People

John Doyle, president and CEO of global insurance broker Marsh, announced the appointments of key leaders for regional, specialty and placement teams worldwide that will be effective upon closing of the acquisition by Marsh’s parent company of JLT. At Marsh US and Canada, Martin South, president of Marsh US and Canada, will continue to lead the region. Sarah Robson will continue as CEO of Canada, reporting to South. At Marsh-JLT Specialty, Dominic Burke, CEO of JLT Group, in addition to becoming vice chairman of Marsh & McLennan Companies, will become chairman of the newly-formed Marsh-JLT Specialty. Lucy Clarke will become president of Marsh-JLT Specialty reporting to Doyle. Global specialty leaders will report to Clarke. Regional specialty leaders will report both to Clarke and their respective regional leader. At Marsh International, all regional leaders will report to Flavio Piccolomini, president of Marsh International.

Berkley FinSecure made three leadership appointments. Joe Gresia has joined as senior vice president and chief field operations and business development officer. Gresia will lead the sales team and be responsible for distribution management, business development and brand awareness on a national level. Gresia joined Berkley in 2008 to lead its New York region. Sean Missal has been promoted to senior vice president and chief underwriting officer. He will lead underwriting in FinSecure’s four business segments and spearhead product expansion. He has 23 years of experience with fidelity and crime insurance. Missal joined Berkley in 2008. Michael Beranek has been promoted to vice president and practice leader for Berkley Crime and will be responsible for strategy and operational execution. Beranek joined Berkley in 2011 in the Midwest. He began in insurance 28 years ago.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer has selected Anita Fox to head the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Fox brings 30 years of experience in the legal field to the role. She will succeed current DIFS Director Patrick M. McPharlin, who was appointed by former Gov. Rick Snyder and has served in the post since May 2015.

Ohio Insurance Agents Association hired Ashley Fitzsimmons as customer experience manager. Fitzsimmons will help build networks among agents and lead OIA’s new Peer Exchange Groups. Fitzsimmons worked as a producer with Fitzsimmons Insurance.

Combined Agents of America in Austin, Texas, promoted Nikki Toon to chief operating officer. Toon previously served as production director for CAA. Toon has more than a decade of experience working in the industry. CAA is an agency partner group in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado.

USG Insurance Services Inc., a national wholesaler and managing general agency, hired Corey Cooper as producer/broker in its Covington, Louisiana, branch. Corey joins the USG team with 11 years of experience, most recently with UIG in Mandeville, Louisiana. At USG, she will work to build her book of business and broaden USG’s Gulf state agency network.

Hotchkiss Insurance, a Texas independent agency, expanded its employee benefits division with the addition of Chris Hamilton as practice leader and Natalie Cooper as an account executive. Hamilton and Cooper will serve clients from the Dallas location.

North Carolina-based excess and surplus lines managing general agency Jackson Sumner & Associates has promoted Scott Banks to North Carolina marketing representative. Banks has been with JSA for three years, having most recently served as P/C assistant underwriter. His territory will include all of North Carolina. Banks has been involved in the industry for more than six years, starting at another wholesale insurance broker.

Maximum, a Chicago excess and surplus lines wholesaler, has hired Jeff Livingston as a producer based out of its Tampa, Fla., office. Originally from Georgia, Livingston came to Tampa five years ago and began in the E&S industry in underwriting and brokering.

USG Insurance Services Inc., a national wholesaler and managing general agency, has named Frances Meek a producer/broker in the Irvine, Calif., office. Meek will work to maintain current agent relationships and assist with expanding USG’s California network. Meek has been in the industry for five years specializing in excess and surplus commercial lines, most recently as an underwriter at Hull & Co.