PEOPLE & PLACES

The Insurance Marketing & Communications Association will hold a webcast this Thursday, Feb. 12, on how to integrate social media in crisis communication. The event will be led by Gary Kimball, president of Kimball Communications.

Insurance holding company, William R. Berkley, announced last Friday that its CEO, chairman and current COO, W. Robert Berkley, Jr., will present at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2015 Insurance Conference this Thursday in New York City. Aspen Insurance Holdings Limited also said yesterday that it would present at the conference.

Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance is expanding its U.S. property underwriting to include energy and other related risks. The company appointed Paul J. Kelley to lead the division as head of energy and technical property. 

Kingstone Cos. Inc. appointed Benjamin Walden to the board of directors at its Kingstone Insurance Co. Walden has also been promoted to senior vice president with responsibilities over underwriting, IT and actuarial services.

NEWS

Munich Re posted profit numbers last week that showed they had made approximately €3.3 billion ($3.7 billion) this year and posted a €0.7 billion ($792 million) profit in the last quarter of 2014.

NEW PROGRAMS

XL Group and ProHost USA, an insurance program administrator, are adding umbrella excess coverage to fine-dining and casual restaurants. Excess limits will be available up to $5 million, and any additional limits will be based on individual risk. 

Main Street America Group is expanding workers' comp through its agents in North Carolina and Georgia. The program considers multiple characteristics of a company's risk and then will place them into three different writing categories, which vary by state.

M&A

Charles Taylor Risk Consulting announced yesterday that they acquired Texas-based Cardinal Risk Management Alternatives Inc. The acquisition will expand Charles Taylor's ability to reach more U.S. clients in operational risk management.