A series of executive moves have been announced across the US insurance market.
Joan Cleveland (pictured, left), president and CEO of SWBC Life Insurance Company and executive vice president of SWBC Property and Casualty Insurance Company, has been appointed to the Texas Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (TLHIGA) board of directors by the Texas Commissioner of Insurance. Her term runs until Sept. 30, 2031.
Cleveland brings more than 30 years of leadership in the life and health space. At SWBC, she oversees strategic market development, product innovation, customer experience, and distribution for the group’s life insurance operations.
Cleveland also serves on the boards of the Life Insurers Council (LIC) and the Consumer Credit Industry Association (CCIA).
CopperPoint Insurance Companies has appointed Mark Woods (pictured, right) as senior vice president, head of product, as the regional commercial insurer continues to build out its underwriting and analytics capabilities.
Woods brings more than 18 years of insurance experience across product, underwriting, risk management, analytics, and technology‑driven solutions. At Travelers, he held leadership roles in product management, platforms, third‑party data, catastrophe risk management, and underwriting automation, most recently serving as vice president, portfolio solutions.
He was also a founding board member of the Colorado FAIR Plan, which expands access to property coverage for homeowners and businesses unable to secure insurance through traditional markets.
Old Republic International Corporation has announced a leadership transition at BITCO Insurance Companies, effective April 1, 2026.
Meyer Lehman has been appointed president and CEO, while current CEO Vince Lamb will become executive chairman.
The transition continues a pattern among US commercial carriers of elevating operating leaders into CEO roles while retaining outgoing chiefs as executive chairs to preserve continuity with distribution and reinsurance partners. For brokers and insureds in BITCO’s core sectors, the move signals continuity of strategy with added emphasis on leadership succession and culture.
Trustmark Mutual Holding Company has named Erik Braun as chief financial officer and treasurer.
Braun, currently senior vice president, will succeed executive vice president, CFO and treasurer Phil Goss, who is retiring after 18 years with the company. Goss will remain with Trustmark through the end of 2026 to support the transition.
Braun brings more than 20 years of finance experience, with a deep focus on insurance and financial services. He joins Trustmark after nine years with Kuvare Holdings.
As Kuvare’s second hire, Braun helped establish and expand the company’s finance operations. He served nearly eight years as corporate controller before becoming CFO in 2024 and also served as CFO of Lincoln Benefit Life from 2020 to 2024.
