People & Places

Diane Poljak has been promoted to senior vicepresident, staffing practice leader, at Assurance. With more than15 years of experience, Poljak's main responsibility is to set boththe strategy and vision of the staffing team based on client needsand the industry as a whole. Sh

USG InsuranceServices Inc. announced the expansion of operations in its NewBrighton, Minn,. office with the addition of JeffOlson as a producer/broker. Olson previously servedas senior account manager and commercial lines broker at RamsgateInsurance in Minneapolis.

James F. Langan joined Worldwide FacilitiesInc. as vice president. He will be responsible for promotingthe casualty products available from Worldwide Facilities' manymarkets. He comes to the company from Risk Placement Services.

Mergers & Acquisitions

Univest Corp. of Pennsylvania bought John T. Fretz Insurance Agency, afamily-owned-and-operated property and casualty insurance agencythat provides personal and commercial lines. Both Univest and Fretzare based in Souderton, Pa. Univest said the deal was completedWednesday and expands the bank's insurance business market share inMontgomery County. Fretz will become part of Univest's insurancesubsidiary, Univest Insurance.

Cleveland-based business consultancy CBIZ Inc.,acquired Minneapolis-based Associated InsuranceAgents (AIA) for an undisclosed sum on May 3. AIA is aninsurance brokerage agency that specializes in property andcasualty insurance, personal lines, and health benefit insurancefor clients primarily in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Nebraska.

Agency Technology

Chubb Personal Insurance launched an iPad application that makesit easy for agents and brokers who are out of the office to accessChubb policies, marketing materials and the status of claims. Thefree @chubb Mobile app enables agents to use theirpassword-protected Chubb ID to access Chubb's Masterpiecehomeowners' policy processing system; real-time claims information;rule and rate manuals from each state; and coverage summaries. Aresource center provides links to www.chubb.com/personal, where agentscan find product and service information, loss prevention tips andavailable discounts.