People News: Auto-Owners, IBHS, Kemper

Jeff Harrold, current chairman & chief executive officer announced his retirement from Auto-Owners Insurance and its affiliates effective December 31, 2017. He does so after serving more than 40 years for the company.

Jeffrey (Jeff) S. Tagsold has been elected to take over his position as chairman & chief executive officer effective January 1, 2018.

Tagsold began his career with Auto-Owners in 1985 upon graduation from Central Michigan University with degrees in Mathematics and Economics. He has served in numerous positions within the company over his career. He was named president of the Auto-Owners Companies in 2010. The title of chief operations officer was added in 2015.

In addition, Auto-Owners announces additional executive moves, effective January 1, 2018, for Daniel J. Thelen and Carolyn B. Muller.

Thelen, currently executive vice president, will become president of Auto-Owners Company and its affiliates. He has served in numerous capacities since joining the company in 1981.

Muller, currently senior vice president, Claims, assumes the role of executive vice president. She first joined Auto-Owners in 1990 and also has served in a variety of leadership roles throughout her career.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is proud to announce the promotion of Anne D. Cope, Ph.D., P.E., as senior vice president of Research and Chief Engineer. Cope has assumed leadership of IBHS’ multimillion-dollar research agenda to make homes and businesses stronger against multiple natural hazards, and now also oversees the FORTIFIED Home program.

Cope, who joined IBHS in 2009, assumes leadership of IBHS’ team of scientists and engineers from Timothy Reinhold, Ph.D., P.E., who retired in December 2017 after several years as IBHS senior vice president of research and chief engineer.

Also promoted were:

• Tanya Brown-Giammanco, Ph.D., to vice president, Research

• Fred Malik to vice president, FORTIFIED Programs

• Chuck Miccolis to vice president, Commercial Lines

• Murray Morrison, Ph.D., to vice president, Research

Kemper Corporation named Duane Sanders will join the company as president, Property & Casualty Division, effective January 24.

Sanders will report to Joseph P. Lacher, Jr., Kemper’s president and chief executive officer, and will be based in Chicago. Sanders’ direct reports include the executives who lead the Kemper Preferred, Kemper Specialty, Kemper Specialty California, and Alliance United businesses, as well as various P&C supporting functions.

Sanders joins Kemper from The Travelers, where he held a variety of roles including CEO and COO of Travelers Canada, several senior management positions in Personal Insurance, Business Insurance, Claims and International, and most recently, SVP of Small Commercial. He has also held leadership positions at Fortune Financial, Cigna Financial, and Progressive Insurance.

Global loss adjusting firm McLarens announced the promotion of Susan Froman to senior vice president, Business Development – The Americas.

Froman joined McLarens three years ago to recruit and establish the domestic business development and global marketing teams for McLarens. Her 20 years of experience includes sales, business development, marketing, branding and management roles in property restoration, disaster recovery, and the last 10 years in loss adjusting within the excess & surplus lines market.

As senior vice president and a member of the global management team, she will expand client relationships in the Americas, work with both executive and operations teams to enhance client services, and lead change management solutions. Froman is active in numerous industry associations such as The Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA – formerly known as NAPSLO), Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS), Property & Liability Resource Bureau (PLRB), and Florida Surplus Lines.