Crum & Forster Elects New Chairman, President

Crum & Forster Elects New Chairman, President

NU Online News Service, June 28, 4:24 p.m. EDT? Crum & Forster Holdings Corp., a national property-casualty insurance unit of Toronto, Ontario-based Fairfax Financial Holdings, announced two changes in its senior management team, with the election of a new board chairman and president.[@@]

The post of chairman of Crum & Forster insurance operations went to Nikolas Antonopoulos, who recently was elected as the company's chief executive officer. Mr. Antonopoulos succeeds Bruce Esselborn, who retired from Crum & Forster earlier this month.

Joseph Braunstein, executive vice president of the Crum & Forster companies since May 2002, has been elected to the position of president. Mr. Braunstein succeeds Mr. Antonopoulos, who had served in that capacity since May 2000.

Mr. Braunstein joined Crum & Forster in Sept. 2000 after a 29-year career at CIGNA, where he held field and product line management roles in its large risk and international businesses.

"Nick's succession to chairman and Joe's appointment as president of the operating companies reflect the orderly succession plan set in motion by Bruce Esselborn's retirement," commented Prem Watsa, chairman and chief executive of Fairfax Financial, Crum & Forster's parent company.

Founded in 1896, the Morristown, N.J.-based Crum & Forster is a national p-c insurance group that offers, through its insurance companies, standard and specialty commercial insurance products including property, general liability, workers' compensation, commercial automobile, umbrella, directors' and officers' liability, excess & surplus and surety.