Two US insurance intermediaries have announced senior appointments aimed at strengthening their specialist capabilities in surety, commercial and personal lines.
World Insurance Associates has named a new head of surety, while Arcstone Insurance has added leaders for its commercial and personal insurance practices within the wider Garzella Group network.
World Insurance Associates LLC has appointed Mike Viner (pictured) as head of its surety practice as the firm targets further growth in contract and commercial bond business.
In the newly expanded role, Viner will spearhead strategic initiatives to accelerate surety growth and market expansion, and work closely with carrier partners to broaden capabilities and deliver outcomes for clients.
"We are delighted to have Mike join the team and lead the surety practice through its next phase of growth," said John Newell, CEO of World. "His experience developing sales strategies and supporting sales teams with complex surety program design will help our advisors bring even more solutions to our clients."
With more than 20 years’ experience, Viner brings a background spanning underwriting, surety relationship management and business development for domestic and international accounts. Prior to joining World, he was senior vice president at Cross Surety, where he helped build the surety operation and drive market opportunities and strategy. Earlier in his career, he held senior leadership roles at Willis and Hilb Rogal & Hobbs.
Arcstone Insurance Advisors, a specialty brokerage focused on real estate, business and personal risk, has named Gus Sampanes as vice president of commercial insurance and Josh Sloane as director of personal lines.
The appointments are intended to deepen Arcstone’s expertise across both commercial and personal insurance and support continued expansion within the wider Garzella Group network.
As market conditions continue to shift in commercial and personal lines, Arcstone is investing in experienced leadership to scale its capabilities and offer more specialised solutions. The addition of Sampanes and Sloane forms part of a broader strategy to build what Garzella describes as a best‑in‑class operating platform that serves Arcstone’s own clients and enhances the capabilities of affiliated businesses across Garzella Group, which has a strong focus on multifamily and commercial real estate risks.
Sampanes has more than 17 years’ industry experience, with a background in commercial property, construction and manufacturing risks, and has held leadership roles at both global carriers and retail agencies. Meanwhile, Sloane began his career in the captive space, building and scaling a Farmers Insurance agency before exiting and moving into the independent market, where he led teams in a high‑growth insurtech environment.
At Arcstone, Sampanes will lead the expansion of the commercial insurance practice, focusing initially on large property portfolios and developing additional verticals. Sloane will oversee the continued development of the personal lines business, driving multi‑line growth, expanding carrier relationships and scaling operations.
