People & Places

American International Group Inc., headquartered in New York, appointed Gordon Browne global head of specialty. He will serve on the international insurance leadership team.

Browne has over 20 years of industry experience in the U.S. and the UK. He rejoins AIG from Allianz, where he served as global head of specialty since April 2023.

Ray Scotto, who has served as the Target Markets Program Administrators Association’s executive director since its inception in 2002, has transitioned to senior executive.

Longtime TMPAA member Gene Abbey is now executive director. Abbey has been director of Insurance Services and education since 2023.

Sarah Ayars, who has been with TMPAA for 15 years, now shares management responsibilities as the director of Operations and Marketing.

Everest Insurance North America, headquartered in Warren, New Jersey, hired Stephen Buonpane to the newly created role of senior vice president, casualty specialty lines and industry practices.

Before joining Everest, Buonpane served as executive vice president and construction industry practice leader with Chubb. He also was co-founder and chief insurance officer for Shepherd, catering to the commercial construction space.

Allied World Assurance Company Holdings Ltd., headquartered in New York City, appointed Joshua Kranz senior vice president, North America architects and engineers division. Kranz succeeds Doug Hamilton, who retires July 5 and will continue in a consulting role.

Kranz has over 25 years of professional liability experience, most recently serving as professional liability national practice leader at Everest Insurance.

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda, appointed Paul Boulos and Rob Ryan as heads of ocean marine.

Most recently, Boulos, who is based in New Jersey, served as national cargo product leader at Navigators, a brand of The Hartford.

Ryan, who is based in New York, most recently managed the New York marine branch as vice president at Navigators.

RT Specialty, headquartered in Chicago, made several promotions in its Hamilton, New Jersey, office, part of the RT Specialty Environmental and Construction Professional Practice (RT ECP).

Daniel Wilhelm is now account executive. He joined the company in 2018 as an account manager and most recently served as a senior account manager.

Gina Bernardo was promoted to senior account manager. She has worked at RT ECP for over five years.

Aaron Roland is now senior account manager. He joined the company as an account manager in 2022. He previously served as an account manager at ARMR Specialty Holdings, ARMR Brokerage Division.

Maddie Goodwin was promoted to account manager. She joined the company as an account administrator in 2022.

Zach Kalet is now account manager. He joined RT ECP as an account administrator in 2022.

Jenna Koch, whose background is sales and customer service, was promoted to account manager.

Julie Rison has joined Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, as senior vice president, Alliant Private Client.

Based in Virginia, Rison has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and previously served as senior vice president, private client division, at Marsh & McLennan Agency.

Lawley, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, hired four new employee business sales consultants.

Charlie Burt specializes in group health insurance, dental insurance, medical plans, and benefits technology. He will expand Lawley’s employee benefit offerings across Connecticut. He previously served as an HCM account executive with Paylocity.

Jen Desmond has over 15 years of industry experience and will serve as an advisor to companies in the southern-tier communities of Buffalo. She previously served as a director of operations at Top Gun Staffing Inc. and as a sales and recruiting manager at Kelly Services.

Jeff Morgan previously worked as an assistant vice president at M&T Bank and a business development representative at ACV Auctions. He is versed in benefits administration solutions, like Lawley Marketplace, designed for employers with 25-99 employees.

With more than 20 years of experience, Kalene Pencek specializes in employee benefits, sales, and customer service. Before Lawley, Pencek held business-to-business roles at Verizon Wireless and several pharmaceutical sales positions.

Ryan Specialty, headquartered in Chicago, promoted Derek Pouliot to chief reserving officer of Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers (RSUM). .

Pouliot most recently served as Ryan Specialty’s senior vice president and chief profitability and risk actuary. Before joining Ryan Specialty, he was chief actuary and head of actuarial function for a FBD Insurance in Dublin.

Alliant Insurance Services, headquartered in Irvine, California, expanded its Midwest team by adding Matt Richard as vice president and Tricia Schmidt as senior vice president within its employee benefits group.

Richard, based in Kentucky, has more than 20 years of experience in the health insurance industry. Before coming to Alliant, he was a senior vice president with Newfront.

Schmidt has more than 25 years of insurance and employee benefits experience. She most recently served as national enterprise sales leader at Accolade Inc., and as managing director, health and benefits, Midwest region leader at Willis Towers Watson.

Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, headquartered in Houston, named three new members to its media liability team

Andrea Taylor is Skyward’s new vice president of media liability. Taylor has 25 years of leadership and underwriting expertise, specializing in the segment. She most recently served as vice president of media liability with ANV Media.

Skyward named Cheech Bradford assistant vice president of media liability. Bradford has over 35 years of specialized experience in media liability. She most recently served as vice president of media liability at QBE North America.

Skyward also named entertainment and media claims attorney Emily Caron vice president of media liability claims. She most recently served as vice president of media liability claims at Intact Insurance/One Beacon.

InsureTrust, an Atlanta-based specialty broker specializing in cyber risk, named Sonja Kozel senior vice president.

Kozel, with 10 years in the business, previously led sales for Cowbell, a cyber insurance company, and for Markel Specialty.

InsureTrust is a division of Starwind Specialty Insurance, a subsidiary of CRC Insurance Services.

SAIF, headquartered in Salem, Oregon, promoted Todd Graneto to chief financial officer.

Graneto, who joined SAIF in 2016, previously served as the vice president of premium audit and underwriting services. Before he joined SAIF, he was the vice president of finance for Health Net.

Nairi Chapman joined Alliant Insurance Services as senior vice president, director, M&A, within its employee benefits group.

Before joining Alliant, Chapman served as senior director, health and benefits, at WTW and as senior vice president at Aon Risk Services.

Lori Crandall joined Alliant Insurance Services as senior vice president within its employee benefits group. Before joining Alliant, she was a senior vice president at USI Insurance Services for 21 years.

Alliant also hired Gavin Huihui as vice president within its Alliant Americas division. Huihui will service clients in Hawaii and nationwide.

Before joining Alliant, Huihui was an insurance agent with an international fire and marine insurance company.

Mark Pastorius joined Alliant as executive vice president, managing director within Alliant Specialty.

Pastorius’ insurance career spans more than 37 years. Before joining Alliant, Pastorius was an executive vice president and managing director at Lockton Companies where he ran the data and analytics department.

The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers named Katie Pope vice president, executive lines. Based in Los Angeles, Pope began her insurance career at Lockton, where she was most recently an account executive.

The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers is headquartered in Gainesville, Florida.

PEMCO Mutual Insurance named Calvin Strong chief claims officer and Shashi Reddy chief data and analytics officer.

Strong will lead the claims function at PEMCO. He has more than 30 years of experience in the property/casualty insurance industry.

Reddy spent more than 15 years at companies including Travelers Insurance, and Ernst & Young.

Seattle, Washington-based PEMCO serves the Pacific Northwest.

PCF Insurance Services named Brandon Gray chief financial officer.

Gray, who joined PCF in March 2023, previously served as senior vice president and treasurer. His promotion to CFO follows Felix Morgan‘s appointment to CEO from his former roles as CFO and chief operating officer.

PCF is headquartered in Lehi, Utah.