Allstate Insurance Co., of Northbrook, Ill., has placed Tony Wanderon, the president of its Allstate Dealer Services business unit, on administrative leave, reported Automotive News.

The company refused to comment on the circumstances surrounding his departure or his prospects for returning to the job.

"I have no comment. Hopefully, everything will be cleared up soon and we can get back to business," Wanderon said when reached by phone today at his home in suburban Jacksonville, Fla.

Allstate has informed its general agents that Sara Crowley, its executive vice president of business operations, was appointed acting president of Allstate Dealer Services.

“I understand that recent developments that have taken place at Allstate Dealer Services have created some confusion,” Crowley wrote in a letter earlier this month. “We are dedicated to continuing the drive towards the goal of becoming one of the top providers of F&I products and services in the country.”

Allstate Dealer Services in Jacksonville, Fla., is a leading provider of insurance products sold through dealerships, particularly GAP, or guaranteed asset protection contracts, which help consumers pay off their auto loan if the vehicle is totaled or stolen.

Wanderon was the keynote speaker at the 2010 Vehicle Service Contract Administrator's Conference in Las Vegas in September. His conference bio says he has more than 24 years of experience in the insurance and auto industry and has personally trained thousands of finance and insurance managers and salespeople.

Wanderon was a partner and president of ERJ Insurance Group, established in 1981 to provide F&I products to car dealerships. In 1999, ERJ was acquired by American Heritage Life and merged with the insurer's credit division. Allstate acquired American Heritage later in the same year, changing the name of the division to Allstate Credit Division. It became Allstate Dealer Services in 2009.