Executive Changes
USAA Long-Time Employee Named New CEO

USAA has named Wayne Peacock to succeed Stuart Parker as president and chief executive officer. Parker is retiring after more than 21 years with USAA, with more than five years as the CEO.

“Wayne has served in a broad range of key assignments at USAA for over 30 years and is absolutely committed to our members and our employees,” said USAA Board Chairman Admiral Tom Fargo.

Peacock, who has been with USAA since 1988, has direct experience in numerous areas across USAA. For the past three years, he has served as the president of the Property & Casualty Insurance Group, USAA's largest business. In addition to P&C, he has led strategy, marketing, call centers, technology, shared services and corporate real estate.

“Serving the military community is my passion, and it's an honor to follow a legacy of great leaders at USAA,” said Peacock.

Parker joined USAA as a financial planner in 1998. Since then, he has held roles as head of financial planning services, P&C president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer.

“It has been an honor to serve at USAA for nearly my entire civilian career,” said Parker. “I am deeply appreciative of the loyal support and friendship from the board, fellow USAA employees and members and wish our team great success.”

Jim Syring, current executive vice president chief administration officer, has been named to succeed Peacock as president of Property & Casualty. Syring is a retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral who has been responsible for USAA's technology, security, procurement and facility operations.

—Staff Report

Hanover Insurance Group Names President of Professional Liability

Hanover Insurance Group Inc. named Sarah Medina as president of professional liability.

Medina joined Hanover in 2014. In her new role, Medina will work closely with Hanover's specialty leadership team to enhance the company's portfolio of professional liability products. She now will also be responsible for Hanover's lawyers professional liability and architects and engineers books of business, as well as for continuing to build on the company's strategy for small specialty business.

New Hampshire Names Insurance Commissioner

Chris Nicolopoulos, the former president and chief executive officer of the New Hampshire Association of Insurance Agents, has been confirmed as New Hampshire's insurance commissioner.

He succeeds John Elias, who resigned Dec. 31, citing family reasons. Nicolopoulos will fill out the rest of the term through June, 2023. Elias recently joined Acadia Insurance as its senior vice president and chief underwriting officer.

Before leading the insurance agents association, Nicolopoulos was an associate at Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios and government affairs director at the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.

Brown & Brown Names Chief People Officer

Brown & Brown Inc. has named Julie Turpin as chief people officer.

Turpin has more than 20 years of experience in executive roles in varied industries with U.S.-based and global operations. Most recently, she served as the chief executive officer for the Advocator Group, a subsidiary of Brown & Brown, where she led a team of more than 550 teammates providing advocacy services and Medicare set-aside services.

Prior to that, Turpin was with GCG Risk Management Consultants, as principal and head of operations, and with Marsh USA, as senior vice president and head of operations of the Midwest Zone.

Marsh Names CEO of Victor Insurance

Marsh has named Brian Hanuschak chief executive officer of Victor Insurance Holdings.

Hanuschak most recently served as president of Victor North America and prior to that was president of Victor O. Schinnerer & Co., now Victor U.S. In his expanded role, he will oversee Victor's global businesses including Victor North America, ICAT, Dovetail, and Victor International.

Admiral Group Names First Female CEO

Admiral Group plc has named Milena Mondini de Focatiis to succeed David Stevens as Admiral Group chief executive officer after a 12-month transition period. She will be the first female CEO for Admiral.

Mondini de Focatiis, the group's current head of U.K. and European insurance, will be promoted to group CEO-designate and join the board as an executive director in due course. Mondini de Focatiis will assume the CEO role after the transition period and replaces Stevens, who has notified the board of his intention to retire in 12 months.

Mondini de Focatiis joined Admiral in 2007 and was most recently appointed head of U.K. and European insurance in July 2019. She has been a member of the leadership team throughout her time at Admiral. Her previous roles included CEO of ConTe.it, Admiral's Italian insurance business, which she founded in 2008. Before joining Admiral, she worked as a consultant for Bain & Co. and Accenture.

Stevens co-founded Admiral in 1991 and has been group CEO since May 2016. He will continue to work for the group in a part-time advisory capacity after the transition period.

Evertas Names First Global Head of Intelligence and Investigations

Evertas, a cryptoasset insurance company, has named Robert Chamberlain as its first global head of intelligence and investigations.

In his new role at Evertas, Chamberlain will be directing a group of interdisciplinary intelligence professionals that offer intelligence and investigations solutions to both public and private sector clients who have significant exposure to cryptoasset-related risk.

Earlier in his career, he was instrumental in establishing the first market intelligence capability for PwC and was a member of the corporate intelligence practice at IBM.

AIG Names Jon Hancock as CEO, International General Insurance

American International Group Inc. has named Jon Hancock as chief executive officer, international general insurance.

Hancock will lead the international operations of AIG's general insurance business. Since 2016, Hancock served as director of performance management at Lloyd's.

Prior to Lloyd's, Hancock spent 26 years at RSA in roles of increasing responsibility, including serving as managing director, U.K. commercial, which encompassed RSA's European Specialty businesses, and global broker relationship director. Previously, he served as RSA's CEO, Asia and Middle East, and held chief underwriter and risk roles in both developed and emerging markets.

CNA Names New EVP and CFO

CNA has named Al Miralles to succeed James Anderson as executive vice president-chief financial officer.

Miralles joined CNA in 2011 as senior vice president, treasurer and head of investments. In 2014, he became president of the long-term care business. In early 2018, he was appointed to the role of executive vice president and chief risk officer of CNA.

FBL Financial CIO Charles Happel to Retire

FBL Financial Group Inc. said Charles T. Happel, chief investment officer, will retire around mid-2020.

Happel joined the company in 1984 as a Farm Bureau Financial Services agent, moving to the corporate office in 1986. Over the next 15 years, he held various positions in investments, and became securities vice president in 2001; vice president, investments in 2008; and was named CIO in 2009.

Chairman and Co-Founder of Axis to Retire, Successor Named

Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. has named Henry B. Smith to succeed Michael Butt as chairman-elect of the board of directors. Smith will transition to his new role on Sept. 16 and replaces Butt, who will retire from the company after a 50-year career.

Smith has served as a member of the Axis Capital board of directors since May 2004 and as lead independent director since May 2012. He is the former chief executive officer and president of W.P. Stewart & Co. Ltd.

Butt, a co-founder of Axis, was appointed chairman of the Axis Capital board of directors in September 2002. Butt has held numerous leadership roles within the industry which have included serving as chairman of Sedgwick Ltd.; chief executive officer of Eagle Star Holdings plc and Eagle Star Insurance Co.; CEO of MidOcean Ltd.; and director of XL Capital Ltd. and Farmers Insurance Group.