Assurex Appoints New Board

NU Online News Service, Nov. 13, 12:06 p.m.EST?Columbus, Ohio-based Assurex Global, a privately held riskmanagement and commercial insurance brokerage group, announced theappointment of new directors and officers to the internationalinsurance brokerage group's board of directors for 2004.

The list of officers includes: Chairman, Gregory S. Belton ofHunter Keilty Muntz & Beatty Ltd., in Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Chair-elect Kent Nelson of T.J. Adams Group, LLC, of Chicago;Secretary Paul Hering of Barney & Barney LLC, of San Diego; andTreasurer William Haack of Frank F. Haack & Associates Inc., ofMilwaukee.

Gregory Collins of Parker, Smith & Feek, in Seattle, lastyear's chairman, will continue to serve for one year in anex-officio capacity.

Assurex Global President and Chief Executive Officer James R.Hackbarth said in a statement that the naming of Mr. Belton asboard chairman was the first time a Canadian partner has served inthe position.

Elected to new three-year board terms are: Fred Tripp ofStarkweather & Shepley Insurance Brokerage Inc., of Providence,R.I; Ronald Wanglin of Bolton & Company of Pasadena, Calif.;and Thomas Lorant of Lorant Martinez Salas y Cia, of Mexico City,Mexico.

Other board members include: Timothy Schilling of Early, Cassidy& Schilling Inc., of Washington, D.C.; Karen K. Farris of RoachHoward Smith & Hunter Inc., of Dallas; Daniel Koch of The HarryA. Koch Co., Omaha, Neb.; Robert Viau of Groupe Viau Inc., ofMontreal; James Davis of John L. Wortham & Son, LLP, ofHouston; and Michael Dixon of HSBC Insurance Brokers Ltd., ofLondon.

The appointments were announced at the shareholders meeting lastmonth, which marked Assurex Global's 50th anniversary. The groupgenerates more than $19 billion in annual premiums.