Claims People: Hippo, Chartwell Law, Charles Taylor, CoreLogic

Digital home insurer Hippo hired a former Hiscox executive to be its first chief claims officer, with a mission to expand claims operations for the now publicly-traded California-based insurtech as it grows nationally.

Grace Hanson will take on the new position as of January 2022.

“Protecting the home is a passion of mine and I’m excited to build on Hippo’s innovative successes to push the bar for customer experience in claims and take care of our customers when they need us most,” Hanson said in prepared remarks.

Hippo bills itself as standing out, in part, with a personalized approach to claims as well as home insurance coverage itself. In her new role, Hanson will extend the company’s use of technology and data to increase claims efficiency and ensure that customers are able to complete claims with limited effort.

Previously, Hanson was the chief claims officer for Hiscox. In her career, Hanson built experience with insurtech companies as senior vice president, chief claims officer of Homesite Insurance, the first insurer to offer a fully digital homeowner product.

Hanson has a law degree from Tulane University, a master’s in business administration from Northeastern University, and a chartered property casualty underwriter (CPCU) designation. She is also a board member of Build Change, which works to improve the structural stability of housing in emerging countries vulnerable to seismic and cyclonic risk.

Chartwell Law partner David Rossmiller will lead the law firm’s first West Coast office in Portland, Ore.

Rossmiller is a veteran insurance coverage litigator, Chartwell said in a press release. His practice has also includes railroad and trucking law, environmental contamination litigation, bodily injury and property damage insurance defense and medical malpractice litigation.

Rossmiller has written extensively for Appleman on Insurance treatises and other insurance publications, the firm said. He is a past author of the the Insurance Coverage Law Blog.

Rossmiller became a lawyer after an early-life career as a journalist, including working as an investigative reporter for a daily newspaper in Phoenix, Arizona. Partners Elissa Boyd, Andrew Gust, Ryan Tarter and associate Dustin Dorsey will join Rossmiller in the Portland office.

Chartwell Law operates in 26 states and Washington D.C. The company started as a four-lawyer firm in Valley Forge, Penn. in 2002. It now employs 175 attorneys in diversified practice areas.

The firm’s Northwest office is located at 1050 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 1100, in Portland.

Charles Taylor Adjusting appointed Derik Chen as regional director for greater China.

Chen will oversee the international claims management firm’s growth in China and Taiwan and lead the establishment of the property and casualty adjusting business in Taiwan, Charles Taylor said in a press release.

Currently based in Shanghai, Chen has managed claims arising from natural disasters and defective equipment, product liability claims and loss adjustment during a 25-year insurance career, the company said.

He previously worked as a claims manager with Axa XL in China.

Chen will report to Wee Loon Yong, chief executive officer of Asia Property & Casualty, based in Singapore. The company’s local marine operation has been operating in China for over 15 years

CoreLogic has appointed Garret Gray, founder of Next Gear Solutions, to lead its combined claims operations.

CoreLogic, a property data analytics firm based in Irvine, Calif., purchased Next Gear Solutions in September. The Oxford, Miss.-based business provides digital workflow platform to the property restoration industry.

“Under Garret’s leadership, we expect to aggressively expand our claims solutions and tools bringing greater customer focus, innovation and more optionality for all property insurance ecosystem stakeholders,” stated CoreLogic President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Martell. “There has never been a greater focus on transforming critical workflows in the insurance ecosystem and CoreLogic is committed to continuing to invest heavily in expanding our state-of-the-art platforms and digital solutions that will drive innovation and make our customers more successful.”

–Carrier Management, a sister publication, contributed to this report.