Edmund Kelly Named President of AAIS; New Yorkers Among Leaders

Wheaton, Ill. Edmund J. Kelly of Boulder, Col. was recently chosen president of the American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS), an organization that develops policy forms and rating information used by more than 700 P/C companies throughout the U.S. Kelly’s appointment was announced by Paul Baiocchi, the longtime president of AAIS who will continue as chief executive officer of the organization through a period of transition. Baiocchi has been with AAIS for 36 years, 25 of them as president and CEO. He made the announcement of Kelly’s appointment at the 2012 AAIS Main Event executive conference, recently concluded in La Jolla, Calif.

Kelly has a rich and varied career in P/C insurance, including two years as CEO of Paris Re America Ins. Co., seven years as president and COO of ICAT Holdings LLC (a catastrophe risk entity), four years as chief financial officer for a specialty division of Royal Sun Alliance, and three years as vice president of finance and operations for a workers compensation company. Prior to his insurance career, Kelly worked 11 years as a senior manager for Ernst & Young; he is a certified public accountant.

“As we begin the leadership transition, I am extremely pleased with what AAIS has accomplished over the years,” said Baiocchi in his CEO address at the AAIS Main Event conference, recently concluded in La Jolla, Calif.

“For me,” Baiocchi added, “it has been a privilege to lead this group of highly skilled, dedicated individuals. I’m excited to have Ed on board, and I look forward to working with him as we prepare the road ahead for AAIS.”

In subsequent comments, Kelly said: “I am looking forward to working over the next several months with Paul, a well-recognized leader in property/casualty insurance. “Over the past 25 years, Paul has assembled a talented team of professionals that has consistently delivered a high level of customer service to its member companies,” Kelly added. “During that time, AAIS has consistently brought innovative solutions to the industry, demonstrated most recently with the successful multistate filing of its Homeowners By-Peril Rating Plan. “I am honored to have been selected as the next leader of this outstanding organization and I am very excited about its future.”

As president, Kelly will be a member of the AAIS board of directors, as will Baiocchi, as CEO. Other members of the AAIS board elected or reelected at the Main Event include:

• Christopher Taft, president and CEO of Preferred Mutual Ins. Co., New Berlin, N.Y. (chairman of the board)

• Herman Bontrager, president and CEO, Goodville Mutual Casualty Co., Goodville, Pa.;

• R. Douglas Haines, president and CEO of Buckeye Insurance Group, Piqua, Ohio;

• Stuart C. Henderson, president and CEO of Western National Insurance Group, Edina, Minn.;

• Judy S. Jackson, a director of NLC Insurance Companies, Norwich, Conn.;

• Jeffrey B. Kusch, president and CEO of Austin Mutual Ins. Co., Maple Grove, Minn.;

• Jack Rader, chief marketing officer, Farmers Alliance Companies, McPherson, Kan.; and

• Richard Zick, president and CEO, Utica First Ins. Co., Utica, N.Y.