Merchants Insurance Group, a group of property and casualty insurance companies serving policyholders in New England, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Midwest, has announced the appointment of Charles E. Makey III (pictured) as president, effective April 01. Makey currently serves as the company’s senior vice president of insurance operations.
Makey will be the 10th president in the company’s 103-year history, and will also join its board of directors. He will succeed Robert M. Zak, current president and CEO of Merchants Insurance Group, who will retire March 31 after more than 25 years in the position and more than 35 years with the company. Zak will remain on the board and become its chair effective April 01.
“The appointment of Charlie as our next president is the culmination of a thoughtful succession plan that has been in process for a couple of years,” Zak said. “Charlie is well-known and respected among Merchants’ colleagues and the independent insurance agents that represent Merchants. His knowledge of the business and energetic manner, coupled with an excellent executive team, will make this transition seamless. I look forward to watching Charlie and his team advance Merchants in the years to come.”
“It is an honor to be selected as president of Merchants Insurance Group and follow in the footsteps of Bob Zak,” Makey said. “I am confident in Merchants’ future success given our strong leadership team, colleagues, independent agents and business partners. We will stay focused on providing outstanding customer service and financial stability for policyholders.”
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Makey has more than 30 years of industry experience. He has been with Merchants for 25 years, joining the company as director of sales in 1996. He also served as assistant vice president and regional manager of the company’s New England regional office and vice president and regional manager of its Central States Strategic Business Center in Ohio before stepping into his current role as senior vice president of insurance operations in 2009. Makey is the vice chair of the board of the New York Insurance Association. He holds the Associate in Insurance Services, Associate in Management and General Insurance designations from the Insurance Institute of America.
