Smith Retiring From Arbitration Forums

D. Kay Smith, president and chief executive officer of Tampa, Fla.-based Arbitration Forums Inc., will retire in April 2008 after more than ten years as president, the company announced.

The AF board said it is forming a selection committee to search for a replacement to fill the upcoming vacancy and interested parties should contact AF Human Resources Director Ken Butler at kbutler@arbfile.org.

During Ms. Smith's tenure, the AF said the firm has grown to be the largest arbitration service organization in the country, resolving nearly 470,000 inter-insurance company disputes in 2006, with a claim value of more than $2.2 billion.

AF Chairman Dan Herdmann said, “Under Kay Smith's innovative leadership AF delivered many value-added benefits to the insurance industry.” Mr. Herdmann is regional vice president, Harleysville Group.

He said Ms. Smith, “through highly focused, cost-effective management and cutting-edge technology, developed new and innovative ways to improve arbitration and subrogation processes and reduce insurer expenses.”

Ms. Smith was credited with directing AF's expansion into electronic services, designing, developing and marketing the company's first Web-based product, E-Speed Filing, and its latest the E-Subro Hub.

E-Subro Hub expanded AF's offerings beyond traditional arbitration services by providing customers with a single Web-based platform from which they can issue and respond to subrogation demands as well as file and respond to arbitration cases, the company explained.

Prior to joining AF in 1997, Ms. Smith held executive positions at CNA/Continental Insurance Company, including executive vice president-continental risk management services and vice president-contract services.

AF describes itself as the nation's largest nonprofit provider of inter-insurance dispute resolution services with a membership of more than 4,000 insurers and self-insureds nationwide.