IBA: Post Departure Won't Change Fireman's

By Mark E. Ruquet

NU Online News Service, May 17, 12:44 a.m.EDT?The sudden resignation of Fireman's Fund ChiefExecutive Officer Jeff Post will mean no changes in the company'srelationship with independent agents, the head of a Californiaagent's association said.[@@]

"Fireman's Fund and Mr. Post have been very strong and loyalsupporters of IBA West and its member agents, and we don't expectthat to change," said Mr. Valdivia. "We also wish Mr. Post well andlook forward to working with him in the future," said AndrewValdivia, president of Insurance Brokers & Agents of the Westand executive vice president and principal of White & CompanyInsurance Inc. in Santa Monica, Calif.

Mr. Post, 44, left as president and CEO of the Novato,Calif.-based insurer last week.

According to Allianz Group, which owns Fireman's Fund, Mr. Postresigned for personal reasons and "left the company at his ownrequest."

Charles "Chuck" Kavitsky, 52, was named to replace Mr. Post. Mr.Kavitsky was president of Allianz Life and a member of the boardfor Fireman's Fund. He joined LifeUSA in 1995 and remained with thecompany after its purchase by Allianz in 1999, when it was renamedAllianz Life. He was named president in 2002.

"I thank Jeff [Post] for his achievements and all the work atthe helm," said Jan Carendi, chairman of Fireman's Fund, in astatement.

"Jeff [Post] engineered an impressive turnaround as CEO atFireman's Fund and thereby made an important contribution to thesuccess of the Allianz Group," said Michael Diekmann, chairman ofthe board of Allianz AG.