Moves across the insurance industry announced in the last 24hrs include another hire from a rival law firm as Clyde & Co builds its US insurance practice, a round of promotions at a major wholesale and specialty group, and appointments at an agency network and two insurers.
H.W. Kaufman Group, parent of wholesale broker Burns & Wilcox, has promoted several members of its US teams that will see retail agents placing E&S business through Burns & Wilcox in California will deal with new managing directors in Sacramento and Los Angeles.
Obie Scott becomes Burns & Wilcox managing director for Sacramento, and Chelsie Tysdal becomes managing director for Los Angeles. Jeannie Reilly is promoted to associate vice president, carrier relations, and Tracy Markowski to vice president at RB Jones. Jamie Bonner becomes senior vice president, human resources, O’Neil Franso senior vice president, operations, and Shelby Zgnilec senior vice president.
The company said it has promoted more than 200 people and hired more than 250 in 2026.
Agency network Ironpeak has hired Ben Koetje (pictured top, left) as vice president, small commercial and personal lines. He was previously director of national partnerships at The Hartford, where he worked closely with Ironpeak. He will focus on driving profitable growth for Ironpeak’s carrier partners.
A carrier-side hire suggests Ironpeak is strengthening its appointments and access to carriers in small commercial and personal lines, which is valuable for member agencies when carriers are selective about appointments.
Title insurer Title Resources Group has appointed Robert Greenbaum (pictured top, center) as executive vice president, leading customer experience. He was most recently chief marketing officer at AAFMAA Mortgage Services and has held senior roles at Fannie Mae and Mr. Cooper.
Title insurers compete heavily on service to the agents, lenders and real estate professionals who direct business to them, especially in a slow housing market. Greenbaum’s background in mortgage and real estate marketing suggests TRG will focus on making it easier for title agents and their referral partners to work with the company.
Group 1001 Insurance has appointed George Haj (pictured top, right) as chief communications officer, reporting to president and CEO Dan Towriss. Haj founded strategic communications firm Haj Media and was previously business editor at the Miami Herald and the Houston Chronicle.
Group 1001 operates several insurance and annuity brands. A dedicated communications leader on its executive team suggests a push to raise the profile of those brands as the group grows.
Clyde & Co has hired insurance litigator Greg Worden as a partner in Seattle. He joins from Lewis Brisbois with more than 30 years of experience advising insurers on coverage, bad faith, defense litigation and appeals. He has represented carriers in Washington and argued cases before the Washington Supreme Court.
“Washington continues to be a challenging and fast-evolving jurisdiction for insurers,” said Dan Worker, chair of Clyde & Co’s North America insurance practice.
Worden is the second partner Clyde & Co has hired from Lewis Brisbois in recent weeks, after Ani Tolmoyan joined its Los Angeles automotive warranty practice. The firm now has more than 430 attorneys in 21 offices across the US and Canada, having opened offices in Seattle and Indianapolis this year.
Washington’s insurance laws, including its Insurance Fair Conduct Act, expose carriers to significant extra-contractual liability. Defense capacity on coverage and bad faith in the state affects how carriers approach disputed claims there.
