The Ticker

Announces purchases of five businesses located in Louisiana and Texas: The Firm of Louisiana P&C and McFatter Insurance Agency, both of Lake Charles, La.; Insure Plus, of Baton Rouge, La.; The Firm of Cenla, of Alexandria, La.; and Creekside Risk Management, of Houston. Each business specializes in property and casualty coverage for individual and business clients.

Hires longtime Aon executive Michael Moran as chief operating officer. Moran was most recently an executive vice president at Aon, where his earlier roles included CEO of data and analytics business Aon Inpoint and global COO of reinsurance brokerage Aon Benfield. He has also worked at McKinsey and AT Kearney.

Appoints Mark Birrell as executive chairman of Ryan Specialty Underwriting Managers International (RSUM International) starting an. 1, 2025. Birrell came to Ryan Specialty in May 2024 with the purchase of Castel, serving as chairman and CEO of RSUM International. James Montgomery, a Ryan Specialty employee since 2016, takes over as CEO of RSUM International. >> Hires Shawn Yingling as chief retail distribution officer for RSUM. Yingling comes from AIG, where he was North American alternative channels distribution leader. >> Made a set of promotions as of Jan. 1, 2025, to its Ryan Transactional Risk managing general underwriter: Managing Directors George Pearce and Rich Stansfield took over as global co-CEOs; Luc Joordens became managing director international; Rustin Paul became managing director North America; Mike Marston became chief underwriting officer warranty and indemnity; Rob Lustgarten became chief underwriting officer representations and warranty insurance; Marta Batalla became head of Continental Europe; and James Longman became global head of real estate.

Appoints Gerald Fawcett as president. Fawcett joined Plexus in 2020 to lead the Industry and Specialty Practices and was promoted to SVP, national property & casualty practice leader in 2021. Jamie Lebar is promoted to senior vice president, property & casualty practice leader, succeeding Fawcett.

Acquires Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Waypoint Underwriting Management, a U.S. market-focused reinsurance MGU for property and casualty, workers compensation, and accident and health solutions. In addition, the company is a primary MGU for personal accident and medical insurance.

Establishes Miscellaneous Professional Liability Program aimed at professionals with annual revenue as high as $5 million. Premiums are as low as $350 and coverage is offered in all states.

Announces establishment of Global Parametric Insurance Practice, which the broker says will help businesses identify triggers for payouts to offset possible losses, using broad-based risk analyses that incorporate the work of data scientists and sophisticated analytics.

The industry lost a giant in early January with the death of Bill Henry, regional chairman of Marsh McLennan Agency Southwest. Henry was a former Council board chair and co-founded top-50 brokerage MHBT, which he led until its sale to MMA in 2015. In a tribute, current MMA President Matt Stadler wrote, "Bill was a remarkable leader, mentor, and friend, whose impact on the insurance industry is immeasurable. His career was marked not just by professional success, but by an unwavering commitment to integrity, generosity, and compassion.”

Acquires R.K. Gore & Associates, a Lehi, Utah-based agency focused on insurance for the residential construction industry. >> Buys ANCO Insurance Managers, a Bryan, Texas-headquartered brokerage specializing in employee benefits, and business and personal insurance coverage. >> Acquires Global Ag Risk Solutions, a provider of whole-farm insurance, including parametric, based in Moose Jaw, Canada. >> Buys Ridgefield, Conn.-based Fairfield County Bank Insurance Services, which provides commercial and personal insurance, plus employee benefits services, from offices in Connecticut and New York. Hub did not disclose the terms of the deals.

Continues its rapid pace of acquisitions, including: BMR Insurance, a Tustin, Calif.-based retail agency for commercial and personal lines customers; Afina Insurance Advisors, a property and casualty (P&C) broker in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.; Durham & Bates Agencies, of Portland, Ore., a broker specializing in P&C, marine, and employee benefits; DMc Insurance Partners, an Austin, Texas, agency specializing in personal lines insurance for individuals and small businesses; M.J. Schuetz Insurance Services, of Indianapolis, Ind., a provider of P&C, surety, and bonding specializing in the construction, landscaping, manufacturing, and real estate industries; and Sheila J. Butler & Company, an employee benefits brokerage based in Carrollton, Ga. Terms of the acquisitions were not made public.