Great American’s long-serving Lonneman to retire in April

Mark Lonneman’s more than four decades of service at Great American Insurance Group is coming to an end with the executive set to retire from the business in April.

Brian DeSoto will succeed him as division president of the property and casualty group’s risk solutions division, Great American has announced.

Lonneman has been with the company for 41 years. After first joining the business as a casualty underwriter in Great American’s agricultural E&S business, he joined the insurer’s home office underwriting department in 1985.

Since then, he has held various positions of increasing responsibility in Great American’s underwriting divisions, including his appointment as divisional president of specialty E&S in 2010.

He took on his current role in 2018 and oversaw the merger of Great American’s specialty E&S division and American Empire Surplus Lines Insurance Company to form Great American Risk Solutions.

DeSoto, currently divisional senior vice president of Great American risk solutions, joined Great American in 2008.