People News: BETA Healthcare Group, Next Level Administrators, W.R. Berkley

BETA Healthcare Group, a professional liability insurer of hospitals in California and workers’ compensation coverage for over 40,000 healthcare workers in the state, named Dave McGhee vice president of Workers’ Compensation.

In his new role, he will oversee all aspects of the Workers’ Compensation program

Prior to joining BETA, McGhee was the CEO of ALPHA Fund, a California joint powers authority that merged with BETA Risk Management Authority on January 3, 2017, for more than 14 years and the CEO of the Association of California Healthcare Districts for more than 5 years. His prior work history includes significant experience as a controller and treasurer.

Next Level Administrators, a data-focused claims administration organization, announced the promotion of Lisa Wagner to vice president of Claims. In her new position, Wagner will continue to oversee nationally the claim management, claim operations, compliance and client relations areas for the firm.

Wagner holds her all lines adjuster license in multiple states and has received a Board Certification in Workers’ Compensation designation. Over her 25-year insurance career, Wagner remains involved in many industry-related associations and conferences. She is an active committee member of the Florida Workers’ Compensation Institute and has been an invited speaker at the WCI education conference numerous years.

Atlanta-based Crawford & Company, a global independent provider of claims management products and services to insurance companies and self-insured entities, named Kenneth Tolson chief executive officer of its U.S. Property & Casualty group, a business unit operating within the U.S. Services division of Crawford. Tolson will be responsible for the company’s U.S. field operations and catastrophe services groups.

Tolson most recently served as senior vice president for the Broadspire Accident & Health division. Prior to that, he was CIO for the U.S. Property & Casualty division and led a team that developed the claim self-service portal known as MyClaimsAgent.com, which enables customer ownership of the claim process and remains a key domestic product. He is also a former U.S. Property & Casualty division region manager at Crawford.

Tolson holds the Associate in Claims (AIC) and Chartered Insurance Operations Professional (CIOP) designations.

W. R. Berkley Corporation announced the appointments of Melissa M. Emmendorfer as senior vice president – insurance risk management, Mir Mazhar as senior vice president – chief project officer, and Jonathan A. Schriber as senior vice president – underwriting. All appointments are effective immediately.

Emmendorfer most recently served as vice president – insurance risk management of W. R. Berkley Corporation, having joined its reinsurance operating unit Berkley Re America as senior vice president in 2009. She has more than 25 years of experience in the property and casualty reinsurance industry.

Mazhar is an experienced technology executive, senior program manager and business transformation professional with 20 years of global experience at preeminent international consulting firms. He has a strong track record of delivering business efficiencies through technology modernization for large-scale transformational initiatives.

Schriber has been with W. R. Berkley Corporation for 10 years and most recently served as chief underwriting officer of the Reinsurance segment. He joined Berkley Re America in 2007 as executive vice president and chief administrative officer, was named its president in 2008, and was appointed its chairman in 2015. Schriber has more than 20 years of experience in the property and casualty reinsurance industry.