Scottsdale Insurance Company® Named Steve Franke VP of Contract Underwriting

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Scottsdale Insurance Company©, a leader in the Excess & Surplus and Specialty Lines arena, named Steve Franke as vice president, Contract Underwriting—West Region. Franke will oversee the Northwest, Southwest and Pacific regions, and will report to Gary Tiepelman, senior vice president, Contract Underwriting. Franke is replacing Dave McDermid, who retired from Scottsdale Insurance in December 2012.

“Franke brings agency management expertise into his new role”

“With Steve’s many years in the industry, he has deep underwriting knowledge,” Tiepelman said. “He understands how we can best serve our customers because he knows our general agents so well. And they know and trust him. I’m excited to have Steve in this new role, and anticipate he’ll positively impact our partnerships and our bottom line.”

Franke is an experienced insurance executive with 32 years in the specialty lines business. He most recently served as vice president of Agency Management and Business Development for eight years at Scottsdale Insurance. Prior to that, Franke served in management roles at various E&S firms.

“Franke brings agency management expertise into his new role,” said Mike Miller, president of Scottsdale Insurance. “He has an excellent reputation in the industry and understands how to lead while reading shifts in the market. We’re confident Franke will continue to contribute greatly to Scottsdale’s growth in the western regions and to our success overall.”

Franke proudly serves as a board member of the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley YMCA and the Surplus Lines Stamping Office of Texas. He graduated with a B.S. in business administration from Arizona State University. He has his Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) designation, as well as a CPCU certification.

About Scottsdale Insurance

A wholly owned subsidiary of Nationwide^®, Scottsdale Insurance Company^® (www.scottsdaleins.com) benefits from the backing of one of the largest insurance and financial service providers in the United States, an A.M. Best rating of A+XV (superior) and a Standard & Poor’s “A” rating. As an industry leader with impeccable financial strength and stability, Scottsdale Insurance Company^® provides its customers with exceptional experiences based on mutual respect and trust.