Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance Announces Employer Stop Loss Promotions
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI) announced leadership promotions within its Employer Stop Loss (ESL) business, naming Ford Coacher as Vice President, Taft Hartley; Chris Slezak as Vice President, Employer Stop Loss Sales, U.S. West; and Bill Bixler as Vice President, Employer Stop Loss Sales, U.S. East.
“Our financial strength, long-term orientation, and claims-first philosophy continue to resonate in the employer stop loss marketplace,” said Phil Gardham, President, North America Accident & Health at BHSI. “These well-earned promotions recognize outstanding contributions and position us for continued growth across ESL, including the Taft-Hartley segment.”
Details of the Appointments
Ford Coacher, promoted to Vice President, Taft Hartley, joined BHSI in 2024 as Assistant Vice President and brings more than a decade of industry experience focused on Taft-Hartley and multiemployer health plans. In his new role, he will lead the continued expansion of BHSI’s Taft-Hartley ESL offerings for self-funded multiemployer union health plans, strengthening partnerships and delivering tailored stop loss solutions.
Chris Slezak, now Vice President, Employer Stop Loss Sales, U.S. West, joined BHSI in 2022 and previously served as Regional Vice President for the South-Central region. With more than 20 years in the insurance industry, he will oversee sales across the Western U.S., including the Southwest and Northwest, along with responsibility for the South-Central territory, ensuring cohesive growth and market support.
Bill Bixler has been promoted to Vice President, Employer Stop Loss Sales, U.S. East. He joined BHSI in 2017 and most recently served as Regional Vice President for the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. With over 30 years of industry experience, he will guide ESL sales across the Eastern U.S., including the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Southeast, focusing on strategic distribution and customer solutions.
Continued Momentum in Employer Stop Loss
BHSI launched its ESL business in 2016 and continues to see strong, sustained growth. Its combination of exceptional financial strength, a highly experienced team, and the strategic decision not to purchase reinsurance enables BHSI to offer long-term, stable solutions for distribution partners and policyholders. This stability, combined with a service-driven approach to claims, has helped the ESL portfolio expand across diverse customer segments, including Taft-Hartley and multiemployer plans.
About Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance provides a wide range of commercial coverages, including property, casualty, healthcare professional liability, executive and professional lines, transactional liability, surety, marine, travel, programs, accident and health, medical stop loss, homeowners, and multinational insurance. Coverage terms and availability may vary, and the actual and final terms of coverage for all product lines may differ by policy.
The company underwrites on the paper of Berkshire Hathaway’s National Indemnity group of insurance companies, which hold financial strength ratings of A++ from AM Best and AA+ from Standard & Poor’s. Headquartered in Boston, BHSI has offices in major cities worldwide, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Indianapolis, Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Adelaide, Auckland, Barcelona, Brisbane, Brussels, Calgary, Cologne, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, London, Lyon, Macau, Madrid, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, Munich, Paris, Perth, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Toronto, and Zurich.
