Tennessee Names Jonathan Habart Captive Insurance Section Director

The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance (TDCI) has named Jonathan Habart director of the department's captive insurance section.

Most recently, Mr. Habart had been the captive section's acting and then assistant director.

"While we interviewed many capable candidates during our national search, Jonathan proved to be the strongest candidate for the position because of his proven leadership, institutional and regulatory knowledge, and his close working relationships with Tennessee's numerous captive companies and the Tennessee Captive Insurance Association," TDCI Commissioner Carter Lawrence said in a statement.

"I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan as the new Tennessee captive director. He is extremely well qualified, and he has the right combination of expertise and demeanor to be an outstanding director," Tennessee Captive Insurance Association President Kevin Doherty also said in a statement.

Mr. Habart joined the TDCI in 2016 as a staff examiner and captive insurance specialist. Prior to joining the TDCI, Mr. Habart worked as an accountant with the Tennessee Department of Finance & Administration.

In a statement, Mr. Habart said he will "continue to work diligently as a responsible regulator, further improving Tennessee as a destination for companies looking for risk-management solutions through captive insurance."

Currently, Tennessee has 150 active captives and 336 cell captives, with gross premium volume topping $1.72 billion.

Mr. Habart succeeds Belinda Fortman, who left the TDCI in August to join Innovative Health Holdings as the company's executive vice president.