Wholesale specialty insurance distributor CRC Group has announced new appointments in its Nashville office and its Starwind Programs division.
Farrah Schubmehl (pictured above right), senior vice president and property broker at CRC, will assume the role of office president at CRC Nashville. Schubmehl will succeed Jake Blackshear (pictured above left), who has served as the Nashville office president since 2010 and will now join Starwind to contribute towards the development of a new Starwind Transportation brand.
Schubmehl has more than 24 years of industry experience. She has been with CRC Group since she joined Swett & Crawford in 2012. She was named CRC Group's Woman of the Year in 2022 and a Top Wholesale Specialist Broker by Insurance Business America in 2023. In her new role, she will report to Brent Tredway, the co-president of the brokerage, and will operate from CRC's Nashville location.
“Farrah has set herself apart as an exceptional team leader and a highly successful broker,” Tredway said. “I'm confident that under her leadership we will continue to build on the success of our Nashville office. Her dedication to excellence has earned Farrah the respect of her colleagues as well as the continued business of many clients that rely on her steady expertise in the face of marketplace changes."
Starwind, CRC Group's Specialty Programs Division, is actively working on introducing a new brand, Starwind Transportation, set to launch in 2024. Blackshear and his transportation team will collaborate with Starwind's transportation specialty underwriters, Allstar Transportation Specialists, American Team Managers, and 5Star Specialty Programs, to establish the new Starwind Transportation brand. Blackshear, in his new role, will report to Brian Norman, the president of CRC Group's Starwind Programs Division.
“Jake's transition to help build Starwind Transportation presents an exciting growth opportunity for both his team and Starwind,” Norman said. “It will enable us to provide a more complete array of industry experience, insurance knowledge, and proprietary tools, including loss control and claim services, to agents specializing in transportation coverage. It delivers on our commitment to innovation and effective collaboration that makes us a valuable partner in the marketplace.”
Earlier this year, CRC Group announced the appointment of Kristyn Smallcombe as casualty practice group director.
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