FCCI Insurance Group’s board of directors has named Christina “Cina” Welch as president and CEO, replacing Craig Johnson, who was terminated from his role in May 2020 after an incident with police in a Sarasota restaurant.

Welch began her career with FCCI in 1998 as attorney in the legal department and has held varied and progressively complex roles during her tenure, taking on the role in 2018 of executive vice president, general counsel, and chief audit and compliance officer.

Welch’s accomplishments include the development of FCCI’s data security incident response and information security programs; building an enterprise risk management program; managing FCCI’s business continuity management program (including the corporate COVID-19 response); and leading the company’s geographic expansion efforts.

Her predecessor, Johnson, was arrested on May 7 on charges of failing to leave a restaurant after the owner ordered him to leave, resisting arrest without violence and for two charges of battery on an officer. Johnson denied the charges. FCCI announced his termination as an officer and board member on May 12, after “the board determined that Mr. Johnson’s conduct did not meet the company’s standards.”

In prepared comments about her promotion, Welch said she is grateful for the relationships the company has built with its agency partners and policyholders.

“I am well aware that FCCI’s marketplace success is dependent on the success of our independent agencies and policyholders. Our focus will continue to be—as it has been for more than 60 years—helping our agents and policyholders be successful,” Welch said. “To my teammates and FCCI’s agency partners, I would like to thank them in advance for their trust and support. I am so honored to be in this position, to have been offered this role, and am very excited for our future.”

“We were fortunate to have a number of exceptional internal candidates. We feel confident in our decision and look forward to what Cina’s leadership will bring to FCCI in the coming years,” said Jack Cox, FCCI’s chairman of the board.

Established in 1959, FCCI provides commercial property/casualty insurance in 19 states and Washington, D.C. It is headquartered in Sarasota, with regional and branch offices in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, Texas and Virginia.

*This story ran previously in our sister publication Insurance Journal.