A series of senior changes have been announced across US carriers this week.
Frankenmuth Insurance confirmed that Andy Knudsen (pictured left), its president and chief operating officer, will retire on December 31, 2025, concluding more than three decades in the industry and 13 years with the company. Knudsen joined Frankenmuth in December 2012 as vice‑president of claims and was promoted to president and COO in April 2023, a role in which he helped strengthen internal operations and contribute to the insurer’s strategic direction.
As part of a staged succession plan, the board has appointed Dawn Jaffray - Frankenmuth’s current chief financial officer and treasurer 0 to succeed Knudsen as president and COO from January 1, 2026. Jaffray has also been named chief executive officer‑elect and will succeed CEO Fred Edmond on his planned retirement at the end of 2026. Jaffray joined Frankenmuth in 2023 and brings more than 30 years’ experience in insurance finance and executive leadership.
CRC Group, a North American wholesale specialty distributor, announced four hires across its CRC Specialty division as it scales regional underwriting and brokerage capacity.
CRC said the appointments strengthen its specialist distribution capability; the group operates across the US and Canada with more than 5,500 employees and places over $30 billion of premiums annually.
Mutual of Omaha has appointed Stacy Scholtz as chief operating officer. Scholtz, a company veteran since 1991, most recently served as executive vice president of financial solutions, overseeing income and wealth planning solutions, emerging and strategic solutions and Mutual of Omaha mortgage.
In the COO role Scholtz will lead business transformation and AI enablement efforts across the firm, co‑lead the retail solutions strategic business unit and oversee corporate operations functions.
Chairman and CEO James Blackledge said Scholtz’s strategic planning and execution skills are key to advancing the company’s mission to meet customers’ financial needs. Blackledge added that Scholtz’s experience in enhancing customer experience and financial performance aligns with Mutual of Omaha’s strategic ambitions.
Great Bay Insurance Group, a specialist provider of coastal homeowners’ insurance in New Jersey, has named Brian S. Schleider as executive vice president and chief financial officer and promoted Sharon Karlsson‑Simons to senior vice president of business development for Great Bay Underwriting Services.
Schleider, who joined Great Bay in March 2020 and has over 35 years of experience in accounting, finance and capital management, steps into the CFO role after serving previously in the company. Karlsson‑Simons, who joined Great Bay in March 2020 as director of marketing, was promoted in recognition of her experience in the coastal insurance sector and her work building agency relationships and profitable expansion.
