Biographical Sketches
John Perra, Chairman
John joined the Aetna in 1966 as a programmer trainee in the Corporate Computer Services Department. With the advent of the technology for online computer systems, he managed the first 
telecommunications department at Aetna, responsible for online hardware, software and network design.
In 1974, John transferred to the Group Division to lead the technical design, development and operation of Æcclaims. In the ensuing years, he managed various systems, print operations, customer service and business functions in the Group Division and retired in 1995 as Vice-President of Insurance Systems.
John continues to live in Portland, CT with his wife Pinky. Their son Kevin lives and works in New York City and their daughter Tracy lives in Southington. They and their spouses have blessed the family with three wonderful grandchildren that are adored to pieces. John and Pinky love to travel and spend time in upstate New York as well as Canada.
[ Close Window ]
Robert C. Quinn, Board Director & Vice President Human Resources
Bob joined the Aetna in June, 1964 following two years as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army. He spent his entire 30 year career with Aetna in the Human Resources Department. From 1985-1994, Bob headed up the Executive Resources Department within Corporate Human Resources. 
As such, he was accountable for supporting the Chairman and his direct reports in areas such as succession planning, high talent identification and executive development.
In addition, Bob was responsible for overseeing and coordinating separation agreements for all home office officers who were terminated during this period of time. He worked directly with the Law Department and senior management in developing an enhanced separation package to help ease the financial burden on those whose positions were eliminated during the late 80's and early 90's. Therefore, he was an active participant in, and witness to, the Company's efforts to accomplish its downsizing goals by encouraging managers to accept early retirement by accepting a generous package of compensation and benefits.
Bob feels a personal responsibility to fight to help restore benefits for those to whom he and others made promises that are now being broken.
Bob currently owns his own career consulting practice, Career Management Services, in Rocky Hill, Connecticut. He lives in Wethersfield with Priscilla, his wife of 42 years. He has four grown children and seven grandchildren.
[ Close Window ]
John J. Dwyer, Chairman Emeritus & Vice President Public Relations
Following graduation from Providence College, Mr. Dwyer joined Aetna Life and Casualty in 1960 at that company's Harrisburg Pennsylvania field office as a claim representative. During the course of his thirty four years with the company he headed several of the casualty-property divisions including National Accounts, 
the Bond Division, the Personal Lines Division and the consolidation of the Personal and Commercial Claim Departments.
While at Aetna, he served as a founding director of Executive Risk Inc. which was subsequently acquired by the Chubb Insurance Company following a successful public offering. During his Aetna years he served on the Board of the Surety Association of America and the National Insurance Crime Bureau.
Following his retirement from Aetna in 1994 he joined Terra Nova Holdings Ltd. and moved to Bermuda as President of that company's Bermuda insurance operations. He was later appointed by the Board of Directors to the position of Executive Chairman and held that position until the successful sale of the Company to Markel Corporation in 2000. During his Terra Nova assignment he served as a Director of Octavian Managing Agency Ltd., Terra Nova's wholly owned subsidiary, which managed seven syndicates at Lloyd's.
His community involvement included service to the Advisory Board of Council Partners in Bermuda and the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Institute for the Blind/Oak Hill School in Connecticut.
John and his wife Susan have two grown children and three granddaughters. They live in West Simsbury, Connecticut and summer in South Duxbury, Massachusetts.
[ Close Window ]
Robert F. Gilligan, President, Board Director, & Shareholder Proposal Coordinator
Bob Gilligan began his Aetna career in 1957 as a Programmer-Trainee in the Group Control Department. He retired in 1990 as Vice President, Employee Benefits Division. 
He is a LOMA Fellow and a member of the very first Yale Senior Management Program. Along the way he was the Project leader of Aetna's first real-time computer system, Æcclaims, and helped start an insurance company in Indonesia.
Active in the South Windsor community for twenty five years, he served as Chairman of the Library Board, Zoning Board of Appeals and Planning and Zoning Commission.
Bob participates in a number of non-profit organizations and is an avid golfer with memberships in Florida and Connecticut. He and his wife Virginia have three children, Robert of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Laurie of Rocky Hill and Terri Robinson of Glastonbury, Connecticut.
[ Close Window ]
Leon R. Simard, Treasurer and Board Director
Lee spent 25 years as at Aetna. He started in the Corporate Comptrollers Department, and from 1979 to 1997 he held positions in the Property & Casualty Division. He earned the CPA designation in 1969. From 1997 until 2000 he was CEO of a start-up company, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare in Boston.
Lee says that his early retirement to the coast of Maine in 2000 was a failure until the local, non-profit service agencies discovered him and put him to work.
[ Close Window ]
Marilyn Wilson, Vice President Volunteer Coordination & Board Director
Upon graduation from Stonington High School, Stonington, Connecticut, Marilyn joined the former G. Fox & Company in Hartford as a clerical assistant to a Department Manager. 
After six and one half years at G. Fox, she joined Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool Company, West Hartford, as a stenographer in the Export Sales Department where she worked for four and one half years.
In 1961, she joined Aetna as a part-time statistical typist in the Employee Benefits Division. In 1972, she became a full-time employee as an administrative assistant and worked for several officers during her career. Among them were John H. Wertsching, Dunbar M. Helsley, F. X. McLellan III, Lewis F. Beers, Jr., Edward F. Faulkner, Theodore A. Johnston, and David M. Alpeter.
While at Aetna, Marilyn achieved the rating of Certified Professional Secretary (CPS), and she is a member of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP).
Marilyn was married to the late James H. Wilson and has one daughter.
[ Close Window ]
Carl Galinsky, Vice President & Board Director
After graduating from American International College with a degree in Accounting, and, with an MBA from Western New England College, Carl joined Aetna in June, 1968 as a trainee in the Group Experience Rating Department. 
After serving time on active duty with the United States Army Reserves, he resumed his career in Group Experience Rating in March, 1969.
From 1969 through 1987, Carl held increasingly senior positions in Experience Rating/Account Management. In 1987, he joined the Corporate Sales and Marketing Department. From 1987 through 1994, he assumed greater responsibilities in Marketing, becoming Director, Central Region. In 1994, Carl's responsibilities grew to include both Sales and Marketing as well as becoming the Customer Team Leader for the Michigan region.
In October, 1996, he left Aetna and joined United Health Care's Middle Market Marketing Department and remained there until 1999.
Carl currently resides in Glastonbury with his wife of 36 years, Carol. Carol and Carl have two grown daughters and two grandchildren. They enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
[ Close Window ]
David Smith, Vice President Communications & Board Director
Dave Smith served in the Marine Corps in Korea before earning a degree in Journalism from Boston University. He worked for several years as a newspaper reporter and editor before moving to business communications. 
He joined Aetna in 1965 as a writer in the Life Advertising Department.
He worked in LVAM and PFSD Marketing Services and the Life SBU, rising to director of marking services. He was well known as the primary division planner and producer of agent incentive and management meetings. He retired in 1992.
Dave was a Boy Scout leader for 25 years. In retirement, he is a volunteer consultant for the National Executive Service Corps, and a 16-gallon blood donor. He is a long-time student of the Civil War, the editor of the Hartford Civil War Round Table's monthly trivia quiz, and a frequent speaker on Civil War topics.
He makes his home in Old Saybrook with his wife Joan. They have been married 50 years and have a son, Michael, a California architect, and a daughter, Susan, who is a manager at ING. They have six grandchildren.
[ Close Window ]
Robert A. Hall, Board Director
Bob is an Army Air Force veteran of World War II. He graduated from Rutgers University in 1951 and went directly to Aetna where he spent 40 years in the Group/Employee Benefits Division as an actuary, in sales support and management.
Bob makes his home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.
[ Close Window ]
Thomas R. Trumble, Board Director
Tom spent 30 years in the Aetna's Employee Benefit Division, focusing on the sale and service of Group Life, Disability, Medical/Dental and Retirement Plans. 
He worked for Aetna in St. Louis, Dallas, Chicago and Cleveland before moving into the Aetna Home Office in Hartford to manage different regional and national marketing and sales organizations.
He "retired" from Aetna in 1998 and began consulting for Aetna International's affiliates on Y2k matters in Indonesia, Chile, New Zealand, Malaysia, the Philippines and Canada. Tom then joined Cigna Global Pensions as a Retirement Sales Trainer, Coach and Manager doing work in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Tokyo Japan.
Upon returning from Tokyo in 2000, Tom joined Sagemark Consulting/Lincoln Financial Advisors where he worked closely with over 45 families to develop and implement their wealth accumulation, conservation and distribution strategies.
In January 2004 Tom joined the Private Capital Group where he focuses on aligning his clients' needs with the appropriate expertise within the firm to develop wealth management solutions for high net worth families and business owners.
Tom and his wife, Dougie, live in W. Hartford, CT, and have three daughters; Lindsay & Tim Lockard (Columbus, OH), Laura & Ryan Faye (Boston), and Erin (Charlotte, NC). He is active and serves on the Board for Capital Community College Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Foodshare and the Loaves & Fishes Soup Kitchen.
[ Close Window ]
G. Gregory Bertles, Board Director
Greg Bertles joined the Aetna in 1969. In 1978 he completed his actuarial exams and became a Fellow in the Casualty Actuarial Society. Greg's duties over the years were primarily actuarial 
though he did serve as General Manager in the Nashville and Chicago branch offices.
Greg retired from Aetna in 1996 and went on to a position of Managing Director for Price Waterhouse.
Greg is now retired full time. He currently is involved with Ocean Tides, a residential facility for adjudicated teenage boys in Rhode Island. At Ocean Tides he tutors math, is on the Board of Trustees and works on fundraising projects.
This year Greg and Midge will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary. They live in Charlestown, Rhode Island and have two children and four grandchildren.
[ Close Window ]
Brian M. Farrell, Sr., Vice-President Membership & Board Director
Brian spent 28 years in Aetna's Property Casualty Claim area. After graduating from Siena College, Brian joined Aetna in 1968 in the Albany, NY office as a claim representative. 
While in Albany, he held positions of claim representative, senior claim representative and Supervisor before transferring to the Home Office in 1977 where he held positions of increasing responsibility in the technical claim and automation areas.
At the time of the 1996 sale of Aetna's P&C operations he "retired" and moved to Travelers where he was responsible for their Major Case operations until he "retired" again in 2004. He is currently President of Access Claim & Consulting Services, Inc. and BMF Insurance Consulting, LLC.
Brian and his wife Marianne live in Bristol, CT, and have five sons; Brian Jr., Sean, Seamus, JoJo & Mike in addition to four grandchildren, Jordan, Dylan, Jacob and Madison. In addition to ARA, he is on the Board of Directors of the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame, City of Bristol Retirement Board and active with Living In Safe Alternatives, Inc. (L.I.S.A. Inc.).
[ Close Window ]
Dorothy Cooney, Board Director
Dorothy worked in the Information Technology groups in Aetna's Financial Services and Personal Lines divisions for 23 years, and was CIO of Corporate and Financial Systems when she retired in 1996. Over the years, she was involved in application delivery, technology strategy and support, and network operations for Aetna's Life, Health, Auto and Homeowners insurance businesses.
In the early 90's Dorothty led Aetna's "Consistent Office" initiative, which created a standard computing environment for Aetna company-wide. She was honored as one of McGraw-Hill's and BusinessWeek's "Top 100 Women in Computing" in 1995.
Dorothy lives in Higganum, Connecticut with her husband Peter Curran.
[ Close Window ]
Richard M. Wenner, Board Director
Dick hails from Upstate New York and first came to Connecticut as a student at Wesleyan University, There he earned 
his BA degree while majoring in mathematics, a fitting preparation for his actuarial career at Aetna.
In his 30 years at Aetna, Dick spent about equal time in the group insurance, corporate actuarial and group pension areas.
Currently Dick is serving as treasurer or assistant treasurer for three non-profits and enjoying his musical interests. He is also acting as webmaster for this website and his family's genealogical website.
West Hartford, CT continues to be home for Dick and his wife, Maureen.
[ Close Window ]
Warren B. Azano, Board Director
After graduating from Lehigh University and Harvard Law School, and serving as an officer in the Army in between, including a tour in Vietnam, Warren joined the Aetna Law Department in 1974. 
He started out in the property-casualty area and worked for a few years doing tax law, but he spent most of his first 21 years there in the Government Relations area, working on such issues as Superfund/environmental legislation and insurance industry regulation.
When the property-casualty business was sold, he stayed on another two years doing healthcare government relations in the southern and mid-western regions. However, he preferred property-casualty issues, so he left the company and moved across the street to The Hartford, where he spent 6 more years acting primarily as liaison to their DC office, working on such matters as Superfund, asbestos, federal regulation, and terrorism.
He retired in 2004, so he and his wife, Judy Pendell, another Aetna retiree, could relax a little more and spend more time with family. They split their time between Connecticut and Vermont, and visit their five children and three grandchildren in Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Connecticut as much as they can.
[ Top of This Page ] |
| |
[ Close Window ] |