Business People: ClaimsXChange, Aon Global Risk, Core Group

New Nonprofit Organization Formed for Claims Pros

Sydney Posner, formerly the chief relationship officer for Claims and Litigation Management, is forming her own nonprofit education and networking group for insurance claims professionals.

Posner was appointed on Nov. 5 as executive director of ClaimsXChange Inc., a nonprofit organization based in Greenwich, Conn. that does business from an office in Plantation, Florida. Posner said the organization has applied for registration with the Internal Revenue Service to become a tax-exempt educational organization.

The organization said in a press release that 350 claims people have already joined the organization, which is offering free memberships until March 31. ClaimsXChange has scheduled several events for members, including a Dec. 4 gathering at the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on Dec. 4 and a “golf and meet” event in Dallas, Texas on March 17.

Posner served for 12 years as chief relationship officer for Claims and Litigation Management, where she was responsible for creating more than 100 acclaimed events and programs, ClaimsXChange said in a press release. Prior to joining CLM, she worked as an educator for the Broward County, Fla. school district.

Posner holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Florida and Master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University.

Aon Global Risk Appoints Coverage Officer

Aon Global Risk Consulting has appointed Erica J. Dominitz as a senior U.S. property coverage officer. She will be based in Washington, DC.

Dominitz, an attorney who specializes in insurance coverage, advises policyholders on complex property and business interruption claims and helps with the recovery of losses from natural catastrophes.

“The unprecedented number of natural disasters around the world during the past few years has fueled client demand for the expertise of Aon’s claim professionals to assist with their complex property and business interruption losses,” said Jill Dalton, group managing director for Aon Global Risk Consulting, said in a press release.

Aon said Dominitz’s expertise will help clients assess how their coverage might respond in various large-scale claim scenarios. Dominitz has extensive experience litigating complex property insurance claims on behalf of policyholders involving property damage and business interruption losses from natural disasters and terrorist events, Aon said.

Dominitz previously worked for Marsh USA Inc., where she was a senior vice president. Before then, she was a partner with Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton for eight years, and was at Dickstein Shapiro for nine years, initially as an associate and subsequently as partner in the firm’s Insurance Group.

Dominitz is past co-chair of the American Bar Association’s Business Interruption Subcommittee of the Insurance Coverage Litigation Committee, as well as of the American Bar Association’s Climate Change and Natural Disasters Subcommittee. Dominitz earned a bachelor’s degree in English and politics from Brandeis University, and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Core Group appoints Senior VP for Claims

Core Group, which manages a network of property restoration professionals, has appointed Mark Whatley as senior vice president of claims operations.

Whatley will support initiatives for Core Group’s service-focused claims program, called Encore, and Core Private Client, which provides property restoration services, the Austin, Texas company said in a press release.

“I’ve always envisioned building a next-generation managed repair house that gives equal credence to the interest of both sides of the claim (carrier and contractor) and in doing so, maximizing my ability to influence meaningful change within the property insurance ecosystem,” Whatley said in a prepared statement.

Whatley is the principal author of the Umpire’s Mitigation Manual and the Umpire’s Repair Manual, Core Group said in a press release. He also helped write the Restoration Industry’s standard for contents loss specialist.

Whatley also served as a senior vice president for a full-service restoration company. He is founder and the board president of Actionable Insights, a non-profit organization that supports a more collaborative environment between restoration contractors and insurance carriers.