People News: Cunningham Lindsey, Cincinnati Insurance, MEMIC

Cunningham Lindsey, a global loss adjusting and risk management services company, appointed Harry Patel to global chief operating officer (COO), and David Repinski to chief executive officer (CEO) of the Americas. These appointments are effective August 1, 2016.

As Global COO, Patel will oversee all global operations, professional services and strategy across the 60+ countries serviced by Cunningham Lindsey.

As CEO of Cunningham Lindsey Americas, Repinski will focus on clients, long-term growth initiatives and the expansion of subsidiaries FAS Global, EFI Global, inTrust, Vale Training, Oriel and Sergon specifically across the territories of US, Canada and Latin America.

Prior to this appointment, Patel held other executive roles within the organization including CEO of Cunningham Lindsey Americas Region and CEO of Cunningham Lindsey Australia. He has more than 18 years in the industry with expertise in strategic selling, building organization capability and process reengineering. He will continue to be based in Tampa, Florida.

Repinski previously served as president and chief client officer of Cunningham Lindsey Americas, and in several prior leadership roles before rejoining the organization in 2015. His career spans more than two decades across multiple aspects of the claims industry, including market diversification, strategic planning and sales leadership. He will continue to be based in Dallas, Texas.

In a separate announcement, Cunningham Lindsey named Jim Buckley as U.S. president & chief operating officer. In this role, Buckley is responsible for implementing strategic initiatives to strengthen and grow Cunningham Lindsey U.S. This includes all aspects of Cunningham Lindsey’s diversified business units including Vale Training, inTrust, FAS Global, Oriel and Sergon. He will also serve on the Americas Leadership Team and work closely with his counterparts in Canada, Latin America and EFI Global business units.

Prior to this appointment, Buckley held several roles in Cunningham Lindsey ranging from adjuster to regional vice president, and most recently, senior vice president, director of Commercial Lines for U.S. Before rejoining Cunningham Lindsey in 2015, Jim served as President and CEO of Jim Buckley and Associates where he owned and managed operations, and personally handled numerous large and complex losses throughout North America.

Buckley will be based in Dallas, Texas and will report to the CEO of Cunningham Lindsey, Americas.

R. Philip Sandercox, Erin A. Skala and Wendy A. Hayes joined The Cincinnati Insurance Company, adding expertise to Cincinnati Re, its reinsurance assumed operation.

Sandercox, managing director, head of specialty casualty reinsurance, will oversee the strategic direction, underwriting and marketing of the company’s specialty casualty reinsurance assumed portfolio. A 28-year veteran of the reinsurance industry, Sandercox most recently served as senior vice president and head of specialty casualty reinsurance at Aspen Re America Inc. and was formerly at Gen Re and Willis Re. He holds the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) designations.

Skala, managing director, head of property reinsurance, will lead all property treaty underwriting for U.S. and global clients and build a highly technical team focused on producing a diversified property portfolio within Cincinnati Re. Prior to joining Cincinnati Re, Skala was president and chief operating officer of ACE Tempest Re in Bermuda. She brings more than 20 years of experience in property reinsurance underwriting, broking and catastrophe modeling. She holds the Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) designation.

Hayes, managing director, head of catastrophe risk analytics, will build the company’s center of excellence for catastrophe modeling with a focus on technology and scientific capabilities. She brings 20 years of catastrophe modeling experience most recently as operations leader of the U.S. catastrophe management team at Aon Benfield.

Workers’ compensation specialist The MEMIC Group announced the appointments of Laurette Wright and Jeremiah LaCross as safety management consultants, Wright will support MEMIC’s growth in North Carolina and LaCross will assist policyholders in Vermont.

With more than 30 years of occupational health and safety experience, Wright has held positions as a regional clinical manager at caregiver equipment manufacturer ArjoHuntleigh, Ssfety and health manager at Austin Quality Foods and occupational health and safety specialist at Wausau Insurance Companies before joining MEMIC. She is holds the Certified Safe Patient Handling Professional (CSPHP) and Certified Occupational Health Nurse Specialist (COHN-S) designations.

Currently living in Durham, N.C., Wright is a globally recognized professional speaker in the field of safe patient handling and mobility. She has authored and co-authored publications in numerous professional trade journals and books such as the Journal of the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare, Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America and The Illustrated Guide to Safe Patient Handling and Movement from Springer Publishing Company.

With 10 years of experience as a safety specialist, LaCross has held positions as a safety and regulatory compliance manager at Middlebury College and environmental health and safety coordinator at Pike Industries, Inc. before joining MEMIC. LaCross graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Occupational Health and Safety from Keene State College in New Hampshire.