The Hartford announces key leadership appointments

The Hartford has announced new leadership appointments across multiple lines of business.

• Hayes Henderson (pictured above left) has been promoted to head of sales and relationship management for group benefits. He succeeds Lori High, who is retiring.
• Karen Raftery (pictured above, second from left) has been named the head of a newly created vertical in group benefits. The new vertical focused on small and mid-sized employers, The Hartford said.
• Lynn Kennedy (pictured above, second from right) has been appointed head of sales and distribution for small commercial.
• Paul Hiscox (pictured above right) has been named chief of sales and underwriting for personal lines.

In his new role, Henderson will be responsible for developing strategies to enhance the company’s market position and drive profitable growth for group benefits. He will take up the position on July 1 and report to Jonathan Bennett, head of group benefits at The Hartford.

“We continue to sharpen our focus on high-growth market segments and adapt to meet the evolving needs of our employer customers and broker partners,” Bennett said. “Hayes is a proven and engaged leader with deep relationships and experience serving customers from small businesses to Fortune 10 companies.”

Raftery will lead the new group benefits vertical focused on providing benefits and leave management solutions to employers with two to 499 employees. She will take up the position on July 1 and will also report to Bennett.

“Karen’s strong distribution and strategy expertise makes her ideally suited to lead this work focused on the end-to-end customer experience for our small and mid-sized employer customers,” Bennett said.

Kennedy’s expanded role will consolidate all small commercial sales under her leadership. She will be responsible for leading all small commercial distribution channels, including agency, alternative and direct, as well as the field and sales performance teams. She will report to Christopher Jones, chief operating officer for small commercial.

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Hiscox will lead all personal lines distribution channels, including direct, agency, partnerships and the company’s write-your-own flood program. He will also continue to lead personal lines underwriting. Hiscox will report to Melinda Thompson, COO for personal lines.

“The Hartford is uniquely suited to serve the broad needs of small business owners, with longstanding, deep underwriting experience and strong relationships across our diverse, yet complementary, business lines,” said Stephanie Bush, head of small commercial and personal lines at The Hartford. “Lynn’s extensive experience in finance, product, program strategy and distribution leadership make her well-positioned to lead our small commercial sales and distribution organization.

“In addition, in personal lines, Paul is an inspiring leader with vast knowledge of the 50-plus market, underwriting, and agency and direct sales, which will benefit us as we continue to innovate our auto and home business in a dynamic marketplace.”

Last month, The Hartford named Mark Azzolino head of its new Global Specialty Digital Solutions business unit. The company also recently announced the appointment of Jack Bardrick as head of its Global Specialty International division.

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