CEOs of technology company, user group on list of 100

University Park, IL -- (SBWire) -- 02/22/2011 -- The annual list of North America’s most powerful insurance people once again includes the chief executives of insurance technology company Applied Systems and the international user group for Applied Systems solutions.

For the eighth consecutive year, Applied Systems Chairman and CEO James P. Kellner is on the list of the 100 Most Powerful People in the Insurance Industry in North America, identified by media organization Insurance Broadcasting and the Insurance Media Association. Sponsors of the 2011 list call the group “the insurance dream team” of individuals who control or have the greatest influence on people, capital, intellectual knowledge, technology and other industry resources.

Also named to the list is Steve Johnson, new CEO of Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet), the association of agents, brokers and other insurance professionals who use Applied Systems solutions. While 2011 marks the first time Johnson’s name appears among insurance’s most powerful, this is the second consecutive year the list includes an ASCnet CEO. In 2010, the list included Rick J. Morgan, then serving as ASCnet’s interim CEO.

Applied Systems is the only agency and broker management system company represented on the list, and ASCnet is the only technology user group. Also on the list are representatives of organizations that use Applied Systems solutions. They include J. Powell Brown of Brown & Brown Insurance, Joseph Plumeri of Willis Group Holdings, J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., Martin P. Hughes of HUB International Ltd., and David Lockton of Lockton Companies.

“To have the leaders of Applied Systems and ASCnet recognized for the influence our organizations have in the industry demonstrates where the true power is—with every insurance professional who uses Applied Systems technology,” said Kellner, who has made the list every year since its inception. “Steve and I get our names on the list, but the true recognition is for the collective influence of the Applied Systems community. To be acknowledged this way underscores the responsibility we have as industry stewards.”

Johnson, a veteran association executive, became ASCnet CEO in June 2010. He said he understands why ASCnet is so powerful. “In addition to working at and heading up top-performing agencies, ASCnet members are engaged at every level,” Johnson said. “They’re active in state and local agent associations. In industry-wide initiatives, such as the Real Time/Download Campaign, AUGIE, ACT and others. And as leaders in their local communities.”

In the Insurance Technology category, others on the “100 Most Powerful” list represent authoritative industry organizations: Gregory A. Maciag, president and CEO, ACORD; Clare DeNicola, president and CEO, IVANS; and Jeff Yates, executive director, Agents Council for Technology.

Applied Systems Inc. develops, sells and supports insurance agency and broker management systems and provides services for accounting, customer, policy, claims management, and all related agent and broker functions. More than 130,000 users in 11,000 agencies of every size and complexity level use Applied Systems solutions built around insurance agency software—TAM®, Epic®, Vision® and DORIS®. In addition, the company leads the industry in agency-carrier real-time and batch communication solutions. http://www.appliedsystems.com