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AM BEST'S MONTHLY INSURANCE MAGAZINE



Executive Changes
John Elias Named New Hampshire’s Commissioner

John Elias, assistant commissioner at the New Hampshire Insurance Department, has been confirmed as the state’s new commissioner.

Elias, nominated by Gov. Chris Sununu, begins a five-year term after the state’s Executive Council unanimously approved him. Elias succeeds Commissioner Roger Sevigny, a National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ past president who announced his retirement from public service after 16 years in the post.

Elias has more than 15 years’ experience working in management and executive roles for insurance carriers in underwriting, compliance, product management and strategic planning.

He spent two years as assistant commissioner and was previously the department’s property/casualty director.

Prior to joining the department in January 2016, Elias was the president of consulting firm J.P. Elias Inc. for nearly six years.

Between April 2007 and May 2013, Elias had been the vice president of underwriting at Safe Auto Insurance Co. in Columbus and worked from 2000-2007 with Westfield Group.

—Thomas Harman

John Elias

Distribution
DeCarlo Moves to Executive Chair at AmWINS

AmWINS Group Inc. said M. Steven DeCarlo is stepping down as chief executive officer, sparking additional leadership moves.

Chief Operating Officer Scott Purviance will succeed DeCarlo.

Benjamin Sloop, previously president of AmWINS Access, succeeds Purviance as COO, and AmWINS Access COO James A. "Tony" Gresham succeeds Sloop as division president.

Purviance joined the global broker when it was founded in 2001 and served as chief financial officer through 2-16. DeCarlo served as CEO since the company's founding. He becomes executive chairman of AmWIN's board, which is a newly created position.

W.H. "Skip" Cooper leaves his role as AmWINS group president and becomes board vice chairman. Brokerage President James Drinkwater succeeds Cooper as group president and remains brokerage division president.

M. Steven DeCarlo

Eric Andersen

Aon Revamps, Removes Benfield and Risk Solutions Names

Aon plc said it named two co-presidents as the broker and consulting roup retired Aon Risk Solutions and Aon Benfield, its remaining business unit brands.

Eric Andersen, chief executive officer of Aon Benfield, and Michael O'Connor, CEO of Aon Risk Solutions were appointed co-presidents of Aon and will continue to report to Aon's CEO, Gregory C. Case, whose contract with Aon was recently extended by the board of directors until April 2023.

The retirement of Aon Risk Solutions and Aon Benfield follows the retirement of Aon Hewitt business unit brand in 2017. The group said the move comes with the creation of an integrated global operating committee led by Andersen and O'Connor.

Also among the current changes, Cary Grace, CEO of retirement solutions, will now be responsible for global mergers and acquisitions integration in addition to her global leadership of retirement solutions. John Zern will add to his global health solutions responsibilities by also becoming CEO of North America for Commercial Risk Solutions. Chief Operations Officer John Bruno will take on the additional role of CEO, data and analytic services, and will work closely with Case and Chief Financial Officer Christa Davies.

Michael O'Connor

Life
MetLife Names McCallion to Succeed Hele

MetLife Inc's chief financial officer, John Hele, has retired and is succeeded by John McCallion. Hele will stay on as a senior advisor until September. McCallion has held a variety of positions since joining MetLife in 2006, including CFO for investments, head of investor relations, CFO for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and executive vice president and treasurer. Before MetLife, McCallion spent 10 years in the insurance audit practice at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and worked with multinational and U.S. clients in life and property/casualty.

MetLife said it also made Stephen W. Gauster executive vice president and general counsel. He has been with MetLife since 2016 and was most recently senior vice president and interim general counsel. In addition, Oscar Schmidt, executive vice president and head of Latin America, will join MetLife's executive group. He joined MetLife in 1994 and has been running the company's Latin America region since 2006.

Also, MetLife has appointed Susan Greenwell as head of global government relations. She succeeds Heather Wingate, who left MetLife to take a position with another company. Previously, Greenwell as MetLife's head of international government relations. She joined the insurer in 2004 as chief of staff to the president of international and has also been a vice president in the office of the chairman, president and chief executive officer. Earlier, Greenwell held positions at Xi'an Jiaotong University in Chian, Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia University and the American Forum for Global Education.

John Hele

Susan Greenwell

Property/Casualty
Old Republic Promotes Smiddy to President, CEO

Old Republic International Corp. has promoted Craig Smiddy to corporation president and chief operating officer. He succeeds R. Scott Rager, who was appointed executive vice chairman.

Smiddy becomes the eighth president in the 95-year-old company’s history. He joined Old Republic in 2013 as chief operating officer and was also appointed General Insurance Group president two years later.

W. Todd Gray was appointed corporation senior vice president and treasurer. He retains his responsibilities as general insurance group senior vice president of operations and finance.

Cheryl Jones was named a senior vice president and national benefits director for the corporations and its subsidiaries and retains duties as Old Republic Title Insurance Group executive vice president and chief human resources and communications officer. Phillip Schutt was promoted to the senior vice president and deputy chief investment officer position.

Arch Names Morin EVP, CFO

Arch Capital Group Ltd. has appointed François Morin as executive vice president and chief financial officer. He succeeds Mark Lyons, who is leaving the company to become general insurance senior vice president and chief actuary at American International Group Inc.

Morin joined Arch in 2011 and currently serves as chief actuary, chief risk officer and senior vice president. He will report to President and Chief Executive Officer Marc Grandisson.

Morin has nearly 30 years of industry experience. Earlier, he held various positions at Towers Watson & Co. and predecessor Towers, Perrin, Forster & Crosby, including its actuarial division, Tillinghast. Arch said he had led Tillinghast’s engagement with Arch.

Lloyd's Parry to Leave CFO Post in 2019

John Parry, Lloyd’s chief financial officer, is to leave his post early in 2019. Parry, who has been with Lloyd’s since August 2001, has been in his current job since December 2014. He sits on the Lloyd’s board and the market’s executive committee. Parry, who is a chartered accountant, has also served as financial director of a number of managing agents within Lloyd’s.



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