A column detailing who has been recently hired, moved up the ladder, or achieved something great within the Massachusetts insurance industry.
New Appointments
Thrifty welcomes a new Vice President of Sales
Thrifty Financial Services has made a new appointment to its team. In a recent letter to its customers, the Springfield-based Premium Finance Company said:
It is my great pleasure to announce that Ms. Mari A. Roy has joined the Thrifty team as our Vice President of Sales. Mari comes to us with a wealth of premium finance knowledge; having worked in the premium finance industry for more than twenty-three years. Mari’s responsibilities include developing new agents and servicing our existing agents.
Mari’s cell phone number is (508) 450-0534, and her email address is mari@thriftyfinancial.com.
For those interested in learning more about Thrify or its premium finance products, start with our sponsored Premium Financing Checklist.
Kaplansky Insurance Appoints David Wolberg as Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions
Kaplansky Insurance has appointed David Wolberg as its new Vice President of Mergers & Acquisitions.
The appointment of David will enable our agency to provide continuous focus on M&A, and to maintain our successful strategy of growth through selective acquisitions. He brings specific experience in this domain and we look forward to benefiting from David’s acumen, as we aim to further enhance our value,” commented Ely Kaplansky, President and CEO of Kaplansky Insurance.
Formally the Director of Business Development at a boutique investment bank in New York City, Mr. Wolberg brings with him experience from the sell side of Mergers & Acquisitions. After receiving his BS in Finance from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Mr. Wolberg completed his JD/MBA from Suffolk Law School in Boston, Massachusetts, where he studied Corporate Law and Mergers & Acquisitions. While Mr. Wolberg is licensed to practice law in both Massachusetts and New York, he utilizes his legal training to apply an analytical approach to the business arena.
“This is a very exciting time for M&A in the Insurance Industry. Private equity fueled consolidation has trickled down to even the smallest independently owned agencies. I am thrilled to join such a well-regarded company, and to have the opportunity to lead the continued growth of one of the largest independently owned agencies in the region,” said Mr. Wolberg
Interested in selling? For more information, contact David Wolberg, Vice President, Mergers & Acquisitions 781.453.2552. dwolberg@kaplansky.com or visit https://www.kaplansky.com/agents-only/ to learn more.
Rogers & Gray Insurance Hires Its First CIO
Cape-Cod Rogers & Gray recently announced the addition of its first Chief Information Officer. The agency officially welcomed Peter Cullivan to the agency in this newly-created senior management position. As the agency’s first CIO, Mr. Cullivan will be responsible for directing the technological advancement of the agency.
“Peter’s expertise and experience in developing IT road maps for organizations is central to the future growth of Rogers & Gray,” said Michael Robinson, Chairman, Rogers & Gray. “We anticipate the Chief Information Officer and the technological advances that role brings to our agency, will propel us to the next level of client experience, efficiency and support services.”
Mr. Cullivan has over 25 years of professional experience in technology consulting. Since the early 90’s, he has leveraged his leadership skills along with his strong technical background to build teams capable of designing and delivering complex technology solutions throughout the Northeast. As a technology leader, Cullivan led executives to make strategic technology decisions that align with their business goals.
Prior to joining Rogers & Gray Insurance, Cullivan worked for All Covered, a division of Konica Minolta. He joined All Covered in 2001 as lead engineer for the technology team and transitioned into several roles including Vice President of Technology and Service, Director of Service Delivery, Managing Director and most recently as Strategic Account Management. Previously, Mr. Cullivan held positions at Dimension Data, where he was responsible for the engineering team and its successful design and integration of enterprise class networks, and Brown Brothers Harriman, where he was a lead engineer.
Mr. Cullivan lives in Weymouth, MA with his wife and their four children.
Mr. Cullivan started on June 2nd and can be reached at pcullivan@rogersgray.com.
Achievements
Father Bill’s & MainSpring Recognizes Its Longtime Board Member, Arbella’s Liz Kim, With Volunteer Award
Arbella announced this week that its Assistant Vice President of Claim, Liz Kim, will be the recipient of the Richard C. & Virginia A. Welch Dedicated Volunteer Award at the Father Bill’s & MainSpring’s upcoming Foodfest Fundraiser. Father Bill & MainSpring is the leading provider of service to prevent and end homelessness in Southern Mass. The Foodfest fundraiser is one of the premier summer events on the South Shore and helps to close the 54% gap in funding needed to simply provide a safe place to eat and sleep for everyone who comes to the shelter doors.
Ms. Kim has been an active, influential, and enthusiastic member of the agency’s board of directors for two decades. In 1997, she became a board member for the Brockton Coalition for the Homeless, overseeing the MainSpring House emergency shelter for individuals in Brockton. Ten years later, she joined the newly formed board of directors for FBMS, created by the merger of the Brockton Coalition for the Homeless and the Quincy Interfaith Sheltering Coalition (Father Bill’s Place). Ms. Kim, who has experience in human resources and leadership, has worked closely with FBMS President & CEO John Yazwinski on personnel activities and initiatives.
“Liz has been an invaluable member of the board over the last 20 years,” Yazwinski said. “Without her guiding hand, we would not have been able to attract and retain the talented and committed employees we have to sustain our mission. We are very grateful to her.”
Ms. Kim has also supported the growth and expansion of FBMS’ social enterprise, WorkExpress, which offers formerly homeless individuals the opportunity to work performing graffiti-removal, trash pick-up, apartment flips, and refurbishing buildings across the South Shore region. In addition, through her leadership and passion, FBMS and the Arbella Insurance Foundation have built a rewarding partnership that continues to flourish and brings new volunteers to the agency’s shelter kitchens, where Arbella Insurance Group employees provide necessary food and fellowship to shelter guests.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience on the FBMS board. It is very rewarding to see how this agency has developed over the years,” Ms. Kim remarked. “My true reward has been the ability to show the Arbella Insurance Foundation and my fellow employees the value of the work performed on behalf of those less fortunate. Employees who return to the office from those volunteer experiences are truly moved and humbled by the gratitude of the people at the shelter. It’s been such a great partnership.”
“All of us at Arbella can feel Liz’s passion for and commitment to Father Bill’s and Mainspring,” said Beverly Tangvik, president of the Arbella Insurance Foundation. “The Arbella Insurance Foundation and Arbella Insurance Group employees have benefited greatly from our partnership with Father Bill’s & MainSpring, and we owe much of that to Liz, who’s grown the relationship over the years. Arbella Insurance Group employees welcome the opportunities to regularly bring and serve lunch and interact with the guests at both the Quincy and Brockton shelters. These volunteer experiences have helped give many of us a much more personal appreciation for the value of helping others in need. The Arbella Insurance Foundation is proud to be a longtime financial supporter of FBMS and, thanks to Liz, we’re able to see the impact of our contributions through the meaningful results she shares with us.”
This year’s event will be held on July 25th at The Launch at Hingham Shipyard and Hingham Beer Works. Ms. Kim, who is a Scituate resident, will be the fifth recipient of the Welch award, which was first introduced in 2013.
FoodFest tickets cost $150 per person. To buy tickets and for more information, visit www.helpfbms.org/foodfest.
Boston Mutual Celebrates Its Most Loyal Employees at 40th Anniversary Recognition Event
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Canton-based Boston Mutual announced this month that it recently honored an impressive 69 employees at its annual 20 Plus Club Service Recognition Dinner. The event, celebrating its own 40th anniversary, was held this past June 8, 2017 at Granite Links Golf Club in Quincy. In addition to recognizing 69 employees with more than 20 years service to the company, this year’s event also acknowledged four employees who have just reached their 20th anniversary this year.
“I’m proud of the dedication and hard work of the members of the 20 Plus Club, including this year’s four new inductees,” said Paul A. Quaranto Jr., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President at Boston Mutual Life Insurance Company. “As we continue to evolve with the industry, it’s important to take a moment and honor those employees who have shown their loyalty to Boston Mutual and commitment to our producers and policyholders.”
The recognized employees, who make up more than a quarter of the company’s total staff, celebrated their tenure with the insurance provider along with their guests during a dinner reception and awards presentation. Many members of the 20 Plus Club have been with Boston Mutual for longer than 20 years ¾ almost one third have been with the company for more than 30 years, and four associates have 40 years or more at Boston Mutual. Employees who retired this year before June 30 were also recognized at the reception.
The following four associates are the new inductees to Boston Mutual’s 20 Plus Club, celebrating their twentieth year with the company in 2017:
- Diana L. Bartz, Commissions and Joint Venture Administrator (General Agencies Department)
- Andrea L. Bruni, Marketing Consultant (External Affairs and Corporate Communications Department)
- Robert A. Desto, Second Vice President (Underwriting Department)
- Laurie A. Fusco, Manager (Insurance Operations Department)
Boston Mutual has been hosting its 20 Plus Club dinner in June each year since the inaugural event in 1977. Employees are eligible in their twentieth year at the company and if the anniversary of their start date occurs before June 30 of that year. The 20 Plus Club reception is one of many events the company hosts throughout the year to recognize its employees, including quarterly Service Recognition celebrations to honor employees’ quinquennial milestone.
Also, during the course of this year, Boston Mutual has recognized other employees who have reached, at least, five years service with the company. The Boston Mutual photos accompanying this article related to these five-year plus employees who include:
- 5 years
- Paula Anderson-Oliver, Insurance Operations
- Sherrita Douglas, Insurance Operations
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- John Flores, Legal
- Jacintha Hayes, Insurance Operations
- Laura Jimenez, Insurance Operations
- Michaela McGrath, Insurance Operations
- David Mitchell, External Affairs & Corporate Communications
- Chantal Pean, Claims
- Lori Wellman, Underwriting
- 10 years
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- Cliff Lange, Finance
- Cindy Nunes, Insurance Operations
- 15 years
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- Eileen Barrett, Insurance Operations
- Gina Pellegrini, Claims
- Jeannette Rysinger, Insurance Operations
- Amada Sepulveda, Claims
- 20 years
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- Bob Desto, Underwriting
- Laurie Fusco, Insurance Operations
- 25 years
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- Diana Bartz, General Agencies
- Marie Loughran, IT
- Anji Maskell, Insurance Operations
- Jean McMenimon, Insurance Operations
- 30 years
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- Nora Hoffman, Controllers
- Mike Perrotta, IT
- 45 years
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- Joseph Keilty, Real Estate