Our weekly roundup of the latest insurance hiring news from in and around Massachusetts.
Appointments
Liberty Mutual Insurance Elects Jay Hooley, State Street Corporation Chairman and Former Chief Executive Officer, to the Company’s Board of Directors
David Long, Liberty Mutual Insurance’s Chief Executive Officer, today announced that Jay Hooley, Chairman and former Chief Executive Officer of State Street Corporation, has been elected to the insurer’s Board of Directors.
“We are thrilled to have a leader like Jay Hooley, who brings a wealth of accomplishments and strong stature, join our board of directors,” Mr. Long said. “I look forward to working with him as we strive to make Liberty a top-three global property and casualty company.”
As former CEO of State Street, Mr. Hooley led one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to institutional investors, with 40,000 employees, $31.6 trillion in assets under custody and administration, and $2.5 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2018.
“I am delighted to join the Liberty Mutual Board of Directors,” Mr. Hooley said. “The company’s belief that progress happens when people feel secure is at the core of how it fulfills its purpose of helping people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. I look forward to working with the Liberty Mutual Board and management team to help achieve the company’s goals.”
Mr. Hooley serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston and as a member of the President’s Council of the Massachusetts General Hospital. He has received numerous recognitions including: Global Custodian’s Lifetime Achievement Award, NICSA Robert L. Gould Award, New England Council’s New Englander of the Year Award, the Partnership Inc.’s Bennie Wiley CEO Diversity Award, Lewis Family Foundation CEO Social Leadership Award, and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau’s City Champion Award. Mr. Hooley is a graduate of Boston College.
Mass Agent Marc Duffy Joins Tarmika As Lead Agency Council
Tarmika, a new commercial lines insurtech which launched in Boston earlier this year, has welcomed Marc Duffy to its team. In an announcement posted on LinkedIn, the start-up said that Mr. Duffy is its new Executive Advisor and Lead Agency Council.
An independent insurance agent based on the North Shore, Mr. Duffy has been a Vice President of Peabody-based Duffy Insurance for the past 13 years. In commenting on his new position on LinkedIn, Mr. Duffy said, “Very excited to officially join Tarmika as an executive advisor and to lead the agency council. Tarmika is going to help us as insurance agents sell to and service the modern commercial insurance consumer more efficiently and effectively.”
ICNE Names Melissa Salois-Blood As New Controller And Jennifer Santiago As Group Benefits Account Manager
ICNE, Insurance Center of New England, is pleased to welcome two new employees to their growing independent agency. Melissa Salois-Blood and Jennifer Santiago were both hired to fill integral roles at the company. Salois-Blood accepted the position of Controller and Santiago Employee Benefits Account Manager.
Mel Salois-Blood
Melissa Salois-Blood is a knowledgeable professional with over eleven years of experience working as a staff accountant for several businesses including Robert Half International, a global human resources consulting firm, The Dowd Insurance Agencies Inc., and The Law Offices of Thomas Kokonowski, LP.
“Melissa is detail orientated, organized and an excellent communicator. Those traits coupled with her extensive professional experience makes her the perfect fit for this essential role at ICNE,” said Bill Trudeau, President and CEO. “We’re very excited that she has joined ICNE.”
In addition to her professional experience, Salois-Blood graduated from Elms College in Chicopee, MA with both a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Information Systems, as well as a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting. She currently lives in Westfield, MA with her husband and son.
Jennifer Santiago
Jennifer Santiago, a twenty-year healthcare industry veteran, also recently joined the ICNE team, as their new Group Benefits Account Manager. Santiago brings with her a broad range of professional experience in both healthcare, insurance, claims support, and employee benefits.
As the new Group Benefits Account Manager, Santiago will be in charge of developing and maintaining strong client relationships through superior customer service.
“Hiring someone to help grow our Group Benefits division who was not only experienced and knowledgeable but also extremely customer focused was a top priority for the agency. After meeting Jennifer, collectively as a company, we knew that she was the right person for the role,” said Trudeau.
Santiago, who holds a Registered Health Underwriting designation, began her career in insurance with UniCare Life and Health Insurance as a claims associate. For the last thirteen years, she has worked as an account manager for USI Insurance Services LLC where she was responsible for negotiating with insurance underwriters and carriers, critically analyzing and comparing insurance plans for her clients, and assisting with open enrollment periods.
Salois-Blood and Santiago will both work out of ICNE’s headquarters in Agawam, Massachusetts.
Vermont Mutual Elects Two New Board Members At Its 192nd Annual Meeting
Vermont Mutual recently held its 192nd Annual Meeting at its home office in Montpelier, VT. In addition to electing the insurer’s officers during this year’s Annual Meeting, the company also marked the addition of two new Board members: Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power and Mark McDonnell, Executive Vice President and COO of Vermont Mutual Insurance Group.
Upon welcoming McDonnell and Powell to the Board, Dan Bridge stated “I am honored to have Mark and Mary join Vermont Mutual’s Board of Directors. We are fortunate to have their many years of business expertise and wisdom to help us guide the company for years to come.”
The following is a complete list of all the officers elected at this year’s meeting:
- Daniel C. Bridge, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
- Mark J. McDonnell, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
- Richard N. Bland, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary
- Brian C. Eagan, Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
- Susan L. Chicoine, Vice President Human Resources
- David N. DeLuca, Vice President Claims
- Shaun P.T. Farley, Vice President Marketing
- Bryan Mjannes, Vice President Information Technology
- Terry J. Moore, Vice President Underwriting
Renaissance Alliance Welcomes Two New Members
We are pleased to announce that two agencies have recently joined Renaissance Alliance Insurance Services. Please join us in making them feel welcome!
Massachusetts: Reinbold Insurance Agency, Inc. is located in North Attleboro, MA and led by Doug Reinbold. The agency was founded in 1966, offering a wide range of services for families, collectors, and businesses for more than half a century. Learn more about Reinbold at the agency website.
Connecticut: The Ariston Insurance is located in Glastonbury, CT and led by Titos Ristatos. The agency has been in business for five years, offering personal and commercial insurance to area residents and businesses. Learn more at The Ariston’s website.
About Renaissance Alliance: Founded in 1999, Renaissance Alliance is a membership alliance for independent insurance agents in the property and casualty industry. Renaissance Alliance provides its members with increased market access and a suite of services designed to enable agents to achieve meaningful growth and higher profitability.
Scholarships
The Ruth E. Roberts Scholarship Award – Deadline May 31st
The Essex Chapter of The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Women is now accepting applications for its 2019 Ruth E. Roberts Scholarship Award. The $500 Scholarship is awarded to an individual for use as a college scholarship or as a reimbursement for those with a passing grade for a licensing course and/or exam of an insurance designation course.
To be eligible applicants must be either in the insurance industry or a family member of someone who is employed in the insurance industry planning on attending college, or attending a higher education/trade school, acquiring a new insurance designation or acquiring a new insurance or work related license.
The submission deadline for this year’s scholarship is May 31, 2018. Applications may be obtained from Scholarship Chair:
Marilyn Michalak
41 Pine Street, #43
Peabody, MA 01960
or by emailing her at: MARILYN.MICHALAK@COMCAST.NET
