South Carolina Department of Insurance (DoI) captive programme administrator Jeff Kehler will leave his role at the end of the month.
Kehler, who has spent more than 13 years with the department, will join Somers Risk Consulting as director of captive consulting services.
Somers Risk Consulting is a Charleston-based company that specialises in the design, structuring, and implementation of captive insurance and alternative risk financing programmes.
In his role as captive programme administrator, he oversees all the captive insurance companies licensed in South Carolina, as well as the daily administration of the department, the overseeing of financial surveillance and regulation of captives, the licensing captives, and promotion of the domicile.
In addition to licensing over 200 captives at the DoI, Kehler has drafted legislation and testified before congressional committees.
He also participated in National Association of Insurance Commissioners working groups and task forces regarding risk retention group issues and served as an observer and reviewer for the International Association of Insurance Supervisors.
Prior to joining the DoI, Kehler also held multiple roles in the captive industry, including at Liberty Mutual Alternative Markets, CNA, Captive Resources, and Traditional Insurance Company Experience.
Kehler said he looks forward to working with Somers Risk Consulting managing director Kathryn Marsh and the rest of her team.
He added: “Kathryn Marsh is a wonderful person and a consummate professional and I’m looking forward to helping her grow her business.”
“I always thought that I would return to the private sector, having spent the majority of my career there, and this is a great opportunity to do that.”
Kehler reflected on his time at the DoI, explaining that he had been at the department for the majority of the time South Carolina has been a captive domicile.
He noted: “There are a couple of things that have stood out.”
“The ability to train and develop the junior members of the team so that they look at the business of regulation not as traditional green-eyeshade regulators but more consistent with the principle of proportionality in regard to captives.”
“Also, doing a thorough revamp of our captive legislation that has really set us on a good footing going forward.”