XL Catlin’s new hires and promotions enable continued U.S. growth in its global excess casualty business; State Auto named a new general counsel; Endurance Specialty Holdings hired a new reinsurance executive to be based in the U.S.

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XL Catlin hired and promoted three executives in moves designed to continue U.S. growth in the insurer’s global excess casualty business.

Mark Smith was named an underwriting manager and will be tasked with launching an excess casualty underwriting center in Loss Angeles. He comes to XL Catlin from Starr Indemnity, where he was regional excess casualty underwriting manager. Smith’s experience includes various underwriting positions in the U.S. and U.K., wholesale brokering experience in Bermuda and retail brokering work in the U.S.

Jane Chaloupka joined XL Catlin’s excess casualty team in Chicago, where she will have the title of senior underwriter. The industry veteran developed excess, primary and reinsurance underwriting experience at carriers including Liberty International Underwriters and Everest Reinsurance.

Julie Fields is a new excess casualty senior underwriter based in New York, added to help support XL Catlin’s eastern U.S. growth. She was previously a strategy analyst in XL Catlin’s North America Property & Casualty Division before returning to underwriting.

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State Auto Financial Corp. appointed Melissa Centers as senior vice president, secretary and general counsel.

Previously, Centers developed her experience through a series of executive leadership and consulting roles in public relations/corporate communication/government affairs, information technology, vendor management and project management for companies including Nationwide Insurance, Worthington Industries and JP Morgan Chase.

At State Auto, Centers replaces Jay Yano, who passed away in September.

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Endurance Specialty Holdings hired Timothy Quinn as senior vice president, head of facultative reinsurance, North America, with a focus on professional lines business.

Quinn joins Endurance From Berkley Re America, where he managed their professional liability facultative department since 2010. Before that, he was vice president with Everest Reinsurance Company for 14 years, where his responsibilities included managing the reinsurer’s professional liability department and also underwriting casualty treaty reinsurance.

In his new job, Quinn will report to President and Chief Operating Officer Chris Donelan. He’ll work out of the Endurance U.S. office in Florham Park, N.J.

Sources: XL Catlin, State Auto Financial Corp., Endurance Specialty Holdings