Four Crawford & Company Executives Gain CIOP Designation

ATLANTA, March 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Four executives from Crawford & Company (NYSE: CRDA; CRDB), the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions, recently attained the designation of Chartered Insurance Operations Professional (CIOP), awarded by the CIOP Institute after completion of rigorous course work and exam projects.

The four designees are:

• Brenda Rarick, senior vice president and managing director of Risk Sciences Group (RSG).
• Robert M. Simpson, vice president of Crawford's U.S. Property & Casualty's Central Region.
• Greg Smith, vice president of National Programs for Crawford & Company (Canada) Inc.
• Kenneth R. Tolson, vice president of U.S. Property & Casualty's Eastern Region.

"Crawford has long supported its employees in the achievement of key professional designations and offers reimbursement programs and career paths that encourage their attainment," said Jeffrey T. Bowman, president and chief executive officer. "I'd like to offer congratulations to our four new CIOP designees. All are leaders in our organization and I expect that what they have learned through the program will greatly benefit us as we seek to improve and grow our operations."

Rarick, who has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry, served as a manager and executive in a variety of roles at Broadspire, Crawford's workers compensation, general and auto liability and medical management third party administrator (TPA), before being named to her current position in January. RSG is a wholly owned subsidiary of Crawford and leading provider of risk management information systems.

Smith joined Crawford Canada in 1998 and progressed through several positions, including call center agent, field adjuster, marketing director and project manager, before becoming vice president of National Programs for several key insurers.

Simpson joined Crawford in 1990 as a multi-line adjuster trainee and worked as a senior adjuster, adjuster in charge, supervisor, unit manager and branch manager. Tolson, who also has received an associate in claims designation from the Insurance Institute of America, joined Crawford in 1989 as a property adjuster and later served as an adjuster in charge and branch manager. Both were named to their current positions in 2005.

CIOP candidates complete a two-and-a-half day class that presents key concepts and techniques in designing, building and sustaining high-performance insurance operations. Following the class, candidates are given 60 days to design and complete an exam project that gives them the opportunity to review and reinforce course content and practice concepts and techniques within their organizations.

The CIOP Institute, a global insurance leadership development organization, will offer its 2010 designation class May 12-14 at the American Management Association in New York City. More information regarding the CIOP program is available at www.ciopdesignation.com or by calling the CIOP Institute at 866.930.CIOP.

About Crawford

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Crawford & Company (www.crawfordandcompany.com) is the world's largest independent provider of claims management solutions to the risk management and insurance industry as well as self-insured entities, with a global network of more than 700 locations in 63 countries. The Crawford System of Claims Solutions(SM) offers comprehensive, integrated claims services, business process outsourcing and consulting services for major product lines including property and casualty claims management, workers compensation claims and medical management, and legal settlement administration. The Company's shares are traded on the NYSE under the symbols CRDA and CRDB.

SOURCE Crawford and Co.