Promotions
Paul James Named President, CEO of Insurance Recovery Group
Paul James has been appointed to the role of President and Chief Executive Officer of Insurance Recovery Group, Inc. (IRG) by David A. Jollin, IRG’s Chairman of the Board. As the new leader of IRG, James will be charged with growing the company’s overall operations, building on IRG’s 20-year record of industry leadership in insurance recovery and subrogation.
Of the appointment, Jollin says, “Mr. James is a consummate insurance professional with a strong track record in delivering profitable growth and stellar sales and service results for key insurance organizations.” Jollin adds that James’ expertise in business development strategies, along with his broad experience spanning various sectors in the insurance industry, will be a strong asset to the firm.
Among the key priorities for James will be continuing IRG’s growth momentum of the last decade, including that of Insurance Subrogation Group (ISG), a division of IRG. “Subrogation is one of the firm’s core strengths” says James. “I see significant opportunities to expand subrogation services and capabilities to insurers, reinsurers, self-insurers, insurance syndicates, third-party administrators, managing general agents, captives and independent adjustment companies.”
James has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Most recently, he served as Assistant Vice President at Hanover Insurance Group, Worcester, MA. Prior to that, he was Regional Sales Director for Travelers of Massachusetts. For many years he was an owner of Steffon, James and Finnegan Insurance Agency, Inc. in Worcester, MA, where he was the President and Sales Director.
James holds a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Nichols College, and a Bachelor of Science from Worcester State College. He is also an Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI).
Promotions
SAN Group Names Sarah Bassett as AccessPlus Manager
Satellite Agency Network Group, Inc. (SAN Group), the largest alliance of independent insurance agencies in the Northeast, is pleased to announce the promotion of Sarah Bassett to AccessPlus Manager. In her new role, Ms. Bassett will assume responsibility for the daily management and oversight of the AccessPlus department. Through SAN Group’s AccessPlus department, experienced placement specialists assist member agencies with the placement of business with over 20 of the top national and regional insurance companies.
Ms. Bassett’s primary focus will be the advancement of departmental process and procedures, and responsive member interaction – with a continued focus on developing a “best in class” member experience.
“For more than four years Sarah has been an integral part of the AccessPlus team and has made significant contributions to all aspects of the department, including administration and processing, personal lines and commercial lines,” stated Jeff Holmes, Vice President of Agency Operations and Services for SIAA and SAN. “Sarah’s proven leadership skills and remarkable ability to build strong relationships with our members and staff will be invaluable in her new role.”
Most recently, Ms. Bassett has excelled in her role as a Commercial Lines Account Placement Specialist for SAN, specializing in new business farm accounts. She has also served as both a Personal Lines Placement Specialist and Administrator for AccessPlus, as well as a commercial lines account manager for an insurance agency in Southern NH, servicing large and mid-size business accounts. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of NH, and is actively pursuing a second degree in Business Management. She is a licensed NH P&C producer, with ACSR and AIM designations, as well as working towards completing her AAI and CPCU designations.
Jeff Holmes will continue to oversee the AccessPlus Department at a high-level, while spearheading Agency Development for SIAA.
Accolades
Jon Lincoln, a Co-Founder and President of Massachusetts-based Veruna, has been named one of ACORD’s Top 10 InsurTech Leaders for 2017. Published on the Linkedin page of ACORD CEO Bill Pieroni, the company compile the list as part of its continuing focus on innovation. Or as Mr. Pieroni explains in the introduction:
As part of our ongoing focus on innovation in the insurance industry, ACORD has selected our 2017 Top 10 InsurTech Leaders. Traditional lists of this type have been skewed toward superficial factors, while ours is based on outcomes. ACORD spoke to industry stakeholders globally and examined vision, impact, and execution to identify the leaders with the greatest current and potential ability to change the insurance industry through InsurTech.
Many congratulations to both Mr. Lincoln and Veruna! To see who else is on ACORD’s list this year, click here.
