underwriter for Burns & Wilcox in Scottsdale, Arizona, before moving to Minneapolis.

Burns & Wilcox is a member of H.W. Kaufman Group, which has over 60 offices across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom and employs more than 2,000 professionals.

Worldwide Facilities, a national wholesale insurance brokerage and managing general agent, has appointed Joe Carlson as vice president, Healthcare, at its Chicago office.

Carlson will be instrumental in expanding Worldwide Facilities’ healthcare unit in Atlanta, and will work to help the company deliver healthcare specialization and expertise to clients in the Midwest.

He previously served as the director of Healthcare and Non-Profit Risk for Insureon.

Managing general agency and surplus lines broker J.M. Wilson added Mark Maday as assistant property/casualty underwriter in the company’s Arlington Heights, Illinois, office.

Maday is responsible for underwriting new and renewal business, corresponding with carrier underwriters, and assisting independent agents in Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska.

Prior to joining J.M. Wilson, Maday was a senior account analyst for three years at an insurance company. He also served as a client services manager, as well as a commercial sales representative.

Brian D. Lopata has been named president and chief executive officer for McPherson, Kansas-based Farmers Alliance Companies.

As president and CEO, Lopata will have day-to-day responsibility for all functional areas of the companies, working directly with members of the executive management team.

Lopata has held leadership positions in Underwriting, Marketing and Customer Relations for two mutual insurance companies during his 27-year career. Since 2004, he was with Preferred Mutual Insurance Co., where he most recently served as senior vice president for Profit Center Operations and Customer Relations. His responsibilities have included day-to-day company operations, as well as strategic planning.

The Farmers Alliance Companies provide property and casualty insurance through independent agents in an eight-state region.

Michael York II has been named chief underwriting officer for Madison, Wisconsin-based CM Vantage Specialty Insurance Co., reporting to President Alan Ogilvie.

York will oversee CM Vantage’s underwriting operations and work closely with CM Vantage’s distribution partners.

Prior to joining CM Vantage, York spent 24 years in the insurance industry, the last two as vice president, underwriting at Colony Specialty Insurance. Prior to Colony, York spent six years with AIG Insurance.

CM Vantage is a member of the Church Mutual family of companies.

Integrity Insurance in Appleton, Wisconsin, appointed Bobbie Collies vice president of Sales and Marketing.

Collies brings with her a wealth of commercial underwriting and property/casualty insurance carrier leadership experience. Most recently she was director of Marketing at SECURA Insurance Companies. She holds CIC and AIS insurance designations.

Integrity Insurance offers auto, home and business insurance through a network of independent agents throughout Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and is affiliated with Grange Insurance, based in Columbus, Ohio.