People & Places

Scott Kneeland was promoted to the role of acting general counsel forBig “I.” Kneeland has served as senior counsel for the companyfor the past four years.

Canopy Claims Management LLC announced theappointment of Paul J. Posey, Jr. as CEO. Mr.Posey previously served as chief operating officer of SedgwickClaims Management Services Inc. and will lead Canopy ClaimsManagement in its plan for rapid growth.

Viesha Treadwell joined Hub International Servicesas senior vice president of their San Francisco commercialdivision. She will be responsible for business development andsales.

New Programs

The Hanover Insurance Group Inc. announced theexpansion of its healthcare industry solutions to help agentscapitalize on the growing market as baby boomers begin to age andlife expectancy increases. Hanover Healthcare's increased capabilitiesallow for solutions in the areas of allied healthcare centers, homehealthcare and medical equipment. An experienced team hasbeen assembled to create a value-add experience for agents andcustomers.

News

Reagan Consulting launched its quarterlysurvey, Organic Growth and Profitability. The survey serves as anindicator of growth and profitability results for privately heldinsurance agents and brokers. There is no cost to participate inthe survey, and each participating agency receives a customized,confidential report of its financial performance compared to otherparticipants. For information about participating in the OGPsurvey, contact Michelle Appelbaum.

A study by The National Alliance ResearchAcademy revealed that insurance agency owners identifiedaccount retention as the most critical factor affecting the ongoingvalue of agencies. Agency owners were surveyed to determine themost critical factors affecting agency values. The complete resultscan be explained in the study, entitled Critical Factors Affecting Agency Value.

William T. Hold Seminars, previously availableonly to Certified Insurance Service Representatives are nowopen to all who wish to expand their productivity in nichemarkets. Programs are taught by experts both in the classroomand online. Programs in various specializations are offered, andCISR and CSRM designees can combine two four-hour online HoldSeminar topics to fulfill their annual update requirement.