Merchants Insurance Group, a group of property and casualty insurance companies serving policyholders in the New England, Mid-Atlantic, and Midwest states, announced the appointment of Charles E. Makey, III, as President. Mr. Makey is currently the company’s Senior Vice President of Insurance Operations.
Mr. Makey will assume the role of President on April 1, 2021 and will be the 10th President in the company’s 103-year history. Mr. Makey will also join the company’s Board of Directors.
Robert M. Zak, Merchants Insurance Group’s current president and CEO, will retire on March 31 after more than 25 years in the position and more than 35 years at Merchants. Mr. Zak will remain on the company’s Board of Directors and become its Board Chair effective April 1, 2021.
“The appointment of Charlie as our next President is the culmination of a thoughtful succession plan that has been in process for a couple of years,” said Mr. Zak. “Charlie is well known and respected among Merchants’ Colleagues and the independent insurance agents that represent Merchants. His knowledge of the business and energetic manner, coupled with an excellent executive team, will make the transition seamless. I look forward to watching Charlie and his team advance Merchants in the years to come.”
“It is an honor to be selected as President of Merchants Insurance Group and follow in the footsteps of Bob Zak,” said Mr. Makey. “I am confident in Merchants’ future success given our strong leadership team, colleagues, independent agents, and business partners. We will stay focused on providing outstanding customer service and financial stability for policyholders.”
About Charles E. Makey, III
Mr. Makey’s insurance career spans more than 30 years. He joined Merchants in 1996 as director of sales, and will celebrate his 25th anniversary this year. In 1998 he was promoted to Assistant Vice President/Regional Manager of the company’s New England Regional Office in Manchester, New Hampshire. He then served as Vice President and Regional Manager of the company’s Central States Strategic Business Center in Dublin, Ohio before his promotion in 2009 to Senior Vice President of Insurance Operations.
Mr. Makey is a board member of the New York Insurance Association (NYIA), where he serves as its First Vice Chair. He also sits on the board of trustees for the New York Insurance Scholarship Foundation (NYISF).
Mr. Makey has an MBA from Daniel Webster College and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management from St. Bonaventure University. He also holds the following designations from the Insurance Institute of America: Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Associate in Management (AIM), and INS (General Insurance).
A native of Western New York, Mr. Makey and his family reside in a suburb of Buffalo.
