Moves and Views

1 CNA Financial Corporation announced in August that John Hennessy [1a] will take on duties as president and chief operating officer (COO) of CNA Canada, effective September 15. Hennessy replaces Gary Owcar, who has led CNA Canada since 2009 and is retiring. Hennessy, most recently chief executive of CNA Europe, has previously held roles at CNA, including Milwaukee branch manager, central region president, senior vice president for casualty underwriting and middle market, and senior vice president of distribution management. Also at CNA, David Brosnan [1b] has been named chief executive of CNA Insurance Company Limited (CNA Europe) as of August 18. Brosnan will maintain his post as chief executive of Hardy Underwriting Bermuda Limited (acquired in 2012 by CNA). He served as division president (property & casualty) and chief underwriting officer for ACE Canada from July 2012 through May 2013, when he joined CNA as senior vice president, international. Brosnan has held various roles with the Chubb Group of Companies, notes his LinkedIn profile.

2 FM Global has announced Thomas Lawson [2a], with the company since 1979, began serving as president on August 1. Previously executive vice president, Lawson has also been elected to FM Global’s Board of Directors. He will replace Shivan Subramaniam [2b] as CEO on January 1, 2015. Subramaniam, who has been with FM Global for four decades, was named CEO in 1999 and will stay on as chairman. Also at the company, Jonathan Hall, most recently executive vice president, has taken on the role of chief operating officer. With FM Global since 1980, Hall will oversee insurance operations and insurance staff functions.

3 Hub International Limited has acquired the shares of Gibson’s Insurance Agency Ltd. The locations in Treherne and Notre Dame de Lourdes, Manitoba will remain in operation and become part of the Hub International Horizon operations. The acquisition brings to 22 the number of Hub International locations in Manitoba, notes the company, formed in 1998 through the merger of 11 Canadian brokerages. “Because Gibson’s agricultural clients are similar to Hub’s Manitoba client profile, they are in a great position to take advantage of Hub’s unique innovative insurance products developed for crop production, employee benefits, and life and estate planning,” Keith Jordan, president and CEO of Hub International Horizon, says in a statement.

4 RSA Canada’s new vice president of underwriting, global specialty lines is Colette Taylor [4]. Taylor was previously global specialty lines underwriting director for the Ontario region. Before joining RSA Canada in 2010, her LinkedIn profile notes Taylor worked for Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc., St. Paul/Travelers, QBE Insurance and Marsh. Her experience as a broker “has given her a balanced perspective of how RSA Canada can best develop and deliver propositions that work for its customers,” the insurer notes.

5 Elliott Special Risks recently announced three appointments to its leadership team in Canada. Effective August 1, Rod Spurrell is vice president of underwriting and business development, Ray Gimble is vice president of technical underwriting and Jaime Yoon is manager of environmental liability. Spurrell “will be responsible for national audit reviews and ensuring the clarity of policy documentation, while managing operational and compliance related activities,” notes a company press release, while Gimble “will be responsible for leading a national team of regional and product line leaders to enhance the company’s market positioning and improve product line profitability.” Yoon will manage the company’s environmental impairment liability book of business and lead the team in its Toronto office. In Canada, Elliott Special Risks has offices in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

6 Risk and Insurance Management Society Inc. (RIMS) announced in July that its executive director, Mary Roth [6], has been named president of the International Federation of Risk and Insurance Management Associations (IFRIMA). Roth will continue to serve as RIMS executive director, a role she has held since October 2004. Having joined RIMS in 1985, her past roles with the society include assistant director of research, director of membership and chapter services, and chief operating officer.

7 The Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO) has hired Ian Ferenci [7] as its manager of technology and advisory services. Ferenci “will be responsible for enhancing CSIO’s membership value proposition by overseeing the development of all leading-edge technology standards, solutions and process improvement initiatives,” notes a CSIO statement. Before joining CSIO, Ferenci was manager of business planning and analysis for Grey Power Insurance Brokers. Also at the centre, it recently announced availability of its eSignatures Vendor Dashboard, a web page on which CSIO publishes a review of eight electronic signature products in Canada. CSIO reviewed the electronic signature products against the following criteria: legislative and regulatory compliance; workflow efficiency and user experience; and pricing and support.

8 Disaster restoration firm DKI Canada has hired Paul Burns [8] as its director of global business development. Before joining DKI, Burns was vice president, Ontario operations and national sales for Capital Claims Adjuster Ltd., notes his LinkedIn profile. He has also been vice president of London market services for Cunningham Lindsey. Among DKI’s services are emergency response, water damage mitigation, fire and contents cleaning, and mould remediation.

9 Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc. announced in July that Kelly Albert [9] is its new national account executive, global client and business development, for the Western Canada region. “His immediate focus will be on working with the company’s Western Region offices to help increase business with existing and new clients in the west,” the company reports. Albert, who holds both the Chartered Insurance Professional and Canadian Risk Management designations, has worked for several insurers, adds his LinkedIn profile.

10 Michael Georgiev [10] is the new vice president of construction and infrastructure practice at Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management Inc. (JDMI). Before joining JDMI, Georgiev managed the surety department at Aviva Canada. He is “well-versed in many areas of insurance and risk management as related to the construction industry, including financial analysis, project planning and portfolio management, as well as underwriting negotiations and best practices,” JDMI notes.