PEOPLE

LUBA Workers’ Comp announced July 14 that it has hired veteran insurance professional, Trey Stone, to support the company’s continued expansion in Alabama and Tennessee. Stone will serve as senior business development underwriter, a new position within the company. “Trey has worked in the insurance industry for nearly 40 years and brings a unique perspective and deep understanding of both the agents’ and policyholders’ needs,” said David Tucker, LUBA’s vice president and sales manager. “His multi-faceted expertise spans underwriting, business development, agency relations, claims and loss control.” LUBA has grown across the southeast United States through acquisitions and strategic market expansions. It is this model for steady, controlled growth, which has allowed LUBA to cultivate and attract top insurance professionals, like Stone.  As an Auburn University alumnus, Stone currently serves as associate member director on the Alabama Independent Insurance Association board of directors and is a past president of the Insurance Marketing Association of Alabama.

Robert “Cain” Webber, Burns and Wilcox, Metairie, is among 40 recipients of the 2021 Business Insurance Breakout Awards. Webber was promoted in December to associate managing director after serving as underwriting manager for Burns and Wilcox’s Louisiana operations. He joined the wholesale brokerage and managing underwriter in 2010 after graduating from the University of Mississippi with a risk management and insurance degree. In his interview with BI, Webber advised those working remotely to have a set space. He said that communication is the key to navigating the current insurance market. He opined that the industry has done a good job reaching out to college graduates, but needs to do better job of reaching out to people already in the workforce. To be eligible for the Breakout Award, nominees must work in commercial insurance or related sectors and cannot have worked in the field for more than 15 years.

AmTrust announced July 1 that Darcie Winiewicz is the company’s new regional sales manager in Louisiana. Winiewicz has nearly 25 years of experience working in the insurance industry on the carrier and agency/brokerage sides of the business. She comes to AmTrust from Berkshire Hathaway GUARD, where she worked for six years and four months, first as a senior sales rep for Louisiana and Arkansas and later as a senior sales rep for Louisiana and Mississippi. She was a marketing specialist for BancorpSouth Insurance Service and worked for Regions Insurance, focusing on transportation. Prior to that, she was a territory manager for Safeco-Liberty Mutual. Her insurance career began in Michigan, and she holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental studies from Michigan State University, the CISR designation and an OSHA Hazmat certificate.

Lawrence Calhoun, branch manager of Risk Placement Services’ Shreveport office, was installed July 6 as president of the Rotary Club of Shreveport. The 200-member club, comprised of business and professional men and women, is one of the oldest in the world, having been established in 1914. Calhoun was with Interstate Insurance Underwriters from 1979 until it was sold to Risk Placement Services in 2019. He is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University where he earned a degree in business. In addition to Rotary Club, Calhoun is a member of the Captain Shreve Circle of Honor, Louisiana Surplus Line Association, Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana, Shreveport Bossier Independent Agents Association, Wholesale and Specialty Insurance Association, 1752 Club of Louisiana, Caddo Bossier Soccer Association, and the Shreveport Little League, and he is a notary public.

Westchester, Chubb’s wholesale excess and surplus insurance business, announced July 6 that it has appointed Thomas McLaughlin executive vice president of its casualty practice. McLaughlin will have oversight of product and business development, underwriting operations, and profit and loss performance. He succeeds Dean Andrighetto, who has announced his retirement. McLaughlin will be based in Boston, Massachusetts, and report to Scott Meyer, senior vice president, Chubb Group, and division president of Westchester. McLaughlin joined Westchester in June 2019 as senior vice president, chief operating officer, and Northeast Region manager for its Casualty Division. He has more than two decades of experience in the insurance industry, where he has held a variety of leadership roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Boston College, a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School, and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar.

Markel Corporation announced June 29 that Simon Wilson will become the next president of Markel International, a wholly-owned subsidiary. He succeeds William Stovin who has led the Markel International division since 2008. Stovin joined Markel as part of the acquisition of Terra Nova Holdings, Ltd. in 2000. The deal was part of a long- term strategy to expand Markel’s footprint beyond North America to become a global player in specialty insurance. Toward that end, Stovin helped Markel expand to more than 60 offices in 16 countries. Under Stovin’s leadership, gross written premiums increased at an annual rate of roughly seven percent—more than doubling the size of the division. Wilson comes to the position with nearly 20 years of experience in international operations of specialty insurance organizations. He joined Markel in 2010 to spearhead international business development, and he was the primary architect of the National Markets division with operations in Europe and Canada, which grew from $121 million to $402 million in annual gross written premium over the last decade.