Melissa Gallaro Named President of GEICO Insurance Agency; New GIA Officers Elected

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#GEICO–The GEICO Board of Directors recently announced updates to the GEICO
Insurance Agency (GIA) leadership team, promoting Melissa Gallaro to
president effective May 25. The GEICO Insurance Agency manages partner
companies for personal lines insurance products on behalf of GEICO,
including homeowners,
renters,
and other
specialty policies
.

Gallaro, who is based at the company’s Fredericksburg, Virginia,
regional office, was elected president of the GIA to succeed John Zinno,
who is retiring. Gallaro joined GEICO in 2002 as a sales
counselor in the Woodbury, New York, regional office, where she advanced
through supervisory and management positions. She served as Woodbury’s
planning manager before moving to Fredericksburg as GIA sales director
in 2009. Gallaro then transferred to the Buffalo, N.Y., regional office
in 2011 as GIA sales and service director. She was elected GIA vice
president and GEICO assistant vice president in 2014, and promoted to
GEICO vice president in 2018. Gallaro earned a bachelor’s degree in
business administration from Mary Washington University and an MBA from
Long Island University – C.W. Post.

The Board also elected:

  • GEICO Assistant Vice President Denise O’Malley to GIA vice president,
    succeeding Gallaro. O’Malley started with GEICO in 2005 as a military
    sales associate at the Virginia Beach, Virginia, regional office. She
    held numerous positions before being promoted to motorcycle sales
    manager in 2010. In 2013, O’Malley moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to
    help grow GEICO’s office there. She returned to Virginia Beach in 2015
    after being named service director, and transferred to the GIA in
    Buffalo a year later, where she stayed until being elected an officer
    in 2018. O’Malley graduated from Indiana Institute of Technology with
    a degree in business administration.
  • Sales and service director Pete Rizzo was elected assistant vice
    president and will move into O’Malley’s spot in Buffalo. Rizzo started
    his GEICO career as a customer service representative in Buffalo in
    2005 and was promoted to service manager in 2010. He has managed sales
    and service and directed operations at the North Liberty, Iowa, office
    since 2015. Rizzo earned a degree in business management from Canisius
    College in Buffalo, and is a 2014 graduate of GEICO’s Management
    Seminar.

“We’re fortunate to have such experienced and well-prepared associates
ready to take on these new challenges,” said President and CEO Bill
Roberts.

ABOUT GEICO

GEICO
(Government Employees Insurance Company), the second-largest auto
insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures more than 28
million vehicles. To make changes, report claims, print insurance cards
and purchase additional products, policyholders can access their insurance
policy here
, connect via GEICO
Mobile
, phone or
by visiting a GEICO
local agent
. Homeowners,
renters,
condo,
flood, identity
theft
and term
life
coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance
companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Commercial
auto
and personal
umbrella
coverages are also available. Visit www.geico.com
for a quote or to learn more.

Contacts

GEICO Communications
[email protected]
To
view GEICO’s Blog: https://www.geico.com/more/

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