John Gambale, effective January 1, 2024, John will be named Chief Distribution Officer, North America, for Allianz Commercial. Consolidating the North America distribution and marketing teams which aligns with the global Allianz Commercial Distribution model. With one team, John is empowered to bring the full capabilities of Allianz Commercial to our clients and distribution partners, across Mid-Corporate, Large Corporate & Specialty segments.

John joined Allianz in October 2023 as Regional Head of Distribution, Large Corporate where he focused growing this segment with strategic brokers and clients.  John is based in the New York City office, reporting to Tracy Ryan, President & CEO, North America.  

With 25 years of experience, John most recently served as President, Northeast Zone, at AIG where he led overall operations across all major Property, Casualty, Financial Lines and Specialty product lines. During his tenure with AIG, he held various leadership positions of increasing responsibility including Head of Professional Liability & Lexington Financial Lines Executive responsible for Cyber, Miscellaneous, Media, Accountants, Lawyers Malpractice, in the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, and E&S London market and Head of the Private/Non-Profit Management Liability Division responsible for domestic and multinational private and non-profit organizations in the U.S. and Canada.

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John is the Chair of the Northeast Board of Directors for the Insurance Industry Charity Foundation (IICF) and Co-Chair for IICF’s annual fundraising event. John graduated from the University of Vermont with a Bachelor of Science degree in Resource Economics and holds an M.B.A. from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. In 2021, John received the Pace Downtown Gamechanger award for his contributions and impact on Downtown Manhattan over the past two decades.

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Anna brings 20 years of diverse financial services industry experience in building, leading and advising corporations through complex restructuring, acquisitions and international expansion to her role as Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for NEIL and is responsible for all financial operations at NEIL including strategic planning, reporting, financial planning and analysis, insurance accounting, risk management and internal audit.

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Prior to joining NEIL, Anna spent a decade as division CFO of Liberty Mutual, a billion-dollar international insurance corporation, served as CFO and board member for a Florida-based financial services conglomerate spanning insurance, surety and fee-based service companies and most recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Lincoln Investment, a registered broker/dealer and registered investment advisor. In her various roles, Anna led implementations of fiscally sound strategic business plans, business process improvement, capital restructuring, integration and risk management with a focus on disciplined approach to profitable growth.

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Anna has an MBA in Finance from Temple University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and International Business from Drexel University. In 2015, Anna completed the CFO Strategic Partner Program at the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. She holds FINRA Series 27 Registration.

Megan leads Falvey Insurance Group’s marketing and communications and customer experience initiatives. Prior to her current role at Falvey, Megan worked in numerous marketing and sales support roles. Primarily at consumer-packaged goods companies. She created the Women at the Helm speaker series in 2022, which was recognized as a Gold Winner at the 2023 Insurance Marketing & Communications Association’s annual Showcase Awards, and by Business Insurance as a 2022 Diversity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year finalist.

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She also serves on the Executive Committee of the Insurance Marketing & Communications Association (IMCA) Board of Directors, is Co-Chair of the IMCA Partnerships Committee, and was a 2019 recipient of the IMCA Rising Star award. Megan was recently named one of Insurance Business America’s 2022 Elite Women.

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Megan earned her B.A. in English Communications and Spanish from Emmanuel College in Boston, MA in 2010.

Maria Bernal is an experience insurance underwriter with expertise in financial accounting and budgeting assessment. With over three decades of experience in property and casualty insurance, she oversees the accounts of more than 600 policyholders each year. Currently, Maria serves as Senior Vice President - Team Manager at AmRisc LLC.

Throughout her career, she has taken on roles of increasing responsibility, led a team of multiple individuals, fostered strong relationships with clients, trained support staff, and managed policy servicing requests. Additionally, she has ensured that accounts comply with the company's policies and procedures. Maria has also gained valuable experience as a Reinsurance Accounting Supervisor, Treaty Accountant, and Reinsurance Senior Accountant.

In 1999, she obtained a Master of Business Administration degree from Long Island University. Presently, Maria holds Property Casualty Producer licenses in New York and Connecticut and is fluent in reading, speaking, and writing Spanish. Furthermore, she possesses exceptional analytical skills, adeptly manages financial complexities, and is proficient in using QuickBooks, Image Right, EAS, RMS, RSG, and RiscTrack to generate tailored reports, maintain efficient record-keeping, and mitigate potential risks.

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Erin Calvey joined Liberty Mutual on the Distribution Strategy team in 2017, as part of the Liberty Mutual acquisition of Ironshore.  She was named a Global Client Executive of the Client Engagement Program in 2019.  In this role she manages Liberty Mutual commercial P&C relationships for clients in the construction, real estate, healthcare, telecommunications and manufacturing sectors.

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During her tenure at Ironshore, Erin held various positions, most recently as Executive Vice President of Distribution Strategy.  In that role she launched and oversaw a client advisory board, claims advocacy program and industry vertical strategy, with heavy focus on construction, real estate and financial institution clients.  She was also Senior Vice President of Global Broker Relations managing the organizations' corporate relationships with global, national and regional P&C brokerage firms, as well as the operations manager for the U.S. field executive team.

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Prior to joining Ironshore, Erin worked in other industry roles including at Arthur J. Gallagher, serving as an Area Vice President, national casualty broker and account executive.  She has also been a senior business development manager for AIG.

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Erin is actively involved in the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, currently serving on the Northeast Board and formerly serving as the Chairperson to the Northeast Associate Board.  She is the co-chair of the recently launched WE@Liberty New York City Women's Executive Chapter.  She holds a BA in Psychology from Montclair State University.

Michael Cavallaro joined ARC in 1992 and became an Officer and Partner at ARC Excess & Surplus in 2002. In 2021, he became the Chief Executive Officer of the Company and is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the organization, where ARC writes over $1 Billion in Premium and has over 200 employees with seven offices and focuses on the placement of Management & Professional Liability Insurance Products.

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His duties include managing the company as well as managing a book of business with a team of brokers and administrative people that service accounts he is directly involved in producing. His focus is in dealing with relationships with brokers, insureds and insurance companies and other business partners and setting the direction for the company in terms of marketing and operations. He has been handling Management and Professional Liability in his 31 years at ARC and worked at AIG from 1985 to 1990 and then Gulf Insurance Company from 1990 to1992.

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The singular emphasis on Management and Professional Liability with a heavy focus on D&O Insurance has allowed him to gain substantial experience and expertise in placing Management and Professional Liability Insurance and providing clients with valuable advice when making decisions regarding these lines of coverage. He has written various articles during his career including the following white papers: Directors and Officers Liability - What to Know, From a Broker's Perspective. A D&O Broker's Dilemma: Who Do We Represent? and Summary of the State of the Directors & Officers Insurance Marketplace.

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From 2001 through 2004, he was the co-chair to the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) D&O Liability and Insurance Issues Symposium, one of the most well-known and attended conferences regarding Directors and Officers Liability Insurance. From 2016 – 2017, he served as the Chairman of the Eastern Chapter of PLUS, and in 2018, won the PLUS Founders Award for outstanding contributions to PLUS.

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Michael Cavallaro graduated with magna cum laude honors from City College of New York (CCNY), where he received a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical Engineering) and a minor in Mathematics.  Michael has received the Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation granted by the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS).

Michelle Chia has two decades of cyber, technology, and professional liability insurance experience. She spent the past ten years building teams that experienced triple digit growth while optimizing operational efficiency, developing innovative and customer centric products and services, and engaging in public private partnership to advise on policy and to build resilience.

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Prior to joining AXA XL as the Chief Underwriting Officer for Cyber, Design and Select Professionals in the Americas, Michelle was the Head of Professional Liability and Cyber at Zurich North America, which became a top ten cyber insurance carrier.   The portfolio experienced exponential top line growth and six consecutive years of profitability.  Michelle built products focused on greenfield segments, like industry specific capabilities and proactive cyber resilience solutions to help close customers’ cyber resource gaps.  Michelle also engaged with various federal agencies, both domestically and internationally, and advised US congressional subcommittees to encourage public private partnership on the topic of strengthening cyber resilience.

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In addition, Michelle started her career at ACE Limited where she expanded cyber, technology, and financial lines portfolios.

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Michelle is featured on podcasts and traditional media. She has spoken at RIMS, IRMI, PLUS, AGC, NAIC and numerous other insurance and InsureTech conferences. She co-founded and hosted Four of a Kind Podcast, which focuses on entrepreneurship, and served on non-profit boards.

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Michelle graduated Tufts University with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development.  She also received her Master of Business Administration at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Ashley is an expert in risk management and insurance placement for complex real estate portfolios. As an Executive Vice President at Alliant, she leads the America’s East real estate division, managing a team of professionals. Ashley oversees a diverse portfolio of property and casualty business, including large commercial real estate, multi-family/habitational properties, affordable housing, co-ops, condos, and hospitality accounts.

Ashley began her career in insurance in 2004, quickly establishing herself as a key resource for clients and colleagues due to her diligence and problem-solving skills. Her client-first approach has driven her success at Alliant, earning her numerous industry accolades for in-depth policy analysis and innovative coverage solutions. In 2016, Ashley was awarded the prestigious Power Broker® designation from Risk & Insurance for her efforts in reducing premiums and expanding coverage for a key real estate client, alongside presenting a strategic plan for long-term loss reduction. She was also named one of Insurance Business America’s Elite Women in 2017, recognizing her excellence in leadership, innovation, service, and results. Most recently, in 2022, Ashley was honored by the Business Council of Westchester as a top 40 under 40 Rising Star, a recognition of local leaders who demonstrate outstanding leadership and business results.  

Ashley is a licensed insurance producer in the state of New York and holds a BA in Economics from the State University of New York, College at Oneonta. She is a member of the Northeast Board for the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation.

Brett is Head of Sustainability and Resilience at TransRe, where he is responsible for the assessment and management of risks and opportunities presented by the myriad sustainability-related challenges facing society. Prior to his current role, Brett was a property treaty underwriter at TransRe with responsibility for the management of the US Regional property cat portfolio.

With over 15 years in the insurance industry and related fields, Brett began his career at Aon in actuarial retirement consulting.

Brett is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Applied Mathematics and Statistics, completed a graduate certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard Extension School, and earned the Sustainability and Climate Risk certificate offered by the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

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Director of the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (GSRM) at St. John’s University in New York City, Ms. Weber served as Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs at The College of Insurance - an independent specialty college, prior to its merger with St. John’s in 2001.  Prior to joining the College, Ms. Weber held administrative positions in student affairs at New Jersey Institute of Technology, University of Northern Colorado, and The College of New Jersey.  

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Ms. Weber leads areas of GSRM that steward relationships and deliver services to the risk management industry.  She oversees fund-raising, grant-funded student programs, scholarship administration, and career development services of the School’s endowed Ellen Thrower Center for Apprenticeship and Career Services.

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Over her career, Ms. Weber has taught courses and developed a distinctive “Career Development Series” for first-generation college students entering industry.  She was an instructor in the former Insurance Education Institute, a program for high school teachers, enhancing effectiveness in teaching insurance-related subjects.  Ms. Weber served on the Clinical Faculty of New York University’s M.A. Program in Higher Education/Student Personnel Administration from 1994 to 2001.  

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Ms. Weber has served on the Boards of Mustard Seed School (Hoboken, NJ) and the former St. Joseph of the Palisades High School (West New York, NJ), both with institutional missions to underserved children in urban settings and has delivered training programs for high schools and colleges in the NY Metro and Rocky Mountain regions.  Ms. Weber is an honorary member of John Street Club (NYC).

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A graduate of The College of New Jersey, Ms. Weber holds her M.A. degree in Higher Education Administration from the University of Northern Colorado and is a graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education Institute for Management and Leadership in Education.

Sam has been in the insurance industry for over 15 years, joining Intact (formerly IMU / OneBeacon) in 2013. Over that time he has held various roles of increasing responsibility, and is currently the Hull and Liability Product Line Director for Ocean Marine, as well as Field Office Executive, Ocean Marine. In these dual roles Sam is responsible for the development, strategy and performance of Intact’s domestic Hull and Liability products, and manages Intact’s seven US Ocean Marine offices, respectively.

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Prior to joining Intact Sam held roles at the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, Foreign Credit Insurance Association (GAIC), and Great American Insurance where he began his career as a Corporate Management Development Associate. He graduated from Duke in 2007 with degrees in Public Policy and History, with a dual concentration in both American and Military history.

Curt Hess is the Executive President in the United States for Vitesse,  where he is leading the Company's expansion in the States.  Curt brings over 20 years of experience working in fintech and banking, most recently as Chief Operating Officer of 10x Banking in the United Kingdom. Prior to this, Curt spent over a decade with Barclays, where he held a number of C level positions, most recently as Chief Executive Officer of Barclays US Consumer Bank.

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An industry veteran with over 30 years of experience, Mark Manzi serves as Risk Strategies National Brokerage Leader. He is lead liaison to the carrier and intermediary community where he is responsible for communicating the needs of Risk Strategies and its clients, assisting in developing overall strategy, and negotiating complicated coverage and claims. He also leads Risk Strategies National Product Line Practices, Risk Management and Claims, and is a member of the Executive Committee. 

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Mark earned his MBA from the Isenberg School of Management, University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, and his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York. 

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Throughout his career, he has had extensive involvement in mentoring programs and professional development training. Mark serves on several Carrier and Intermediary Broker Advisory Councils and is a frequent contributor to industry publications. 

Mike Markowski is a Senior Vice President on the RenaissanceRe US Multiclass Casualty Treaty Team. Mike is responsible for underwriting a portfolio of cyber, professional and general liability treaties.

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Mike joined RenRe from AXIS Re, where he managed a portfolio of Professional Liability treaties.  Prior to AXIS Re, Mike was an underwriter of Executive Liability lines on the primary insurance side. He began his career as at AIG handling professional liability claims.

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Mike has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Sacred Heart University. Mike holds a RPLU designation and is working on his CPCU designation.

Kyle V. Matthews is an accomplished insurance professional with over a decade of experience in underwriting and leadership roles. He has a proven track record in the general industry and construction sectors (P&C), specializing in risk assessment and portfolio management. His expertise has consistently driven profitable growth, notably contributing to a 30% increase in the NYC book’s profitability over three years at Travelers. Kyle’s success is built on his robust internal network and strong industry relationships, which have been instrumental in winning deals and increasing cross-sell opportunities. He has also played a key role in mentoring, onboarding, and co-traveling with less tenured teammates to ensure their swift integration into the team.

Currently, Kyle serves as the Director of Sales and Distribution at Hartford’s NYC office, a position he has held for the past year and a half. In this role, he has successfully led initiatives to expand market presence and strengthen broker relationships through system enhancements, his role as an executive sponsor, and consistent sales training, underwriting, and leadership coaching. In November 2024, Kyle will make a lateral move to become the Managing Director of the Middle Market team in the NYC office. In this new role, he will leverage his technical experience, internal and external network, and passion for developing leaders.

Kyle’s career began at Zurich, where he led the New York City office Employee Resource Group, ZAAA, actively engaging employees and partnering with schools like St. John’s to pipeline diverse talent. His engagement with ERGs opened the network to NAAIA-NY Metro, where he remains an active member. During the pandemic, Kyle transitioned to Travelers, where he served on the Black and African American Diversity Network- Learning & Development Committee, planning, collaborating, and programming both remotely and volunteering locally. His drive to create exposure for the insurance industry led him to actively recruit talent from outside the industry and tap into students unfamiliar with the opportunities it provides.

Externally, Kyle serves as a RISE Strategic Planning Board member focusing on developing and recognizing the next generation of insurance talent. on IBANY’s programming committee, he serves as a board member of NAAIA NYC-Metro, responsible for Agent and Broker development. In his previous role as Emerging Leaders chair, he stewarded a mentorship program that impacted over 40 students during his 2.5-year term, which ended in October 2024. He also led insurance education sessions on university campuses throughout the NY Tri-state area.  These roles align with his efforts to focus on the next generation of talent and create meaningful programming for tenured industry professionals. Kyle has recently joined the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) board with a focus on the grants committee which is responsible for philanthropic investments for under-represented communities.  Internally at The Hartford, Kyle co-leads the Workforce Enterprise pillar for the Black Insurance Professional Network, focusing on talent development, recruitment, and retention.

Kyle has received multiple Rising Star awards from organizations like the Water Street Club (2018) and RISE 35 Under 35 (2023) for his contributions to the community, industry, and his role. These recognitions have provided opportunities for Kyle to speak as a thought leader at national and local levels on industry trends, innovation, talent, and career navigation. He has also had an article published about his journey and insights featured in Insurance Business America.

Beyond his professional achievements, Kyle is an avid traveler, writer, speaker, thrill seeker and active member of his church, where he serves as the Senior Warden and leads two ministries focused on spiritual development, community as well as an enthusiastic member of the choir. He is also a proud member of the fraternity Alpha Phi Alpha Inc., serving as the Chaplain and spearheading the Go to High School, Go to College mentorship program, as well as being a committee member on the Voteless People is a Hopeless People committee. Originally from Southeast Queens, Kyle now resides in Union County New Jersey with his wife Donna and their three daughters.

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Edel McIntyre is the Corporate Business Leader for Marsh’s New York Operations. In her role, Edel is responsible for managing the overall relationship and servicing quality of Marsh’s Corporate Clients, coordinating across all Marsh solution sets in order to deliver most appropriate servicing and risk solutions required. She is directly active in driving risk solutions for clients in the Real Estate, Manufacturing, Not-for-Profit, Municipality, Higher Education, Hospitality, Service and Retail industries.

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Edel has 25 years of experience in the Insurance Industry and has held a number of positions across Marsh companies in captive management, casualty product risk management advisory, client relationship management and business leadership in both Dublin and New York.  She is currently a member of Marsh’s Northeast Zone leadership team responsible for executing on the territory’s business priorities and strategy.

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Actively involved in Marsh’s Women’s Colleague Resource Group, Edel has served as NY chapter leader in addition to being a member of the US Steering Committee to work across the Industry with partner organizations to promote the support and professional advancement of Women in Insurance.

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Edel received her BA in Risk Management and European Studies from the University of Limerick, Ireland.

Sabrina Miesowitz is the General Counsel of Lloyd’s America, Inc., a subsidiary of the Corporation of Lloyd’s, which oversees and provides a variety of services to the Lloyd’s market. The Lloyd’s America Legal Team handles US government relations responsibilities including liaising with US regulators, legislators and government officials and developing Lloyd’s strategy on regulatory and public policy matters that impact Lloyd’s US business. Sabrina leads the team in monitoring legislative and regulatory developments at the state and federal level and providing advice to the market. The Lloyd’s America Legal team is also responsible for maintaining the market’s licenses and regulatory eligibility in the US.

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Sabrina joined Lloyd’s in 2010.  Prior to that, Sabrina was an associate in the Insurance Regulatory Department at Dewey & LeBoeuf, LLP. Sabrina is a graduate of New York University and NYU School of Law.

Maroun Mourad is president of Claims Solutions, overseeing Verisk’s integrated suite of products and services that help improve claims processing, estimating, reporting compliance, valuation, and fraud detection worldwide.

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As a data analytics and insurance executive, Maroun has profitably grown businesses in the United States, UK, Europe, and emerging markets since 1998. His focus on team-building, customer-centricity, and delivering quality results has driven business transformations in established, start-up, and turnaround environments.

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He’s led teams and businesses in personal and commercial lines spanning multiple customer segments, distribution channels, and cultures. In his previous leadership roles at Gen Re, AIG, Arch, and Zurich, he served clients across underwriting (production and technical), operations, and general management.

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Maroun is an industry thought leader, public speaker, volunteer, and mentor whose first book, The Insurance Management Playbook: A Leader’s Guide, was published in 2014.

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He holds a JD and a BA in political science, both from the University of California, Berkeley. He’s also completed several executive education programs, including the AIG Mini-MBA at the Columbia Business School and the Zurich Executive Leadership Program at the London Business School.

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Maroun is a board member for the northeast division of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, a volunteer with New York Cares, and an advisory board member of the NOMI Network, a global nonprofit that supports economic development to fight human trafficking.

Kelly K. Norris, CAE is the executive director of the Professional Insurance Agents Associations of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and New Hampshire, and Vermont and other affiliated organizations.  An experienced association executive with 30 years in a senior management role, Norris was the executive director of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers Inc., prior to joining PIA.  Previous to that, she was the executive director of the New York State Consumer Finance Association.

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Since 1991, Norris has been a member of the American Society of Association Executives and the Empire State Society of Association Executives.

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She is a graduate of LeMoyne College where she studied business administration with a concentration in political science; and received the Certified Association Executive designation from ASAE in 2005.

JillAllison Opell is a partner and insurance lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP.  JillAllison represents insurers and insurance-related entities in all lines of business, including accident, life and health, property and casualty, surplus lines, travel and reinsurance. JillAllison also represents private equity funds and other sponsors acquiring and divesting insurers and/or insurance-related entities.

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JillAllison’s regulatory experience includes advising clients on Holding Company Act issues including acquisitions, intercompany agreements and investment laws, as well as compliance, licensing and Affordable Care Act issues. She has counselled private equity funds, insurers, reinsurers, producers and other insurance industry professionals, helping to achieve compliance, obtain transaction approval and develop new products. Always monitoring and analyzing the latest regulatory developments, she assists clients with state legislative updates and regulatory investigations.

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JillAllison was recognized for Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the practice area of Insurance: Transactional & Regulatory (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).

John is currently President of the RT Specialty New York office, representing more than 150 brokers placing over $1.6B premium in 2023.

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John is also a Property Broker and Team Leader.  Since joining RT Specialty in May of 2011, his team have achieved double digit organic growth every year for 13 consecutive years.  John specializes in first party coverage for Energy, Construction, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Public Entity business.  John is a Practice Group Leader for the RT’s Energy vertical.

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In 2018, John and his team were awarded the Property Broker of the Year award from RT Specialty, and were the only Property team nominated by Business Insurance for the Wholesale Team of the Year award. In 2019, John and his team were awarded the Patrick G. Ryan Award.  In 2020, John and his team won the RT President’s Award for Property, and were nominated for the Insurance Insider Honors Broking Team of the Year. In 2021, John was awarded the Patrick G. Ryan Award for a second time.

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Prior to joining RT Specialty, John began his career at Marsh in New York as a property broker and has been working in the insurance industry for 20 years.

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John is a graduate of Loyola College in Baltimore, with a Bachelor of Arts, Majoring in History and Minoring in Political Science.  He lives on Long Island with his wife and two daughters.

Skills and experience
Andy Peterson is Zurich North America’s Regional Executive for the East Region. In this role, he is responsible for executing Zurich’s business strategy in the East, including delivering on growth and profitability goals, ensuring operational excellence and building strong relationships with customers and distributors.

Since joining Zurich in 2008, Peterson has held several leadership roles, including Senior Broker Relationship Leader, Regional Vice President for the Northeast Region, Head of Operations for Specialty Products, Head of Private Equity and Senior Vice President for Financial Lines. Previously, he held leadership roles at AIG.

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Educational background

‍Peterson holds an MBA in finance from Fordham University and a bachelor’s degree in management from Providence College.

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Melissa is a Regional Vice President with Travelers Insurance Company responsible for Private and Non-Profit, Public Company, & Financial Institutions for all product lines in the New York City Metro Region.

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Melissa has more than 27 years of insurance experience.  In 2017, Melissa became the RVP of Management Liability after spending seven years as the Managing Director of the Private and Non-Profit Team focusing on profitable growth, agency relationships, and employee development.  Before focusing on private company, she spent several years as a public company underwriter and five years on the brokerage side.

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Melissa serves on the Advisory Board of The Bridge, a not for profit entity whose mission is to foster an inclusive network that generates meaningful connections among industry professionals. The organization strives to develop and advance high potential women in order to increase the number of diverse colleagues in senior roles within Financial Lines.

Paul Rodriguez is Northeast Zone Executive for AIG North America Financial Lines. Based in New York, Paul is responsible for driving all product, distribution, and talent management strategies across this key geography for Financial Lines. Paul has 25 years of insurance underwriting experience partnering with various models, from an agency based to wholesale and retail brokerage. Prior to joining AIG, Paul held leadership positions at Swiss Re Corporate Solutions, Chubb LTD (F.K.A. ACE) and Travelers. Paul holds a B.A. from St. John’s University in Government and Politics and an M.B.A. with a specialization in Finance from Adelphi University.

In September 2004, Bill joined the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation as Chief Executive Officer and is responsible for the overall operation and strategic direction of the Foundation. Bill comes to the Foundation after a 31-year career with the Walt Disney Company, having worked in the Parks and Resorts division with assignments in Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Resort in Paris. He was a member of the executive team that managed the $2 billion expansion of the Disneyland Resort in Southern California. Bill has a broad background in marketing, communications, planning and development and external relations. He is a Chairman Emeritus of the Orange County Business Council.

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He has served on numerous nonprofit boards throughout California such as the California Golden State Museum, Children’s Hospital Orange County and Cypress College Foundation. He is a strong advocate of education and completed his undergraduate and graduate degree at California State University Fullerton. In 1989 he was recognized as a distinguished alumnus. Prior to his business career he lectured at California State University, Fullerton for five years.

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Daniel Russ serves as Vice President | Retail Excess Casualty. In this role, he manages a team of underwriters across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic territories. Daniel holds the responsibility for over $130M in Excess Casualty premium in both the national account and middle market space.

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Since joining CNA 5 years ago, Daniel’s responsibilities have grown in correlation with his expertise. He started as a desk underwriter in 2019, but has since transitioned into a New York manager role, and now leads 1/3 of the country in excess casualty endeavors. Throughout his invaluable experiences and contributions at CNA, Daniel’s book of business has grown by five times and his staff has more than doubled.

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Prior to his time at CNA, Daniel had nine years of excess casualty experience under his belt. Upon graduating from Penn State University in 2010, he started his career at AIG, serving as an Underwriting Analyst and Underwriter in their national account excess group. He then expanded upon his experience at QBE, with the title of Assistant Vice President – Underwriting Leader – Risk Management. In this role, he helped the company build out their middle market excess initiative and worked with brokers all across the country.

Paul is Senior Vice President of Executive Liability at Co/Action Specialty Insurance Group.

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As the Head of Executive Liability, Paul brings with him a vast underwriting and leadership experience and will work closely with our distribution partners to enable new business development.  He leads a team focused on Directors and Officers (D&O) Liability, A-side DIC cover for D&Os, other ancillary Management Liability lines of business for public, private and not-for-profit entities.  The team also focuses on D&O and management liability lines of business for Financial Institutions, including P&C lines of cover specifically for credit unions and bond coverage.

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Paul has over 25 years of experience in the domestic and international insurance industry and has worked for Allianz SE, Zurich Insurance, American Wholesale Brokerage and AIG.  Paul most recently served as the Global Industry Solutions Director for Financial Institutions for Allianz SE. While there he also held positions as Regional Head of Financial Lines and Global Head of the Alternative Risk Transfer group.  During his time at AIG, he held several roles including Divisional Counsel, VP and Chief Underwriting Officer.  In 2004, Paul left AIG to start his career as a broker for American Wholesale where he started their financial lines office.  In 2006, Paul returned to the carrier arena accepting a position with Zurich as Global Chief Underwriting Officer for Management Liability and Financial Institutions and Global Head of Private Equity and M&A Insurance Group.

Paul obtained his law degree from New York Law School and passed the New York and New Jersey bar in 1993.

Paul has more than 35 years of insurance and leadership experience in various areas including global account management for some of the world’s largest organizations, strategic carrier relations working with C-Suites in the development of mutually beneficial goals & products and placement of complex casualty accounts utilizing the global marketplace with capacity from the U.K., Europe, Asian, Bermuda and domestic markets alike.

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He has worked in NYC his entire career starting in 1986 with Aon (Alexander & Alexander) followed by Willis Towers Watson in 2002 before joining the H.W. Kaufman Group in 2019. His accomplishments since joining the Kaufman Group include development of new carrier and retail agency/broker partner relationships, development of a formalized claims practice, establishment of a carrier reporting/analytics tool to support strategic partnership/initiative planning as well as many other milestones.

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Paul is heavily involved in organizations in and outside of the insurance industry, he is a longstanding member and past Governor of the John Street Insurance Association and is active with the Insurance Broker Association of New York. He is also a member of the Insurance Advisory Committee of The Boy Scouts of America, and often volunteers with several organizations including the Special Olympics New Jersey, Long Island Bull Dog Rescue, and The American Legion.

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Paul was the 2018 recipient of the 200 Club Meritorious Service Award and in 2015 he received the United States of America President’s Volunteer Service Award.

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He is a licensed New York State Insurance Broker, New Jersey State Certified Emergency Medical Technician, National Fire Protection Association Technical Rescue & Swift Water Rescue Technician, a published author, and an owner of an LLC focused on the advancement of the collectible vehicle hobby. Paul earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from St. Peter’s University.

Peter Tucker is EVP National Distribution, NA Field Operations for Chubb. Born and raised in Pelham, NY, Peter began his Chubb career in 1983 as a Property & Marine Underwriter in New York City.  He served Property & Marine in Chubb’s Midtown, Long Island, Boston and New Haven offices before assuming responsibilities as the Marketing Manager for the Long Island office.  In 1994, Peter became the London and U.K. Region Marketing Manager and later European Zone Marketing Manager.  In 1995, he moved to Hartford as Branch Manager. Three years later, Peter assumed responsibility for New York and Mid-Atlantic Zone Marketing and later became Manager of U.S. Field Operations for Marketing.  In mid-1999, Peter became the Westchester and Upstate New York Regional Branch Manager, and in January of 2006 became the Branch Manager of Chubb’s New York City office. In January 2012, he became the Regional Manager for Chubb’s NYC/NJ Region, in 2017 he was named Regional Executive Officer for the NY Region, and in 2021 Peter assumed his current role of EVP National Distribution, NA Field Operations.

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Peter is the Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation Northeast Division and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the National Foundation.  He is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Canterbury School in Connecticut.

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Peter and his wife, Sara, both attended Georgetown University and live in Westport, Connecticut.

Loretta Worters is vice president of media relations for the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), focusing her work on improving understanding of key insurance issues across all industry stakeholders including media, consumers, insurers, producers and regulators.

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As a national spokesperson for the property/casualty insurance industry, Ms. Worters is frequently quoted in leading publications including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Washington Post and Forbes, among others, and appears regularly on television networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNBC, CNN and FOX.

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Ms. Worters handles major strategic issues confronting the insurance industry. She serves as the insurance industry’s chief crisis communications officer, developing and implementing disaster communications plans and working with national media during such catastrophes as the COVID-19 pandemic, civil riots, hurricanes, wildfires and terrorism. She develops articles, thought leadership pieces, editorial content, product launches as well as business insurance campaigns.

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Ms. Worters has worked to promote women’s financial literacy through women’s organizations including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the National Network to End Domestic Violence. She served as a board member on the Allstate Foundation’s domestic violence program (formerly Purple Purse®) and helped develop two publications as part of Allstate’s Readiness Series, Creating Long-Term Financial Success and Financial Strategies for Immigrant and Refugee Women. She is currently a board member of the Northeast Region of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation, which helps communities and enriches lives by uniting the collective strengths of the insurance industry in providing grants, volunteer service and leadership.

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Ms. Worters headed up the Community Outreach Program directed by former Vice President Al Gore, which resulted in her writing the industry publication, Empowering Communities.

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Ms. Worters has authored articles that have appeared in numerous publications including Carrier Management, The Geneva Association, The John Liner Review, National Underwriter, Professional Agent magazine, Risk & Insurance Economics has contributed to the book NOLO’s Essential Guide to Buying Your First Home and has been a guest blogger for Equifax’s Finance and Small Business blogs. She also makes presentations and provides public relations counsel to industry associations and companies both nationally and internationally.

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Prior to Triple-I, she worked for Scandinavian Airlines and Dean Witter Reynolds. She holds an M.A. in Communications from the New School and a B.A. in Journalism. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.

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Christyn Yoast is a seasoned insurance professional with over two decades of experience in underwriting, distribution, and strategy development across various lines of business, including Professional Liability, Management Liability, Property, General Liability, Auto and Workers’ Compensation. Currently serving as the US President of Boxx Insurance, she brings a wealth of expertise in leading digital transformation initiatives and fostering strategic partnerships to drive organizational growth.

Prior to this role, Christyn was the North American Head of Underwriting & Distribution and Global API Channel Owner at Beazley Digital, where she led the digital division's portfolio and implemented API integration strategies to optimize policy management. Additional leadership roles include serving as Vice President of Carrier & Distribution Strategy at Amwins where she spearheaded strategic sales plans for the Western U.S. and mentored junior brokers to ensure client satisfaction and regional growth.

Before joining Amwins, Christyn held various positions of increasing responsibility at firms such as AIG and Liberty Mutual, where she demonstrated the ability to lead cross-functional teams across the US in achieving ambitious sales and operational goals.

In addition to holding a Master of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Central Arkansas, Christyn holds several key industry designations, including Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Risk Management (ARM), Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI), Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) and Casualty Claim Law Specialist (CCLS). She also serves as the Treasurer of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s (IICF) Eastern Division Board.

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