CNA appointed a new president and chief operating officer for Specialty. JLT Specialty USA made a strategic hire for its Environmental team. Willis Towers Watson named a Midwest leader for its Financial Institutions Industry group. Liberty Specialty Markets appointed a new chief technology officer.

CNA has appointed Kevin Smith as president and chief operating officer for CNA Specialty, effective May 22, 2017.

Smith will succeed Mark Herman, who recently announced his resignation. He will be based in Chicago and will report to Dino E. Robusto, CNA’s chairman and chief executive officer.

Smith began his insurance career in 1990 as a financial institutions underwriter and most recently served as executive vice president and North American field strategic development officer for Chubb. He has held leadership positions and is active with the Women’s Insurance Networking Group, the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation and WOMEN Unlimited Inc.

JLT Specialty USA, a subsidiary of Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group plc., has hired Grant Nichols as senior vice president.

Based in Philadelphia, Nichols will focus on brokering complex environmental insurance programs. He will be a senior broker in the JLT Environmental specialty group.

Nichols has 15 years of experience in risk management and insurance law. Prior to joining JLT, he practiced environmental law with Greenberg Traurig, managing environmental liabilities associated with corporate and real estate transactions.

Willis Towers Watson has named Thomas Zacharopoulos as Midwest leader for its Financial Institutions Industry group.

Based in Chicago, he will report to Michael O’Connell, Financial Institutions Industry leader for North America.

Zacharopoulos has 30 years of experience in the insurance and risk management industry. Prior to joining Willis Towers Watson, he served as head of market relations at Integro Insurance Brokers, and before that, as managing director at Marsh.

Liberty Specialty Markets (LSM), part of Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, has appointed Max Gibbs as its new chief technology officer.

Based in the London headquarters, Gibbs will report to Nick Metcalf, president and managing director.

With 30 years’ experience of senior IT leadership in a range of sectors, Gibbs spent the last 17 years at Chubb, formerly ACE, most recently as chief information officer. He also held the roles of European P&C Systems director and European IT Services manager.

Sources: CNA, JLT Specialty USA, Willis Towers Watson, Liberty Mutual