NU Online News Service,Jan. 10, 11:26 a.m. EST

The chief acquisition officer for Brown &Brown has left the company, replaced by a seasoned executive withmore than 20 years of experience with the Daytona Beach, Fla.-basedinsurance brokerage firm.

In a filing with the Securities and ExchangeCommission, Brown & Brown said Thomas E. Riley, regionalpresident and chief acquisition officer for the company, left onJan. 3.

The firm said it is in discussions with Mr.Riley over benefits and “other items” that never became effective,“and continue to discuss a potential separation agreement andrelease.”

Mr. Riley was named chief acquisition officerin March 2010 with responsibility for all M&A activity andsupervision over individuals working on the transactions. He alsohad regional oversight of operations in south Florida and theNortheastern United States.

He joined Brown & Brown in 1990 as chieffinancial officer.

A request for comment about Mr. Riley to Brown& Brown was not immediately returned.

Mr. Riley was replaced by J. Scott Penny, whojoined the company in 1989 as a marketing representative.

Mr. Penny, a regional president since lastyear, will continue to oversee operations of certain companysubsidiaries in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky,Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania andWashington. He will also oversee the operations of Axiom Re inFlorida and North Carolina and will assume responsibility for theoversight of Florida Intracoastal Underwriters, LLC., Brown &Brown said.

“Scott has been actively involved and verysuccessful in identifying and negotiating quality acquisitionscountry-wide for the past several years,” said J. Powell Brown,president and chief executive officer for the firm, in a statement.“I am very pleased that Scott will be assuming this expandedresponsibility. His personal focus portends continued expansion ofour merger and acquisition activity.”

The firm also announced that Charles H.“Charlie” Lydecker and Linda S. Downs were named regionalpresidents.

Mr. Lydecker will be responsible for operationsin Florida and certain retail operations in Arizona, New Jersey,New York, Texas and Virginia.

Mr. Lydecker has been with the firm since 1990and was named a regional executive vice president in 2002.

Ms. Downs joined Brown & Brown in 1980 andwas a senior executive vice president prior to thisappointment.

She will oversee certain operations inMichigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky,Illinois, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin. Inaddition, she will be responsible for Halcyon Underwriters, awholesale brokerage division operation in Orlando, Fla.

She also oversees certain corporate mattersincluding the company's Benefits Department and its LeadershipSchool.