The Hartford has appointed Matthew Kirk as senior vice president of sales and distribution for the company's commercial markets division and will report to commercial markets president Doug Elliot.
The US underwriter also has promoted Jay Rosenblum to succeed Kirk as senior vice president of Government Affairs, who will report to Alan Kreczko, executive vice president and general counsel for The Hartford.
Elliot said, "Matt's in-depth knowledge of the issues facing the insurance industry and his experience managing key relationships make him well-suited to lead our Sales and Distribution organization as we work to grow the Commercial Markets business under The Hartford's go-forward strategy."
"Matt understands the environment in which our distribution partners operate and knows what it takes for agents to be successful in the markets in which they do business."
In 2006, Kirk joined The Hartford and most recently was working as senior vice president and director of Government Affairs.
Prior to joining The Hartford, Kirk served in the White House as deputy assistant for legislative affairs to President George W Bush.
He succeeds Mike Concannon, who was appointed to lead The Hartford's group benefits segment earlier this year.
"We are fortunate to have a deep bench of talent on our Government Affairs team. Matt has been on the forefront of navigating key issues for the company for the past six years and will excel in his new role," Kreczko said.
According to the insurer, Rosenblum will manage and establish strategic direction for The Hartford's state and federal advocacy.
Rosenblum joined the company in 2009 and has led The Hartford's federal affairs team in Washington.
Additionally, the company has promoted Laura Haines to succeed Rosenblum as vice president of federal affairs. Haines has acted as assistant vice president for Government Affairs since 2006.
In 1993, she joined the firm's Group Benefits sales unit and was the top group sales producer in 1996 and 1997 for the priority accounts segment.
The Hartford Financial Services Group offers insurance and wealth management services for millions of consumers and businesses globally.
