Shore Zone Agenda

The Shore Zone is where workshop vibes meet festival buzz, as we dive into how you actually run, protect, and grow a brokerage. Get up close with the broker of tomorrow, compliance without the jargon, claims innovation that clients rave about, and E&S and specialty plays that unlock new growth. Step into live cyber crisis scenarios, hear women leading real change, and tap into unfiltered insights that sharpen your edge in today’s most competitive markets. 

10:35 – 10:40
Opening Address from Chair
10:40 – 11:15
Panel: Specialty Lines Unplugged – Financial, Construction, Cyber and Beyond
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, Adaptive Insurance
Moderator
11:20 – 12:00
Panel: Distribution Disrupted – Brokers of Tomorrow Amid M&A

The insurance distribution landscape is evolving rapidly. Shifting market capacity, ongoing M&A activity, and economic headwinds are redefining the broker’s role and reshaping how insurance reaches the market. In this session, industry leaders who have navigated consolidation, capacity crunches, and changing client expectations share their real-world strategies for staying competitive and resilient. Discover how independent and regional brokers can still win, the niches and partnerships that matter most, and practical approaches to position your brokerage for growth over the next 3–5 years of distribution change. 

 

Thomas Fitzgerald
President, Retail Business, World Insurance Associates
Patrick Thomas
Managing Director, Howden
Moderator
Nicole Farley
Chief Insurance Officer, Bold Penguin
Bryan Davis
President of VIU, HUB
Katherine Grasman
Chief Information Officer, Heffernan Insurance Brokers
12:45 – 13:15
Panel: New Rules, Real Risk: Brokers in 2026
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
Naveen Dhar
Sr. Director Insurance Industry Advisor, Microsoft
13:20 – 13:55
Expert Deep Dive: Connected & Protected – The opportunity for the Brokers
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 represents the “Connect & Protect” trend emerging in the sector, analyzes the success stories in adding a layer of protection to the insurance contract and define the implications for the players in the insurance arena, the policyholders and the entire society. This presentation frames the business opportunity for the brokers. You’ll walk away with a clear picture of the competitive dynamics linked to the protection initiatives, actuarial KPIs on the most relevant prevention programs, insights on the customer adoption.
Matteo Carbone
Founder and Director, IoT Insurance Observatory
14:00 – 14:35
E&S Innovation Lab: Designing Coverage for Tomorrow’s Wild Risks
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?

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
Q&A Charting Your Own Course: Women Rewriting the Playbook
This is a straight‑talk session with women who have led teams, books, and businesses through change. Hear how they navigated barriers, setbacks, and pivotal moments—and the specific moves, sponsors, and bets that made a difference. In this interactive Q&A, expect questions from the room, candid answers, and advice you can use whether you’re early in your career or already leading a team. You’ll leave with concrete ideas on how to champion yourself and others in an industry that’s still evolving. 
Jacqueline Waters
Managing Director & Practice Leader, Financial Services Group, Legal & Claims, Commercial Risk Solutions, Aon
Patrice Lafayette
Regional Vice President, Western Division, Roanoke Insurance Group
Natalie Sherod
Risk Manager and Insurance Advisor; Principal, Cavignac
15:50 – 15:55
Closing Remarks