Wells Fargo Names Doss Head of Personal Insurance Unit

Wells Fargo (WFC) has named an insider as the next head of its personal and small business insurance division.

Anne Doss will lead a team that provides small business and consumer insurance products, including automobile, home, renters, life, umbrella and property and liability insurance. She will be based in Charlotte, N.C., and will continue to report to Laura Schupbach, head of Wells Fargo Insurance, the company said Thursday.

Most recently Doss led the Insurance National Practices and Special Risk group, which provided support to Wells' property and casualty and employee benefits units in addition to its life insurance, international broker and third-party-administrator operations.

Doss succeeds Neal Aton, who will remain with Wells Fargo Insurance and continue to lead several key business initiatives through 2013.

In recent years, Wells Fargo has opted to buy niche businesses, including insurance companies. Earlier this year Chief Executive John Stumpf said at a conference that his company was still on the hunt for deals for insurance firms and that he loved "the insurance distribution business."

Wells Fargo this year reorganized its insurance brokerage and consulting division from 15 regional offices to seven regions with roughly 160 local offices. The insurance unit serves retail consumers, high net worth individuals and corporate customers.

"As we continue to strengthen Wells Fargo's Insurance operations, we have reorganized our leadership to better serve our customers," Schupbach said in a news release. "Under Anne's direction, I'm confident the personal and small business insurance division will continue to grow as we leverage Wells Fargo's strong culture of cross-sell, and partner more closely with the company's business and retail banking groups."