Broker expands in Alabama

Stephens Insurance L.L.C., an affiliate of Little Rock, Arkansas-based Stephens Inc., said Monday it has opened a property/casualty brokerage office in Birmingham, Alabama. 

Tice Young, Donna Sanford, James Kennedy and Marty Hall form the team at the new office. All four came from Birmingham-based broker McGriff, Seibels & Williams Inc., Stephens Insurance said in a statement.

Mr. Young joins Stephens Insurance after 12 years with McGriff, where he worked in the energy, infrastructure, private equity and chemical markets. He will serve as a senior vice president leading the risk management and insurance Solutions team on national and international complex risks.
 
Ms. Sanford joins Stephens as a Senior Vice President after 25 years at McGriff and Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA Inc. At both firms, she was responsible for the design and placement of national and international risk management accounts. Ms. Sanford will specialize in the energy, infrastructure, private equity and chemical markets.
 
Mr. Kennedy also joins the firm from McGriff, where he advised clients in the energy, infrastructure and chemical verticals. He will serve as a vice president, focusing on national and international accounts.
 
Ms. Hall will oversee energy, infrastructure, private equity and chemical clients as an account manager. Prior to her time with Stephens, Ms. Hall spent 17 years at McGriff, where she was responsible for the servicing of large national and international accounts within the commercial accounts division.

“Our move into the market is part of the overall expansion of Stephens Insurance, following our increased presence in Houston earlier this year,” Martin Rhodes, president and chief executive of Stephens Insurance, said in the statement.

"The new Stephens Insurance Birmingham office is part of the firm’s overall expansion of the practice in the Southeast region," a Stephens spokeswoman said in an email. "The team resigned from their previous employer shortly before joining Stephens Insurance. We are thrilled to build our local offering around such an accomplished and knowledgeable team."