Speakers

Rochelle Lewis is the Director of Risk Management at Red Bull North America, Inc., where she oversees the insurance and risk management program for Red Bull subsidiaries across North America, including Canada.

Red Bull is the world’s leading energy drink brand and a global force in food and beverage, media, and sports, including ownership of multiple professional sports teams and a Formula 1 team.

In her role, Rochelle oversees the company’s U.S. and Canadian insurance programs, identifying key risks across a diverse portfolio with a focus on the company’s core beverage operations and brand-driven activities.

Rochelle began her career in insurance as a licensed insurance broker before transitioning into risk management and is also a certified paralegal. She has held risk management roles supporting organizations such as a global private equity investment firm and a global lifestyle brand retailer.

Christina Lucas is a global executive and board director driving enterprise-level change in the insurance industry. At Google Cloud, she helps C-suite leaders and InsurTech founders harness technology to build competitive advantage and new revenue streams. Her background spans leading regional business units at AIG, a successful PE-backed transformation with Envista Forensics (Inc. 5000), and top-tier management consulting with Deloitte and Booz Allen. 

She has driven cloud adoption and large-scale transformation for global carriers, led a 500-person firm to high-growth performance, and directed AIG’s regional strategy across North America, LATAM, APAC, and Europe. Known for cultivating award-winning cultures with multiple “Best Place to Work” honors, Christina serves as a Board Director at SERVPRO, a Blackstone portfolio company. Her focus areas include generative AI and cloud strategy for insurance, talent development and high-performance cultures, C-suite and board-level strategy, and corporate and InsurTech ventures. 

Prior to joining Gallagher, Kader led all Digital and Technology across RNL. He is an investor in Ai based Technology startup for Mental Well-being. Before that, Kader was the Head of usiness, Technology and Portfolio Management at Realogy/Anywhere. Previously, Kader has led large scale technology transformation initiatives for fortune 500 companies like BMO Financial Group, Deloitte and Accenture.

He was the country head for TransUnion in South Asia. He has led PMO, offshore delivery centers at various organizations State Farm Insurance, HighMark(Blue Cross Blue Shield of PA), US Foods and Ryder Logistics . He comes with deep vertical expertise in Healthcare, Logistics, Financial Services, Consumer and Industrial Products. Kader owns a patent in predictive model for relocation estimation and had co-authored a book on Digital Transformation – Chaos by Design. 

Jackie is a Managing Director and Practice Leader in Aon’s Financial Services Group Legal & Claims Practice, leading a team of attorneys and claim advocates serving FSG clients. She oversees the Legal & Claims team in the claim advocacy process, advises on policy wording and drafting, monitors claims trends across management liability lines, and engages in the negotiation of sensitive and significant claims. 

An expert in insurance coverage with a focus on D&O, EPL, fiduciary, cyber, fidelity, and E&O, Jackie helps clients interpret carrier coverage positions, attends mediations, and negotiates resolutions to coverage disputes. She is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and events, serves on the Professional Liability Underwriting Society Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, and was PLUS Board President in 2025. Jackie began her career in 1995 as an insurance coverage attorney and holds a B.S. in Music Education and a J.D. from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. 

Heath Shearon, widely known as “The Mayor of Insurance Town,” is a veteran insurance leader with over 20 years of experience across production, agency ownership, and carrier representation. He first built his reputation as a producer, specializing in niche markets and strong client relationships, then launched his own agency, where he drove growth through innovative strategies and exceptional service. 

Later moving to the carrier side, Heath partnered with agencies to optimize operations and unlock new potential, bringing a rare perspective from both agency and carrier environments. His networking strength, energy, and passion for elevating the industry earned him his “Mayor” moniker. 

Heath is also the host of the popular “Insurance Town” podcast, where he features stories, tips, and insights from industry leaders. His engaging style and deep industry knowledge have made him a sought-after speaker at conferences and events nationwide. 

Allen Madden is a Senior Vice President for the Americas at Alliant Insurance Services. There, he is responsible for being a strong client advocate, business partner and trusted advisor for the insurance and risk management needs of complex upper middle market and large risk management corporations both domestically and globally. He does this through harnessing the resources and deep talent of dedicated professionals throughout Alliant’s Americas and Specialty divisions to lead tailored client service teams for best-in-class support, counsel and Property and Casualty insurance program placements.

Allen started his insurance career at the regional broker, McGriff, Seibels and Williams, Inc. where he was a Senior Vice President. Just prior to Alliant, he led a team of mergers and acquisition professionals serving the needs of the private equity and lender communities providing due diligence, brokerage, risk financing, claims management and transactional insurance solutions services at Wells Fargo Insurance Services where he was a Senior Vice President. Before being in the insurance industry, he was in finance helping venture stage companies and growing publicly traded companies secure private growth capital.

He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University where he currently serves on the Executive Board of the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences. He also serves on the Dean’s Research Council Committee at SMU advising on faculty research grants.

Brandon Schuh navigates risks others can’t. As Head of Specialty Insurance at Christensen Group, he designs innovative solutions for high-risk and unconventional exposures. With a decade of experience as Risk Manager for one of the largest U.S. ladder manufacturers, Brandon brings an insider’s understanding of product liability, litigation strategy, and large SIR programs. He leads the firm’s Product Liability and Sharing Economy practices, working with multinational manufacturers and Mobility-as-a-Service companies to finance risk efficiently. Brandon specializes in complex coverage restructuring, captive insurance strategies, and loss-sensitive programs, helping businesses reduce volatility and fund risk intelligently. 

Bryan Davis is President of VIU by HUB, an omnichannel personal insurance brokerage platform backed by HUB International, the largest personal lines broker in the U.S. He oversees vision, strategy, P&L, and investment priorities while supporting a network of alliance partners.  

With more than 20 years of experience across personal and commercial lines, product management, underwriting, and sales, Davis is focused on using technology to advance the insurance industry and improve customer experience. He previously held leadership roles at USAA, Nationwide, and AIG.  

  

Davis holds an MBA from Wofford College and carries ChFC and CPCU designations. 

Christopher Keegan is Senior Managing Director and Cyber and Technology Practice Leader at Brown and Brown Specialty Risk Services.  Chris leads a group placing cyber, privacy, technology, and media E&O insurance for a wide variety of companies.  He works on Cyber Information Risk Assessment projects and with regulators on evaluation of E-Business risks.  Christopher was Vice President at Zurich Reinsurance (North America) Inc., where he developed the E-Commerce and technology reinsurance portfolio. Chris worked in New York and London as a lawyer in private practice.  He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Maryland, Smith School of Business, assisting their efforts for the Department of Homeland Security and NIST in designing assessments for Cyber and technology risk.

Dawn Cusack joined Brown & Riding in 2000 straight out of college and has spent her entire career with the company. She began as the firm’s receptionist and was quickly transitioned to join the Property department, progressively earning promotions and becoming a specialist. She works on large, layered placements and is known in the industry for her attention to detail when it comes to ensuring all layers are concurrent.

She became a Property Broker in 2016 and has since grown her book of business fivefold. Dawn was promoted to Vice President in 2020, and in 2022 she became a company Principal. She is dedicated to making sure the insured’s needs always come first and lives by the motto of doing things right the first time, on time, every time. 

Doug has over 25 years of experience in delivering technology solutions for the insurance industry with technology leadership roles at AXA XL, Vantage Risk and Travelers before joining Upland.  He is responsible for enterprise technology and processes to align with Upland’s business and technology priorities.   

Doug most recently held the title of Vice President of Digital Delivery with Upland and Chief Digital Officer for Vantage Risk. He holds a BS in Computer Science from Eastern Connecticut State and an MBA from Rensselaer Poly Technical Institute. 

Emily Selck is a recognized leader in cyber insurance with deep expertise in Cyber Liability and emerging risks. As Senior Director and National Practice Leader for the Cyber Center of Excellence at Baldwin Risk Partners, she leads national cyber strategy, oversees technical sales, and drives product innovation, including API-connected tools and AI-enabled placement strategies. She has been named a Cyber Leader and Powerhouse Woman of Cyber Insurance and shortlisted for multiple industry awards. Previously, she held senior cyber roles at NFP Corp., M3 Insurance, and HUB International. Emily holds a Cyber COPE Insurance Certification from Carnegie Mellon and a B.A. from North Central College.

With more than 20 years of industry experience, Erin leads Property & Casualty and strategic growth efforts for IMA’s West Region, one of the firm’s fastest growing markets. She is known for aligning client experience with growth and for elevating high-performing leaders. Her role spans operations, strategic planning, business development, and oversight of client service and team infrastructure.

Erin is actively involved in advancing women in insurance and leads enterprise-wide programming for IMA’s Women’s Network. She also serves as a board member of Assurex and is the incoming President of the Intersure Board of Directors.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and three daughters. 

I am a Senior Vice President at RT Specialty, where I help fast‑growing and innovative companies manage risk through Tech E&O, Cyber, and Media insurance. I have worked exclusively in these areas since entering the insurance industry in 2017. I graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Accounting and found my passion for insurance as cyber risk began reshaping how companies operate and grow. Today, I focuses on helping businesses protect themselves not only from cyber incidents, but also from lawsuits tied to data use, technology services, and digital content. I focus on emerging risks such as AI, blockchain, and digital media. 

Garrett is WTW’s Fintech and Digital Asset Vertical Leader (appointed 2026), supporting growth and client experience for fintech, digital asset, and traditional financial institution clients across North America. A former tech founder and VC, he brings rare technical fluency to the insurance industry, with 20 years focused on complex technology risk across Technology and FI E&O, Cyber, Crime/Fidelity, and Specie lines. 

Previously, he launched the digital asset practice, led innovation, and ran the corporate venture studio for a large national brokerage, co-founded web3Labs to integrate blockchain into insurance, and served as CEO of a global technology risk broker network. Garrett advises emerging blockchain and AI startups, is an active angel investor, and consults for the U.S. Treasury and OCC on stablecoin and digital currency regulation. He is a CPCU and CIC, and a frequent keynote speaker for global industry and regulatory audiences. 

Heidi Bastien is Vice President of Risk Management at Foundation Building Materials, leading enterprise risk strategy and claims performance across a high‑growth North American construction materials distribution and manufacturing network serving commercial and residential markets. She partners closely with Legal, Finance, and Operations to turn risk into a competitive advantage by strengthening controls, optimizing risk transfer, and building practical, scalable programs that support the business every day.

Acquisitions are a major focus of her work. Heidi leads the risk workstream from diligence through integration, aligning insurance placement, contracts, and claims operations, and rapidly standardizing processes across newly acquired locations.

Previously, she served as Sr. Director of Global Risk Management & EH&S for Jacuzzi and led risk management for multi‑unit restaurant brands including El Pollo Loco and Rubio’s. She brings 20+ years of experience reducing total cost of risk and leading through change.

Jonathan Wheat brings over 13 years of experience in structuring and analyzing complex insurance and risk management programs for national and regional real estate investors, private equity firms, contractors, and nonprofits. His background includes leadership roles at AIG Risk Management, Chubb Insurance, and Zurich Insurance North America, and he holds the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation. 

Originally from Oakland, California, Jonathan graduated with a degree in Business Economics from St. Mary’s College. He leads client service and risk consulting at EPIC, managing cross-departmental workflows and designing specialized programs such as large deductibles, SIRs, layered placements, and group captives. 

Bio coming soon!

Marife Molina is Partner and Executive Vice President of Revenue at C3 Risk & Insurance Services, where she leads enterprise revenue strategy, organic growth, and producer development for one of the fastest-growing independent agencies on the West Coast. A strategic revenue executive and growth architect, she believes that growth is engineered, not accidental, and focuses on building scalable revenue infrastructure and performance-driven culture. 

Prior to C3, Marife spent more than 15 years in senior leadership roles at ACE and Chubb, where she launched the M&A Private Equity Practice and later drove record-breaking growth as Regional Branch Manager for Orange County and San Diego. 

Born and raised in Hawaii, she brings the spirit of aloha to her leadership, balancing high expectations with integrity, mentorship, and long-term impact while helping develop the next generation of insurance leaders. 

 

Michael Koch is the Owner and President of AAA Merchant Services and a former insurance broker. Originally from Rochester, NY, he ran track and field at Mars Hill University and later competed for the U.S. National Team in the 400m. He moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago with $600 and a bag of clothes, eventually joining Wells Fargo, where he spent nearly six years as a top national sales representative in payroll sales, lending, and treasury management. 

After leaving banking, Michael immersed himself in the operations of insurance agencies and the limitations of legacy systems while launching AAA Merchant Services. Over the past seven years, he has built industry-specific payment processing programs, establishing AAA as one of the leading payment processing ISOs in Southern California for platforms such as Clover, First Data, and Authorize.net. He helps clients in hospitality, finance, manufacturing, tech, and medical practices modernize payments, improve workflows, reduce costs, and enhance customer experience through data-driven strategies. 

Mike brings 20+ years of experience to his role leading Adaptive, coming full circle to building insurance solutions, currently in the climate resilience space. His background includes integral work at companies such as Hippo Insurance, Allstate, Esurance, Nationwide, and Verisk. As part of his time at Hippo, he spearheaded the first smart home IoT insurance program to help mitigate losses in the home, a product offering now considered table stakes in the home insurance industry. While at Esurance, he led the underwriting development needed for the company’s first direct-to-consumer online bindable home insurance quote, also now an expected user experience. 

Mike’s knowledge of startups and creative thinking in a regulated industry like insurance positions Adaptive to exceed its goals. He makes Austin his home (and Adaptive’s HQ), where he enjoys all things Texas with his family.

Mitchell Brown is a senior commercial insurance and risk management leader with more than 15 years of experience across retail brokerage, carrier operations, MGAs, and national distribution. He is Head of Commercial Insurance at Rate Insurance, overseeing nationwide strategy and placement. Mitch specializes in complex risk programs for middle-market and enterprise clients in energy, ocean marine, professional services, and financial services, with expertise spanning D&O, cyber, workers’ compensation, property, liability, and excess casualty. A former U.S. Army Infantryman and Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor recipient, he brings a disciplined, risk-first mindset to leadership, advisory work, and authorship.

Nadia Nicole Hoyte is a National Practice Advisor in USI Insurance Services’ Executive & Professional Risk Solutions Practice. She serves as an in-house resource on professional liability, technology errors and omissions, media liability, network security, and privacy-related coverages. In this role, she develops program strategy, builds insurer relationships, designs insurance risk transfer solutions, and provides consultative services, training, insurance contract and vendor contract analysis, placement, and policy administration. 

With over 20 years of insurance industry experience, including 15 specializing in Cyber and Professional Liability, Nadia has held leadership roles at Highland Risk Services as Cyber Practice Leader and at Willis Towers Watson as Senior Vice President. She began her career at Marsh USA, focusing on convergent and hard-to-place specialty risks. A native New Yorker, Nadia holds a BA in Law & Society from American University and was named a “Power Broker Under 40” by Risk & Insurance in 2015. 

Natalie Sherod, CPCU, CIC is a Principal and Risk Advisor at Cavignac & Associates, where she advises middle-market companies on complex risk and insurance strategy. With nearly two decades in the insurance industry, including more than a decade as a commercial underwriter and territory manager at Liberty Mutual, Natalie brings a unique perspective on how risks are evaluated, priced, and structured from both the carrier and broker sides of the industry.

Natalie specializes in helping organizations navigate complex exposures, particularly in construction, real estate, and specialty commercial risks. She works closely with clients to align their operational risk management practices with insurance program design, helping them become stronger, more attractive risks in the eyes of underwriters while improving long-term outcomes. 

In addition to her brokerage work, Natalie is an active industry contributor and speaker, focused on advancing collaboration between brokers, carriers, and clients in an increasingly complex risk environment. 

Naveen Dhar is a senior Industry executive at Microsoft. In this role, Naveen orchestrates across the Microsoft ecosystem to help customers develop transformation roadmaps with business value outcomes that accelerate customer strategies. 

Prior to Microsoft, Naveen gained broad insurance industry expertise, including leadership positions at Allstate, Ernst & Young, Cap Gemini and Larsen & Toubro. Prior to Microsoft, Naveen’s last role was as a Technology Business area leader at Allstate.  

In addition, Naveen is the leader of the Microsoft Insurance community globally, providing thought leadership and guiding conversation on technology as an enabler of Insurance transformation. He has been writing about key transformation trends on Microsoft Industry Blogs site with a particular interest in the intersection of technology & innovation for Insurance. 

Naveen lives in Naperville, IL, with wife Sanjila and Kids Eshan & Ria.

Nicole Farley is the Chief Insurance Officer at Bold Penguin. Her work focuses on accelerating the growth and scale of Bold Penguin’s wholesale and agency operations, overseeing the end-to-end management of enterprise partner and carrier relationships. Prior to joining Bold Penguin, she was employed at Insureon, where she was the SVP of Carrier and Enterprise Relationships, and General Counsel and Director of Human Resources. 

Patrick Thomas is a Managing Director of Transportation and Logistics at Howden, where he leads a large, high performing team focused on delivering innovative insurance solutions to complex clients. With extensive experience in building and scaling teams, Patrick has established a reputation for combining strategic vision with operational excellence.  

He is known for his forward-thinking leadership style, consistently anticipating industry shifts and positioning  his organization to stay ahead of evolving risks in the transportation and logistics sector. Patrick has been a strong advocate for leveraging technology and data-driven insights to enhance client outcomes, streamline processes, and drive smarter decision making across the business. 

Under his leadership the division has embraced digital transformation to better support clients facing increasing complex supply chains, regulatory environments, and emerging risks. Patrick’s approach centers on aligning advanced tools and analytics with deep industry expertise to deliver tailored future ready solutions. 

He is passionate about fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability, empowering his team to challenge conventional thinking and continuously improve the client experience. Patrick brings a pragmatic, yet progressive perspective to leadership, making him a trusted voice amount insurance executives navigating the future of the industry. 

Pauline Sobelman is a Senior Vice President and Senior Strategic Advisor with over 25 years of experience in the employee benefits and risk industries. Known for her strategic mindset and technical acumen, she excels at identifying market needs, driving innovation, and delivering impactful solutions. Her expertise in underwriting, contract negotiation, and revenue management has helped organizations achieve and exceed their goals. 

A collaborative and forward-thinking leader, Pauline is recognized for building high-performing, inclusive teams grounded in trust, creativity, and shared purpose. She is deeply committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and holds a leadership role at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center in New York. Pauline graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Social Sciences from New York University and earned an Executive Master of Public Health from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. 

Randal Maestas is the Senior Manager of Corporate Insurance at The Wonderful Company, where he leads global risk and insurance strategy across a diverse, privately held portfolio. With more than a decade of experience managing complex property and casualty programs, he is known for building Total Cost of Risk frameworks and aligning risk financing with broader treasury and operational objectives. Randal is an advocate for data driven decisions, strong market partnerships, and risk management as a competitive advantage. Randal is proud to support The Wonderful Company’s portfolio of iconic, healthy brands, helping protect the people, products, and communities behind them. 

Reid is Co-Practice Leader of Lockton’s Professional and Executive Risk (West) and the National D&O and Governance Risk Management Group, overseeing operations and client service for ProExec teams in Denver, Irvine, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, San Diego, Scottsdale, and Seattle. 

He provides clients with contract analysis, coverage negotiation, claims advocacy, and alternative program design, thriving on complex risk needs. His expertise spans public and private companies, financial institutions, and healthcare risks, with strong fluency in financial and analytical review from a risk management perspective. 

Suzanna Bittner is the Senior Director of Operations at C3 Risk & Insurance Services, where she leads operational strategy, technology implementation, and infrastructure development to support the firm’s continued growth. Over the past four years, she has spearheaded transformative initiatives across systems, software, and operational workflows, helping position C3 for scalable expansion. 

Known for her collaborative leadership style, Suzanna works cross-functionally with executive leadership, IT, finance, marketing, and service teams to implement technology solutions that improve efficiency, strengthen infrastructure, and support long-term innovation. Her work focuses on bridging operational strategy with emerging technology to drive meaningful business outcomes. 

A San Diego native, Suzanna was recognized by the San Diego Business Journal in 2024 as a nominee for both Top Business Leaders Under 40 and Leader in Technology. 

Tom Fitzgerald is President of Retail at World Insurance Associates, leading one of the industry’s fastest-growing insurance brokerages. With more than 30 years of leadership experience, he has built high-performing teams and driven innovation across the commercial insurance sector. Before joining World in 2023, he held senior executive roles at QBE North America, where he led the transformation of Specialty and Commercial underwriting, and at Aon Risk Solutions, where he served as CEO of US Retail and Global Broking. He holds a finance degree from Drake University and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. 

Tony Chimera is the Chief Administrative Officer at Westfield Specialty, overseeing the Human Resources, Marketing, Distribution, Operations, and Real Estate teams. He joined Westfield Specialty at its inception as Chief Talent Officer four years ago. Tony firmly believes that companies and business professionals should focus on talent and people first, seek and harvest diverse ideas and talent, differentiate performance and compensation, have an interest in and understanding of the companies and industries in which they work, be intellectually curious learners, strive to be agile and nimble, and demonstrate accountability. His favorite quote currently is "Be Good, Do Good, God Bless and Go Bills." by Josh Allen.

With over 30 years of experience in human resources, including the last 20 years in specialty insurance, Tony has held talent and HR leadership positions at Sompo International, AXIS Capital, MetLife, Sybase, Intertec Publishing, and Scientific Research. He earned his MBA from the University of Georgia and his BS in Management from Auburn University. Tony serves on the WSIA Diversity Foundation Board of Directors, the WSIA internship committee, the Insurance Insider Progress Advisory Board, and the Advisory Board of Troy University’s Risk Management and Insurance program.