Sedgwick CMS names CFO

MEMPHIS, Tenn.--William A. Houlihan has been named chief financial officer of Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc., the company said Monday.

The appointment is effective immediately.Mr. Houlihan, who most recently served as CFO of Minnetonka, Minn.-based credit card firm Metris Cos. Inc., succeeds Donald W. Burkett, who is retiring as CFO at the end of 2006. According to a spokesman, Mr. Burkett will continue working on "a variety of special assignments" until his retirement at the end of the year.

David A. North, president and chief executive officer of Sedgwick CMS, noted in a statement that Mr. Houlihan is well-qualified to lead the company "in both internal financial operations and in our relationships with clients, investors and the broader financial community."

Sedgwick CMS is the largest third-party administrator for self-insured clients, according to Business Insurance's 2006 ranking.