Mastering Emerging & Complex Risks
9:55 – 10:35
KEYNOTE: Inside the Risk Room – Fresh Thinking from the Modern CRO
Pacific Zone
| Step behind the scenes with today’s top risk leaders as they reveal what’s driving change in the world of insurance. This high-energy conversation will dig into how organizations are tackling new threats, embracing technology, and reimagining partnerships to stay ahead of the curve. Hear candid stories, surprising lessons, and bold ideas for navigating uncertainty, building trust, and unlocking new opportunities in a rapidly evolving landscape. Walk away with insights and inspiration to elevate your approach to risk—no matter your role in the industry. |
Rochelle Lewis
Director, Risk Manager, Red Bull
Randel Maestas
Risk Manager, Wonderful Co
Heidi Bastien
Vice President of Risk Management, Foundation Building Materials
Rodney Dowell
Manager, Insurance & Enterprise Risk Management, Servco Pacific
10:40 – 11:15
E&S Unfiltered: The Insider’s Guide for 2026
PALM ZONE
| E&S is where some of the toughest—and most interesting—business is happening. In this session, top E&S brokers, MGAs, and underwriters break down how they’re accessing capacity, navigating shifting appetites, and solving for risks the standard market won’t touch. Learn practical strategies for building strong carrier and MGA relationships, handling difficult claims conversations, and using tech to streamline submissions. Delegates will leave with insider perspectives and new approaches to winning in the 2026 E&S market. |
Jamie Cannon
Senior Vice President of Logistic Services, Reliance Partners
Ashby Moore
Area Vice President, Risk Placement Services
10:40 - 11:15
Panel: Specialty Lines Unplugged – Financial, Construction, Cyber and Beyond
SHORE ZONE
| Specialty is where the market gets interesting—and complex. In this scenario‑driven panel, brokers and underwriters walk through real‑world situations, from founder sales to PE and roll‑up plays to complex construction and cyber exposures. Hear where they’re seeing profitable growth, how capacity and pricing are shifting, and the questions to ask clients and markets. Leave with practical niches to target and a checklist for your next high‑stakes placement or transaction. |
Reid Eanes
Executive Vice President, Co-Practice Leader, Lockton
Mike Gulla
CEO & Co-founder, Adaptinve Insurance
Moderator
Moderator
12:00 - 12:35
Q&A: Winning the Cyber Battle with Clients
OCEAN ZONE
| Cyber threats are evolving faster than most clients can keep up—and they expect their broker to be the expert. In this open Q&A, a broker, MGA, and CISO unpack how they’re talking about cyber today: from social engineering and ransomware to third‑party/vendor risk and personal cyber exposures. Get practical language, examples, and frameworks for turning cyber conversations into real client value instead of fear‑based selling, and bring your toughest questions for an unscripted, broker‑led discussion. |
Garrett Droege
SVP Digital Risk Practice Leader, IMA Corp
Nadia Hoyte
Cyber National Practice Advisor, USI Insurance Services
Keith Savino
Principal - Managing Director, Trucordia
Fitz Swain
Vice President, RT Specialty
12:40 - 13:15
Blueprints & Bulldozers: Construction Risk Unfiltered
PALM ZONE
Construction projects are getting bigger, more complex, and more exposed—to climate, regulation, supply chains, and litigation. In this candid “war stories” session, brokers, underwriters, and claims leaders share the surprises (good and bad) they’ve seen on major construction accounts, and what they’d do differently next time. Explore how climate, regulatory shifts, and specialty products are changing the risk profile, and co‑create a must‑ask checklist you can use on your next major project.
Jose Suarez
Vice President, Managing Partner, Alera Group
13:35 - 14:15
Panel: Claims & Courtroom Chaos: Surviving Nuclear Verdicts in the E&S Era
OCEAN ZONE
| Litigation, social inflation, and “nuclear” jury awards are reshaping the E&S landscape, and claims missteps are more expensive than ever. Step into the trenches with claims and legal experts as they share how early intervention, advanced analytics, and tight broker‑carrier‑counsel coordination can change outcomes—from reserving and defence strategy to settlement posture. Walk away with a sharper checklist of questions to ask on every large, complex claim and a clearer story to take back to clients about what’s really at stake. |
Brandon Schuh
Senior Vice President & Head of Specialty Insurance, Christensen Group
Adil Husain
Founder, The Intelligence Council
Moderator
Moderator
14:40 - 15:15
Beyond the Model: Rethinking Nat Cat Risk for a Volatile World
PALM ZONE
| When clients hit you with “Why is my coverage changing again?” you need more than a climate soundbite, you need a clear, confident story that actually lands. In this high energy session, a catastrophe modeling expert, a nat cat heavy retail broker and a California reinsurer unpack what is really driving pricing, capacity and coverage shifts on the ground. You will leave with sharper language for tough client conversations and practical ideas to keep cat exposed accounts insured and resilient in a world that will not sit still. |
Dawn Cusack
Senior Vice President, Brown and Riding
14:00 - 14:35
E&S Innovation Lab: Designing Coverage for Tomorrow’s Wild Risks
SHORE ZONE
| Some risks are too complex—or too “wild”—for the standard market. In this interactive lab, underwriters, MGAs, and brokers walk through how new E&S products and structures are being built for exposures like wildfires, hurricanes, cyber, and social inflation. See how data, analytics, and creative underwriting are being used to craft solutions, and work with peers to build a short checklist of questions and data points you can bring to your next “too hard” risk. |
14:40 - 15:15
Cyber Crisis Live: What Would You Do?
SHORE ZONE
| Your customers make their worst decisions in the first 60 minutes of a cyber incident because they don’t have a plan and don’t practice. In this high-energy, interactive session, you’ll step into your policyholder’s shoes to navigate a fast-moving Business Email Compromise (BEC) with a deepfake AI twist, where traditional verification fails and $287,000 is on the line. You’ll feel the pressure of making critical decisions from first detection to board-level fallout, see why “call your broker” must be an immediate containment step, and leave with a draft Incident Response Plan template ready to share with your customers. |
Kip Boyle
Cyber Risk CEO & Advisor, Cyber Risk Opportunities
15:20 - 15:50
Personal Cyber 2.0: Add Ons That Keep You Ahead of the Pack
PALM ZONE
| Personal cyber is no longer just “identity theft insurance” as brokers are now dealing with hacked bank and payment apps, deepfake and phishing scams, home device ransomware and data leaks from everyday platforms. This session explores how carriers are reshaping personal cyber cover, what is really covered and what is not, and how leading brokers are packaging it with home, auto and executive policies for high risk clients and families. You will hear real claim stories and leave with concrete talking points and education tactics to make personal cyber a relevant, value adding conversation rather than a fear play. |
Mila Araujo
Personal Cyber Practice Leader, North America, Assistant Vice President, DigitalShield, NFP
12:45 - 13:15
Panel: New Rules, Real Risk: Brokers in 2026
SHORE ZONE
Rules around cyber, AI, data and deal‑driven change are tightening, and brokers are increasingly judged on what’s in the file. In this session, legal specialists sit alongside frontline brokers and MGAs to unpack how 2026 expectations are shifting around advice, placement, disclosures, cyber incidents and AI‑enabled workflows. Hear real examples, see what “good” looks like in practice, and leave with habits and checklists that stand up under pressure.
Christopher Keegan
Senior Managing Director- Cyber and Technology National Practice Leader Risk Solutions, Brown & Brown
Jeffery Arnold
Founder; Best Selling Author, RIGHTSURE
Moderator
Moderator
Naveen Dhar
Sr. Director Insurance Industry Advisor, Microsoft
13:20 - 13:55
Expert Deep Dive: Connected & Protected – A Broker Playbook for Tech‑Powered Client Conversations
SHORE ZONE
Connected insurance is already reshaping personal and small commercial lines—but only if brokers can explain it in ways clients actually understand. This high‑energy session shares a practical “connected & protected” playbook for real‑world client conversations: how to move beyond price, handle objections, and turn data and prevention tools into stronger relationships and retention. You’ll walk away with ready‑to‑use language, examples and talking points you can plug straight into your next meeting to support better pricing, proactive risk management and smoother claims.
Matteo Carbone
Founder and Director, IoT Insurance Observatory
11:00 - 12:00
Discussion Table: How do you keep up with rapidly evolving cyber policies while driving client education on emerging risks and solutions?
DISCUSSION TABLE
Secure your seat at a Discussion Table ahead of time before they fill up!
- What emerging cyber risks are you seeing, and how are you preparing clients for these?
- How can you keep your clients ahead of the curve before renewal time?
- Share the cyber claims you couldn’t believe were covered and why you covered them—what can we learn from these cases?
- What strategies have helped you turn skeptical clients into proactive buyers of cyber coverage?
Garrett Droege
SVP Digital Risk Practice Leader, IMA Corp
11:00 - 12:00
Discussion Table: The Invisible Risk in Employee Health - What Brokers Must See Before Clients Do
DISCUSSION TABLE
Secure your seat at a Discussion Table ahead of time before they fill up!
- Where are you seeing employer health & benefits plans create hidden legal or fiduciary exposure for clients – especially around mental health and health equity – and how are brokers being pulled into that risk?
- How can brokers help SME and mid market clients redesign benefits so real employees – particularly lower wage, diverse and high need groups – actually use the coverage, and what impact does that have on client loyalty and talent outcomes?
- What practical strategies have worked to balance cost control with a genuine duty of care – for example, adding or adjusting mental health and equity focused benefits without blowing up the budget?
- How are you positioning Employee Benefits as part of a broader risk and talent strategy (alongside Cyber, E&S, MedMal, etc.), rather than a “HR line item,” and what language resonates most with C suite and owner led clients? "
Pauline Sobelman
Senior Vice President, The Baldwin Group