QBE North America Promotes Eric Sanders

Integrated Specialist Insurer QBE North America announced the appointment of Eric Sanders as the head of claims.

The promotion is effective immediately and Sanders will lead claim operations across North America. He joined QBE North America in 2013 and most recently held the role of senior vice president, commercial/alternative markets claims & TPA management.

Eric Sanders, head of claims, QBE North America

Sanders new team is responsible for directing and providing by driving strategic planning and holistic management.

Sanders will report to Dan Franzetti, chief operating officer, QBE North America. Together, Sanders hopes the team can increase customer satisfaction and overall performance of Claims Department functions.

“Eric has done a great job managing our Personal and Commercial lines claims as well as our Claims Relationship Management and TPA Management teams,” said Franzetti.

“With his leadership and the efforts of his teams, we have built a strong reputation in the marketplace for customer service when it matters most to our customers.

“Adding Specialty claims to Eric’s purview will allow us to further build on the excellent reputation we already have in that line of business, supported by the strong leadership of Tom Sheffield, senior vice president, Head of Specialty Claims,” Franzetti said.

Sanders is a seasoned employee of the industry with over 20 years of experience in claims.

“It is always a great pleasure to appoint people from within such as Eric to take on greater levels of responsibility and also know they can rely on strong leaders on their team already in place,” Franzetti said.

“This is all about developing talent and building the best team to support our customers.”

Paul G. Smith to Lead H.W. Kaufman Carrier Relations

H.W. Kaufman Group, an insurance conglomerate, announced the appointment of Paul G. Smith to its leadership team.

Smith will serve as vice president, Carrier Relations and be the main manager of partner relationships. He will collaborate intimately with all Kaufman companies and senior leadership to maximize market relationships, improve products, and increase profits.

Smith has thirty years of industry experience with Aon and most recently Willis Towers Watson.

At H.W Kaufman Group, he will serve under Daniel J. Kaufman, executive vice president, H.W. Kaufman Group and chief operating officer, Burns & Wilcox, North America’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager.

“As the wholesale insurance model continues to transform, the longstanding relationships we maintain with domestic carriers and London markets are more important than ever,” said Kaufman.

“Paul will serve as a central resource for our global teams, aligning the needs of our business with the various market appetites.”

“I am honored to join this growing company and look forward to working with the reputable H.W. Kaufman Group leadership team,” said Smith.

“In this industry, partnerships are vital to long-term business success and I am eager to use my experience to further the company’s footprint and strengthen the relationships that will support its global reach.”

Mike Worley and Steve Brown Launch Legion Claims Solutions, LLC

Mike Worley and Steve Brown, two industry veterans, have announced the launch of Legion Claims Solutions, LLC, (“Legion”).

Legion is a firm specializing in catastrophe management insurance claims, environmental/industrial claims, and governmental disaster recovery programs and is based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Chief executive officer Steve Brown and chief operating officer Mike Worley, Legion Claims Solutions

Worley’s career includes work on the 2010 BP Oil Spill.

While Brown has some catastrophe experience, his former company was primarily focused on multi-lines daily insurance claims services.

Brown will act as chief executive officer while Worley will act as chief operating officer.

Both men recognize that the property claims and catastrophe response industry are being affected by the technology surge, just like other sectors of insurance.

“I truly believe the synergy between our two areas of expertise, the quality of our field resources and management team, and our investment in training and claims technology all give Legion the distinct advantage that it needs to quickly become a premier insurance claims support and disaster response company,” said Brown of his partnership with Worley.

“Steve and I share the same dedication and pride in our work, as well as a commitment to excellence,” agreed Worley.

“We certainly are not afraid of a challenge and look forward to building a skilled team of like-minded professionals ready to serve the industry.”

Vahan Paretchan Promoted to Vice President of Casualty by Everett

Everett Insurance, an insurance and reinsurance provider, named a leader for its casualty division.

Vahan Paretchan was promoted to serve as Vice President and East Region Leader and oversee a team of underwriters from a Philadelphia office.

He will supervise risk management casualty for offices within the company along the east coast.

Paretchan will report to Christopher McKeon, Senior Vice President and Head of Senior Commercial Casualty.

“With a rich pool of talent that Everest enjoys, we are very excited to recognize Vahan’s contributions, which have been instrumental to our growth primary casualty space, and we look forward to seeing all that he accomplishes with these expanded responsibilities,” McKeon said.

“The large account space is a core focus for Everest, and Vahan will play an important role as we continue to bring unique services to this segment of the market.”

Paretchan joined Everest in 2017, working from its Los Angeles office.

Risk Strategies Finds Leader of National Professional Liability Practice in Darren Black

Darren Black, a 15-year insurance industry veteran, has been hired by Risk Strategies to oversee its national professional liability practice group.

“Architects, engineers, lawyers and other professionals face complicated risks and liabilities unique to their expertise, industry and services,” explained Risk Strategies’ President, John Mina.

Darren Black, national liability practice leader, Risk Strategies

“Darren’s background, spanning both insurance and law, is a great fit for our model and will benefit our clients while enabling smart growth in our national professional liability practice.”

Black has a degree from the the University of Kansas School of Law and spent the earlier years of his career serving as coverage counsel to several major insurers.

He has published a number of articles pertaining to relevant situations he has encountered in his business experiences.

He is speaker on the management of professional services, particularly law and design firms.

Black has published a number of articles concerning issues relevant to his expertise and is a frequent speaker on topics related to the sound management of professional services firms generally, and law and design firms in particular.

“I’m thrilled to join an organization that really understands the value of specialty expertise and focus,” Black said.

Beecher Carlson Names New Chief Operations Officer

Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, an insurance broker and subsidiary of Brown & Brown, has named Bill Daly as chief operating officer.

Bill Daly, chief operating officer, Beecher Carlson

Prior to accepting his new position, Daly was the chief financial officer of Brown & Brown, the seventh largest insurance brokerage in the nation.

In his new role, Daly will be responsible for overseeing Bermuda wholesale, team resources, IT, and business partner relationships.

This is not Daly’s first role with Beecher Carlson; he previously worked as interim CFO and served on the executive board.

“Having had the opportunity to work with Bill already, I have no doubt that he will be a high impact player on our team,” said Joe Siech, Chief Executive Officer Beecher Carlson.

“With his knowledge of the Brown & Brown organization and resources, Bill will create efficiencies in the way we partner our clients to develop and implement innovative ways to identify, quantify, and mitigate finance risk.”

Daly has more than two decades of financial experience.

He holds a master’s degree in Finance from New York University.

HealthyHealth Gets a New Medical Lead

The digital health assessment insurtech, HealthyHealth, has appointed Sophie Currier MD PhD as Medical Lead.

The company specializes in providing digital assessments to insurers. Currier will report to company Chief Executive Officer Luca Schnettler.

Currier’s credentials include a master’s degree from MIT and a doctorate from Harvard.

She completed her post graduate medical training in the United Kingdom and the U.S. She has held medical internships at the Cambridge and Oxford trusts.

“It is a privilege to welcome a medical professional of Sophie’s stature to HealthyHealth,” said Schnettler.

“Our success has been created by our team of experts and dedicated to building a product that is user focused and transparent and I’m pleased that Sophie will be bringing her medial expertise to further these efforts as we drive our company forward.”

“HealthyHealth is an exciting innovator in the digital health assessment environment,” said Currier.

“This innovation also offers and unparalleled opportunity for life and health insurers to make their vital product increasingly accessible and relevant to as wide a cohort as possible and I’m delighted to be joining these efforts.”

Sheryl Barr Named Director of Marketing and Communications, RT New Day

RT New Day, a division of RT Specialty, LLC, has promoted Sheryl Barr as the director of marketing and communications.

She joined RT New Day in 2009 as a marketing coordinator. Her responsibilities have increased significantly overtime along with the strategic development of RT New Day.

Sheryl Barr, director of marketing and communications, RT New Day

Her responsibilities include running a blog that connects industry professionals to related articles, claims and events.

“Sheryl has dedicated the past 10 years to expanding our presence among key target audiences nationwide, while solidly establishing our position as the industry’s premier resource for environmental and construction related professional liability,” says Jefferey S. Lejfer, president, RT New Day.

“She has also taken the reins on everything from event planning and the update of our website to the maintenance of our massive sales database and ongoing staff licensing efforts.

“Her work to successfully promote RT New Day has been integral to our steady growth and the results we expect to achieve well into the future.”

For Barr, the promotion has been a long time coming and took a lot of hard work.

“We were a nine-person firm looking to expand and further develop our brand in a niche market when I started 10 years ago,” she said.

“Today, we are a leading player in our field and a team recognized for our professionalism and in-depth industry knowledge. I’m proud to have played a role in this success and of the ongoing opportunity to support our team of industry experts.”

Sara Aguila Named President of Transcom Solutions

Sara Aguila has been named president of Transcom Solutions, a national transportation and translation company serving the workers’ compensation industry.

Aguila cofounded the company in 2009 and previously acted as vice president of business development.

Sara Aguila, president, Transcom Solutions

She will now oversee operations and customer service in addition to sales and marketing.

Aguila has 17 years of sales and business development experience in the workers’ compensation and insurance industries.

She attributes the organization’s success to the ideal that it was founded on; customer-service should not be an afterthought, but rather the driver of every decision a company makes.

“I believe this will truly be a unique role where service can exceed expectations,” Aguila said of her promotion within the company.

“Because of our passion for people, accountability, transparency, integrity in operations, and professionalism, we will continue to maintain our boutique feel as the company grows.”

In the previous companies that Aguila worked for, including Complete Claims Services, CompEx, ZoneCare, Optimal Care, and Gould and Lamb, she exceeded sales goals every year. &

Have news of an exciting promotion or hire? Send it to Emily Spennato at [email protected].