Orion Capital Announces Finance, Investment Exec Moves
Orion Capital Corp. has named Michael L. Pautler chief financial officer and Susan B. Sweeney chief investment officer. The appointments follow the resignation of Donald W. Ebbert, Jr., who joined Orion Capital in April 1998, but has decided to return to the banking industry, where he spent the bulk of his career.
W. Marston Becker, Orion Capital chairman and CEO, stated, "We are fortunate to have the experienced leadership of Mike and Susan, along with others in Orion's finance operation, present within our organization, enabling us to continue our effort to strengthen Orion Capital's financial capabilities. We are equally fortunate to have known and worked with Don. We appreciate the contribution he has made to Orion and respect his decision to move on. We wish him every success."
Pautler, 43, is a senior vice president of Orion Capital who has led the company's mergers and acquisitions efforts since February 1998. He served as chief financial officer of Guaranty National Corporation from 1988 to 1997, through the Company's IPO and public ownership, until it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Orion Capital in December 1997. Pautler joined Guaranty National Corp. as Controller in 1981.
From 1992 until 1996, he also served as chairman of Guaranty National's Collateral Protection Business unit. Pautler is a certified public accountant and a summa cum laude graduate of the University of Missouri from which he received a BSBA and an MA in accounting.
Sweeney, 45, joined Orion Capital in February 1998 as vice president, Asset and Liability Management and was promoted to senior vice president in November 1998. Previously she had been vice president, Financial Planning and Analysis for Travelers Property Casualty Corp.
She has also served as managing director, Strategic Planning in the property/casualty finance area with Aetna Life and Casualty Company, establishing investment strategy and performance benchmarks for a $14 billion investment portfolio. She joined Aetna in 1982 as a securities analyst in the bond investment department and subsequently held positions in Corporate Planning, Aetna International and Corporate Finance, before moving to the property/casualty division. Sweeney holds an MBA from Harvard University and a BS in business from Charter Oak State College, Hartford, Connecticut.