News: 2009 Press Release

Insurance Commissioner Poizner today announced that he has appointed Michael Joseph Murray, 50, of Danville, CA, to the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau Governing Committee.

"Michael has exactly the type of business experience you'd want on a board overseeing a vital cog in the workers' comp system," said Commissioner Poizner.  "His company has manufacturing facilities in California as well as our neighboring states of Nevada and Oregon - states actively trying to lure our businesses away.  I know that California will benefit from his diverse experience with a number of state workers' comp systems as we work to ensure a stable and efficient workers' comp market here."

Since 2001, Murray has served as CEO of the Forma Group, a manufacturing company based in the Bay Area, and has served on the Contra Costa County Planning Commission since 2004.  He has also served as the president of Design to Build, a software services company. Murray earned a Masters of Science in International Business from St. Mary's College of California and a Bachelor of Arts in history from UCLA.

The WCIRB Governing Committee is comprised of twelve members: seven private insurers; State Compensation Insurance Fund; and four public members, two representing insured employers and two representing organized labor.  Murray is filling one of the two "insured employers" spots. Except for State Compensation Insurance Fund, insurer members are elected for two-year terms by the membership at the Annual Meeting, while public members are appointed for two-year terms by the Insurance Commissioner.  By statute, State Compensation Insurance Fund is a permanent member of the Governing Committee.  The Insurance Commissioner, or his designated representative, is entitled to attend all meetings of the Governing Committee.