New York Gets a Deputy Superintendent: Personnel Matters

The New York State Department of Financial Services has hired Mona Bhalla to be the department's deputy superintendent for life insurance. Bhalla previously was a senior managing director and corporate secretary at TIAA. (Related: Kevin Kennedy Moves to Pacific Life: Personnel Matters) Bhalla also has been corporate secretary and senior securities counsel at AllianceBernstein L.P. She has a bachelor's degree from Columbia University and a law degree from New York University. In other personnel matters news: The South Carolina Department of Insurance has numbed a chief deputy and three deputy directors.

• Joe Cregan is now the department's chief deputy of insurance operations.
• Diane Cooper is deputy director of licensing and consumer services.
• Dan Morris is deputy director of financial regulation and solvency.
• Kendall Buchanan is deputy director of market regulation and public information.

Thrivent, Minneapolis, has hired Mary Jane Fortin to be chief commercial officer. Fortin previously was president of the Allstate Financial businesses. She also has been head of the U.S. life insurance business at American International Group Inc. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree in business from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds the Certified Public Accountant professional designation. The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, New York, has promoted Chris Smith to head of group benefits, from senior vice president, head of enterprise service and operations. He also has been an executive vice president at MetLife. He has a bachelor's degree in economics from Drew University and a master's degree in business from Rutgers University. Capital BlueCross, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has named Todd Shamash the company's president and chief executive officer. The company board named Shamash to be the acting CEO, after the previous CEO, Gary St. Hilaire, said he was leaving to become the CEO of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. The board then voted to make Shamash the permanent president and CEO after three days, the company says. Shamash has a law degree from Dickinson Law School. He has served as deputy chief of staff at the Pennsylvania governor's office. He also has been departmental counsel for the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance. Word & Brown General Agency, Orange, California, has promoted Marc McGinnis to senior vice president of sales and strategic client management, from vice president of sales. He has a bachelor's degree from California State University-Fullerton. CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield, Baltimore, has hired Jenny Smith to be executive vice president and chief financial officer. She previously was CFO at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Northwest Region. Smith has a baccalaureate of law degree from China Eastern University of Politics and Law and a master's degree in business from Loyola College in Baltimore. Ohio National Financial Services, Cincinnati, has promoted three executives. The company has promoted Pam Webb to senior vice president and chief human resources officer, from senior vice president, human resources and corporate services. The company has also promoted Scott Shepherd to senior vice president and chief corporate actuary, from vice president and head of valuation, and William Price to senior vice president and general counsel, from senior vice president and assistant general counsel. Standard Insurance Company, Portland, Oregon, has promoted Kelli Wilson to assistant vice president of infrastructure and operations. Wilson previously was senior director of the company's transition management office. She has a bachelor's degree in communications from Portland State University and a master's degree in business from the University of Phoenix. Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. has hired Katie Dunnington to be head of absence management. She previously was vice president of group product solutions at Lincoln Financial. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology from Bates College, a master's degree in elementary education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, and a master's degree in business from Drexel University. — Read American Enterprise Names 4 Regional Managers: Personnel Matters, on ThinkAdvisor. — Connect with ThinkAdvisor Life/Health on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.