People on the move in the P&C insurance industry: October 16, 2015

Florida Peninsula Insurance Company announced the nomination of Michael Koscielny, CPCU CIC, as president-elect of the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters (CPCU) Society. Koscielny serves as director of underwriting for Florida Peninsula and has served on the Leadership Council of the National Society of CPCU and other Society positions for 19 years. With more than 35 years of experience in the insurance industry, Koscielny’s background includes work with the Auto Club Insurance Association (known as AAA Michigan), Kemper Insurance Personal Lines and SAFECO. Prior to joining Florida Peninsula, Koscielny served as assistant vice president of property & casualty underwriting at American Modern Insurance Group. In addition to his involvement with the CPCU Society, Koscielny is a board member of the Underwriting Executives Council. His past leadership roles include, board member of Insuring the Children (the industry charity in Cincinnati), CPCU Instructor for the Insurance School of Chicago, past president of the Central Michigan Underwriters Association and past president of the Cincinnati Chapter of CPCU. Koscielny received a CPCU designation in 1996 and has held a CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor) designation since 1991.

Global speciality insurance group ANV Holdings BV announced the appointment of Janet Helson as CEO of the group’s Lloyd’s Managing Agency, ANV Syndicates Limited (ANV). The appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Effective Oct. 19, Helson will be responsible for the operation of ANV’s Lloyd’s platform, and will report to Lynsey Cross, CEO of ANV Group. Helson succeeds Andrew Hall, who was appointed interim managing director of ANV’s Lloyd’s Managing Agency in April. Helson previously served as director of Randall & Quilter’s Underwriting Management Division, where she focused on developing new business opportunities. Helson brings to ANV over 30 years of experience in the London insurance market. Previous roles include director, Turnkey Syndicates at Chaucer, director at Kiln and Crowe.

Gerard van Loon, who took on the role of ANV Syndicates director of underwriting in 2014 during the integration of ANV and Jubilee, resumes his previous role of ANV Group chief underwriting officer. Loon will oversee underwriting strategy for the Group including ANV Syndicates and ANV’s Managing General Underwriter (MGU) covering U.S. and international business.

Willis Group Holdings appointed Nicolas Aubert as chief executive officer (CEO) of Willis Ltd, the Willis Group’s principal U.K. regulated entity. The appointment received regulatory approval from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). As CEO of Willis Ltd, Aubert takes over responsibility for all leadership, governance and regulatory matters for the regulated entity, which consists primarily of Willis Group’s insurance and reinsurance businesses in the U.K. He continues in his role as CEO of Willis GB, the operating segment that includes Willis's retail insurance business in Great Britain, facultative and London specialty businesses. Willis Re also continues with its own management structure but with board oversight in the U.K. from Willis Ltd. Prior to joining Willis, Aubert was the chief operating officer (COO) of American International Group (AIG) in Europe, Middle East and Africa, and formerly managing director of AIG in the U.K. After joining AIG in June 2002 to lead AIG France, Aubert served in various other senior management positions, including managing director of Southern Europe, where he led operations in 12 countries.

PIA has installed newly-elected national officers during the group’s Sept. 19 board of directors meeting held in New Orleans, La. Each of the officers will serve one-year terms from Oct. 1, 2015 through Sept. 30, 2016.

As of Oct. 1, 2015, the following appointments were made:

• Robert W. Hansen, Jr., LUTCF, CPIA, of Omaha, Neb. as president.
• Gareth W. Blackwell, Jr., CPCU, of Corinth, Maine as president-elect.
• Timothy G. Russell, CPCU, of Southport, Conn. as vice president/treasurer.
• Keith A. Savino, CPIA, of Mahwah, N. J. as secretary/assistant treasurer.
• Richard A. Clements, CIC, CPIA, of Chalmette, La. as immediate past president.            

The Main Street America Group announced the appointment of Chris Cox to president of Old Dominion Insurance Company, its primary writing company and brand throughout Florida and Georgia. The appointment of Cox to Old Dominion president was approved by the company’s board of directors at its fall board meeting. Old Dominion is a wholly-owned member company of Main Street America. Cox, who joined Main Street America in 2008 as a personal lines product manager, was appointed president of its newly-formed Florida region in March 2015. In 2010, he moved to the Company’s field operations unit to become director, distribution management. In 2011, he was appointed as a company officer and in 2013, elected as an assistant vice president. Cox has nearly 25 years of property/casualty industry experience, including multiple roles at Nationwide Insurance.

Swett & Crawford announced that Mark McDonnell has joined the firm as vice president and senior broker. The addition of McDonnell, who will be based in Buffalo, New York, underscores Swett & Crawford’s focus on adding top insurance talent and continuing to grow its U.S. insurance business. A wholesale industry veteran, McDonnell focuses on casualty with an emphasis on retailers with clients in the transportation industry. Most recently, McDonnell served as a partner and executive vice president for Northeast National Brokerage. Prior to that, he worked at LoVullo Associates as manager of the Commercial Transportation Department.