Andrew Boron Named Permanent Illinois Insurance Director

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has tapped Andrew Boron to serve as a permanent successor to former Illinois Insurance Director Michael McRaith, after months of temporary replacements filling in after McRaith stepped down last year.

Boron's appointment marks a return to state government after working as vice president and counsel at the Ace Group. In that role at Ace, Boron was the primary liaison to the insurance regulators in nine states, including Illinois. He also served as deputy chief of staff at the Illinois Toll Highway Authority between 2009 and 2010. Boron began his career at CNA Financial, serving as counsel and then director of state government relations.

Boron holds a bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin and a J.D. from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.

"Andrew Boron brings a wide range of experience to the Department of Insurance, and I am confident his strong leadership will enhance the essential regulatory and consumer protections DOI provides," Quinn said in a statement.

Boron will take over the Insurance Department from Robert Wagner, the former general counsel for the state's Department of Insurance who was appointed acting director of insurance earlier this month (Best's News Service, Jan. 4, 2012).

Prior to Wagner's appointment, Andrew Stolfi was appointed to that position in October after McRaith stepped down to become director of the Federal Insurance Office (Best's News Service, Oct. 26, 2011).

The FIO is expected to soon release a comprehensive report on the state of the U.S. insurance industry. McRaith has said publicly the report would be released in January.

(By Jeff Jeffrey, Washington Correspondent: jeff.jeffrey@ambest.com)