People and places

Aon promotes Ram to national technology practice leader: Aon Risk Solutions has promoted Shawn Ram to national technology practice leader. Most recently serving as an account executive and the San Francisco Bay area technology practice leader, Ram has worked with many clients in Silicon Valley and across the country for more than 10 years to deliver risk advisory services.

Main Street America promotes Medvidofsky to vice president: The Main Street America Group has promoted Dave Medvidofsky to vice president and head of its internal audit unit. Medvidofsky has led the super regional property/casualty insurance carrier's corporate strategy function since 2005. In his new role, Medvidofsky will be responsible for providing Main Street America's senior management, audit committee and board of directors with independent and objective assurance on strategic, operational, financial and compliance objectives.

Utica Mutual promotes officers to senior vice president: The Utica Mutual Insurance Co. has promoted three officers to the title of senior vice president and added a new officer to its operations in New Hartford, N.Y. Robert Manfredo, senior underwriting officer, has been promoted to senior vice president. Manfredo began his career with Utica National in 1981 as an underwriting trainee at the company's Eastern regional office in Utica. He was most recently named assistant vice president the following year and named vice president in 2008. Kristen Martin, general auditor and compliance officer, is also a senior vice president. Martin joined Utica National in the claims department as an examiner in 2001 and soon was promoted to staff attorney. She most recently was the vice president in the home office internal audit department. Bernard Turi, associate general counsel and claims attorney, joined Manfredo and Martin as senior vice president. Turi joined Utica National in 1987 as a senior claims specialist in the E&O department. He was most recently promoted to vice president in 2007. Michael Buttimer, manager, claims systems administration, joins Utica Mutual as assistant vice president. Buttimer joined Utica National in 1987 as an adjuster in the Claims department. He was named to his current post as manager of claims system administration in 2000.

Oryx promotes Pasquale to president and CEO: Oryx Insurance Brokerage Inc. announced that Tom Pasquale has become the new president and CEO. Pasquale will oversee the company's financials and the program business, wholesale and claims administration departments. Prior to his appointment as president and CEO, Pasquale had served as the company's vice president where he was responsible for company financial, underwriting and overall agent/policyholder satisfaction.

Riordan elected vice president of Berne Union: Daniel Riordan, president, specialty products, Zurich, was elected vice president of the Berne Union at the association's Annual General Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa. The Berne Union is the leading international association for the export credit and investment insurance industry. It works toward cooperation and stability in cross-border trade by supporting the international acceptance of sound principles in export credits and foreign investments, and by providing a forum for professional exchange among its members. In 2009, Berne Union members provided $1.4 trillion of credit and investment insurance support, which represents over 10 percent of world trade.

Admiral names Jones vice president: Admiral Insurance Co. has named Stephen Jones vice president of professional liability in the company's Atlanta, Ga. branch. Admiral Insurance markets and underwrites specialty insurance products and programs to a variety of niche markets through its regional offices located across the U.S.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Distinguished acquires GreenLine Underwriters: Distinguished Programs Group LLC has acquired a controlling interest in GreenLine Underwriters, a Dallas-based program administrator focused on delivering insurance products through industry-leading web-based technology. The deal strengthens Distinguished's leadership position in property and casualty insurance program management. The GreenLine platform enables agents and brokers to quote, bind and issue policies seamlessly in a straight-through process.

New Policies

BB&T launches iPad app: BB&T has launched a free iPad application that allows more convenient banking access to its on-the-go clients. The BB&T iPad App is one of the first of its kind in the U.S. that's not only a high definition version of mobile banking. It is now available for download on the iTunes App Store. The app allows clients to:

Access BB&T online banking – check account balances, transfer funds, pay bills, sign up for paperless statements and account alerts.
Open new accounts – apply for checking and savings accounts, home equity loans and more. In minutes, clients can add accounts to their shopping cart, get an instant decision and fund accounts online.
Find BB&T locations – locate the nearest BB&T financial center or ATM using GPS (Global Positioning System) technology.
Learn and plan – access an online library of financial education information and interactive calculators.

K&K offers K-12 accident medical program: K&K Insurance launches a new K-12 accident medical program. The program includes coverage for public schools and is available in all 50 states. The accident medical program provides coverage for students participating in scheduled school activities, including athletics. In addition, 24-hour accident and sickness coverage is available in most states. Minimum premiums vary. Available coverage includes:

Basic accident medical benefits up to $25,000
Catastrophic medical benefits up to $2 million
Accidental death & dismemberment benefits up to $10,000
Optional cumulative trauma and stress, re-injury and injury aggravation benefit rider (available in most states)
Optional heart or circulatory malfunction benefit rider (available in most states)
Pre-season and post-season play and conditioning
Tryouts
School tournaments and competitions
Travel directly to and from activity when provided by the school

New Life Agency partners with Pacific Fertility Center: New Life Agency Inc. has added Pacific Fertility Center-Los Angeles to its Assisted Reproduction Insurance Program (ARI) preferred provider network. Together, with Pacific Fertility Center-Los Angeles and The Diamond Institute IVF Center-New York, ARI continues to offer some of the best financial solutions in the country for the ever-rising costs of in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments, procedures and fertility medications to patients suffering from infertility. ARI provides negotiated contract rates with board-certified obstetrics, gynecology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility physicians to insure patients' fertility treatments, complications and provide full maternity insurance. ARI combines insurance coverage with a fertility medication discount plan that can save Pacific Fertility Center's patients more than 50 percent on the cost of standard services, totaling thousands of dollars over the average treatment term.

News

Signature Group opens office in Woodland Hills: Signature Insurance Group, a leading insurance brokerage firm in Southern California, has opened new offices in the city of Woodland Hills to accommodate newly acquired sales staff and to better meet the needs of their clients in the area. Plans to open offices in San Francisco and Phoenix, Arizona are on track for later in 2011 and promise to give Signature Insurance Group great recognition in these new regions.

Griffith Foundation announces scholarship deadlines: The Griffith Foundation will award more than $35,000 through 29 scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year to 25 deserving students studying risk management, insurance or actuarial science at colleges and universities. The Foundation also announced the deadline for several other 2011 scholarships will be on March 10. To review the complete list of scholarship deadlines, applicants are encouraged to check the foundation website. Eligible applicants include risk management, insurance and actuarial science majors. Business and non-business students with an interest in entering the insurance industry and who commit to taking a risk management and insurance course are also eligible.

WAHVE winner of insurance entrepreneurial award: Work At Home Vintage Employees LLC (WAHVE), a new company formed in 2010 that offers domestic outsourcing for insurance firms, was named winner of the “Insurance Entrepreneurial Award” by the Insurance Innovation Alliance. WAHVE was recognized for its service offering—providing insurance agencies, wholesale brokers, and carriers with skilled insurance retirees who work from home. The company was tops among 11 finalists in the insurance distribution category in the award program run by MarketScout in concert with Microsoft and the National Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. Winners also were honored in the categories of underwriting and technology. Learn more about WAHVE here.

ASCnet open offices in Chicago: Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet) has completed its transition to new offices near Chicago and hired several new staff. The Chicago move is part of a multi-year effort to centralize ASCnet's activities throughout North America and sharpen the group's value to members. The change enables ASCnet to centrally locate its leadership, and it allows for improved collaboration with a key stakeholder, Applied Systems, which is based south of Chicago.

Special Reports /

New iPad application, medical programs for BB&T and K&K Insurance- Around the Industry

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