Safeco® and Golden Eagle Insurance™ Announce New California Regional Operations

Coordinated Personal and Commercial Lines to Deliver More Value to Agents

Seattle, WA and San Diego, CA - November 25, 2008 – Safeco Insurance and Golden Eagle Insurance, both Liberty Mutual Agency Markets companies, recently announced key management appointments to lead their respective personal and commercial lines operations in their California territory.

Mr. John C. Shaw has been named Vice President, Safeco Insurance, and California Regional General Manager. Most recently, Mr. Shaw was Vice President of Personal Lines Underwriting with Liberty Northwest, a position he held since 2003. Mr. Shaw also previously worked at Safeco for 17 years, serving in several personal lines leadership roles in Dallas, California, and Seattle. In this new capacity, Mr. Shaw will be based in San Diego and is responsible for profit and growth in Safeco’s California territory.

Joining Safeco’s California personal lines field operations as Agency Managers and reporting to Mr. Shaw are: Ms. Katie L. Kennedy, representing central California; and Ms. Angela M. Snoberger, representing northern California. An Agency Manager for southern California will be announced at a later date. 

Mr. Ric A. Victores has been named Regional Vice President for Golden Eagle Insurance commercial lines, responsible for managing central California. Most recently the Southwest Regional Underwriting Executive for Fireman’s Fund, Mr. Victores joins Mr. Dennis J. Levesque and Mr. James F. Bily, who respectively manage southern California and northern California.

Golden Eagle Insurance also announced Assistant Vice Presidents for Commercial Lines Underwriting and Marketing in its three California regions. Mr. Mark Brown and Ms. Andrea Coleman represent southern California. Mr. Matt Noel and Mr. Roy Marquez, both formerly with Safeco, represent central California. Mr. Timothy Kullman and Mr. Christopher Sigler represent northern California.

As announced by Liberty Mutual Group on September 22nd, the Agency Markets business unit’s personal lines will be sold under the Safeco brand. Golden Eagle Insurance will be the exclusive provider of commercial lines business in its California territory, where Safeco will also offer personal lines. Strong agency relationships and commitment to the independent agency system will continue to be the hallmarks of both companies.

“We’re drawing from the strengths in our collective organization to bring the best talent and experience to our regional operations,” said Michael Hughes, Executive Vice President, Agency Markets, and President, Safeco Insurance. “By placing management personnel in regions where they have great familiarity, we strengthen our agency relationships and are able to compete at a much higher level.”

“With leading technology and a national product development team, our agents can look forward to innovative product lines and an expanded appetite,” said Peter McPartland , President and Chief Executive Officer, Golden Eagle Insurance. “We’re raising the bar on ease of doing business by providing deeper local expertise in underwriting, sales, loss prevention, and claims service.”   

Golden Eagle Insurance and Safeco are leveraging the new Agency Markets national/regional model to deliver greater resources and an expanded appetite and product set to their agents. Working in close coordination, both operations will provide:

• Local management and pricing with national product development;
• Local agency support with national market research and analytics; and
• Local claims and underwriting staffs with a national technology infrastructure.

With industry-leading pricing sophistication and the most expansive offering of any independent agent carrier, Safeco personal lines agents will offer innovative, high-quality personal insurance products. Specialty coverages including Motorcycle, Watercraft, Recreational Vehicle, and Classic Car are available nationally, in addition to Auto, Home, Condo, Rental, and Umbrella coverages.

Golden Eagle Insurance commercial lines agents will continue to focus on the small-to mid-market, offering a best-in-class product portfolio that includes BOP, Packages, Commercial Auto, Workers’ Compensation, Inland Marine, and Umbrella. Agents also have access to specialty products including Farm, mono-line Inland Marine, Excess Casualty and National Programs, such as Sports & Fitness, Self-Storage Insurance, Non-profits, and Insurance Agents E & O, under the Liberty Agency Underwriters™ brand.

About Golden Eagle Insurance

Golden Eagle Insurance offers a comprehensive set of commercial property and casualty insurance products and coverages in California distributed only through appointed independent agents.  Headquartered in San Diego and with a regional office in Walnut Creek, Golden Eagle Insurance maintains a strong, competitive presence in the commercial insurance marketplace by offering ease-of-doing business, local decision making, consistency, and strong relationships.

About Safeco
In business since 1923 and based in Seattle, Washington, Safeco sells insurance to drivers and homeowners through a network of independent agents and brokers in eight regions throughout the United States.  

Golden Eagle Insurance and Safeco are part of Liberty Mutual Agency Markets, a business unit of Liberty Mutual Group, consisting of property and casualty and specialty insurance carriers that distribute their products and services primarily through independent agents and brokers.  Liberty Mutual Group ranks 94 on the Fortune 500 list of the largest U.S. corporations based on 2007 revenues.  The company has financial strength ratings of A (Excellent) from the A.M. Best Company, A2 (Good) from Moody’s Investors Service, and A- (Strong) from Standard & Poor’s.

Contact:

Christopher Goetcheus, 774-279-5923
or [email protected]
Paul Hollie, 206-473-5745
[email protected]