Leading Insurance Professionals in the USA | Hot 100 2024
Jump to winners | Jump to methodology
Heavy hitters
Going the extra mile and making the difference is the calling card for Insurance Business America’s Hot 100
of 2024.
This century of insurance professionals represents a collection of pioneers shaping the future of the
industry with their innovation and excellence.
IB America features three individuals on the list, who are changing the face of insurance in their own distinctive ways.
Jacey Norberg, Risk Placement Services, area president
Dax Craig, Pie Insurance Services, co-founder and president
Chad Hall, RT Specialty, president
Secrets of success
Norberg is riding high as the past 12 months have seen the culmination of exacting standards and devising a strategy of how to achieve them. She took on the role of area president for the RPS office in Eau Claire, WI; Waukesha, WI; and Omaha, NE.
“It had been struggling for quite some time but since I took over, we just kept getting better and better. It was about continuing to develop our young talent and some of our existing talent.”
Under her direction, in the past year the branch has recorded growth levels of:
Over the entire four years, the corresponding figures are:
47 percent revenue
70 percent premiums
223 percent new business
The key for Norberg was changing the mindset.
“We are such a big, diverse company and the legacy staff had come from a very small mom-and-pop shop. So, I’ve been teaching them about the pieces of RPS and how to access those, and what they can use them for.”
Norberg also encouraged staff to shadow her dealings with clients to learn firsthand. She explains, “I wanted to add customer value, trying to get service up to a higher standard and almost a white glove service. As soon as they were able to see it, they realized it wasn’t rocket science and they have come along. I don’t want to say it was easy, but they just had to see what my levels looked like.”
Mirroring this trajectory is Craig, who also credits his success as the culmination of a team effort.
Pie is the fastest-growing workers’ compensation insurer in the US, and is active in 38 states and Washington, DC. Over the past 12 months, the firm has:
grown its partner agent network by almost 30 percent
announced a $315-million Series D round of funding, making it the largest round of financing for any US-based P&C insurtech company in 2022
Dax also spearheaded a partnership with Ford Motor Credit Company to launch Ford Pro Insure, a new commercial auto insurance product powered by Pie, that delivers customized commercial auto coverage and services to small businesses with the goal of helping them reduce overall fleet costs.
“Throughout a challenging economic landscape, especially within the commercial insurance industry, the past 12 months were undeniably demanding yet equally rewarding. Looking back, I feel incredibly proud of my accomplishments as a leader,” Craig says.
And he adds, “The past 12 months were a mix of planned strategies and unexpected challenges. While we anticipated growth and innovation, the industry faced shifts in economic conditions that were challenging for me, our team, customers, and partners.”
Keeping a laser-like focus on performance is why Hall has delivered impressive results for his team of 30 brokers and 150 staff.
In the past year, he has:
created the BOR Tour, an educational and networking series of events where insurance agents and underwriters can come together to learn about construction insurance-related topics
launched Labor Guard Online, an online insurance pre-qualification and risk management service to manage risk transfer for construction projects and large builders and general contractors across the country
produced a personal book of business with $450+ million in premium and 300+ projects in 2022, bringing a total 12-year career with RT Specialty of over 19,000 construction policies
He also stresses the importance of leading with a collective excellence mindset.
“I’m in a constant state of reflection about the performance of my team, but I’m not as concerned about the performance of the past 12 months as I am about the performance of 30-, 60-, and 90-day periods. I break it down to smaller increments and look for trends in weekly and monthly data. “
Hall utilizes data analyses to track:
“I look for trends while tinkering with the team to find the optimal balance to yield the greatest result for our clients. Spending too little time gets you beat and spending too much time makes you inefficient and hard to scale. It takes experience to learn the art, but the indicators are in the metrics if you look closely for them.”
“I’m living proof that with the positive outlook and tenacity to take on any challenge, you can be a waitress and move up to being an area president of a very successful branch in a wholesale brokerage firm”
Jacey NorbergRisk Placement Services
Key to being a Top 100 Insurance Professional
A strategy Hall has explored is time management. As his team and responsibility has grown, he has had to delegate to maintain quality. To do this, he placed an emphasis on honing his ability to assemble a team.
“A high-performing team is built by providing enough support and coaching opportunities that allows your team to continue in developing their skill set. Scaling your team too fast can diminish its value to your client and is a serious concern if you don’t have a solid foundation in place first to build from,” he explains.
“It is a fine balance and requires developing strong best practices that set expectations that are measurable and hold your team accountable when they don’t meet expectations and reward them when they do.”
For Craig, the target over the last 12 months was adopting the mantra of the need to remain fluid.
“Working by the same playbook as I did a year ago, or even six months ago, wasn’t going to cut it. The world is changing rapidly around us and requires a more flexible approach.”
In practice, this manifested as a test-and-learn mindset.
He says, “My role is to guide and encourage our teams to try new things without fear of failure. To move fast and meet the demands of our customers and partners, continual learning, and the ability to pivot when something wasn’t working became a critical lesson.”
Enabling him to offer his team a wider insight, Craig undertakes a series of additional industry roles:
serves on the board of advisors for Kovrr, an Israeli company that enables reinsurers to predict and price cyber risk, transparently utilizing advanced artificial intelligence and data
founding member of the Colorado Inclusive Economy, a statewide movement of design, intent, and action led by local CEOs and leaders
advisory board member for the Collins College of Business at the University of Tulsa
member of the Young Presidents’ Organization, which connects 21,000 business leaders in more than 125 countries around a shared mission: Better Leaders Through Education
While Norberg’s biggest takeaway was how best to create a team ethic. It was about setting benchmarks that different members would respond to.
“When you’re in sixth grade and everybody asks what you want to be when you grow up, nobody says insurance. I always wanted to be a teacher. I now get the best of both worlds because my job is writing business, but I also get to mentor people.”
She has also used a variety of bonding activities, such as a Winnebago trip to a winery and ATV rides, resulting in 97 percent employee retention. Some members of her team have been working in the office for 30 to 40 years, and she is attuned to what motivates each of them.
“It is about sitting down with every individual person, even the new employees, so everybody knows who comes in. I take the time to get to know them and try to figure out what makes them tick. Every new person that I bring in or if I see someone struggling, my reward is seeing them all become successful,” he says.
“We spend a lot of time developing goals and objectives and strategies, but businesses don’t run in a vacuum, and we need to be able to have flexibility in how we react to shifting environments”
Dax CraigPie Insurance Services
Top 100 Insurance Professionals look forward
RPS has tasked Norberg with spreading her genius, as she is now going to oversee the firm’s North Barrington office. She will use her special ability to identify talent and hone it.
One of her top performers was a former Harley-Davidson salesman.
“I knew he had the drive but just needed to add the industry knowledge as he was great with clients, so could add customer value. When I’m looking for new recruits, it’s not necessarily somebody who really knows insurance.”
In addition to scouring the market for talent, she also inspires others with additional roles:
instructor for the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association
founding member of the RPS Women’s Network
active within the Wisconsin chapters of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America and Professional Insurance Agents
At RT Specialty, Hall has weathered a tough time to come through stronger. By the end of the third quarter of 2022, fewer projects were being green lit.
“That led to greater competition for deals by insurance agents and brokers. To find growth you needed to outthink, outwork, and outexecute the competition. This can equate to putting in longer hours, more marketing, diversifying into new products, and creative thinking that would set you apart from everyone else to win you the business,” he says.
And he revealed how he drove his team to never take the small details for granted.
“A hard market will challenge a broker, but a hard market with fewer deals will really challenge a broker to bring their A-game. As you get further along in your career and have cast a wider and wider net, you can get spread too thin quickly. You must stay disciplined, keep your head down, grind, continue to learn and keep developing fresh strategy, products, and solutions.”
Holding a long-term mindset has also set Craig up for repeat success. He has made sure there has been no tradeoff between revenue and standards.
“I’ve made it a priority to guarantee that Pie’s expansion doesn’t come at the expense of delivering exceptional service. This will remain at the forefront of my decision-making next year as we double down on our commitment to both sustainable growth and innovative solutions that elevate the experiences of our small business customers and partners who serve them.”
He continues, “This mindset is not just a current focus but a guiding principle I intend to carry forward throughout my career.”
“You need to stay one step ahead and keep that fire burning inside, or you’ll be watching from the back, not leading from the front”
Chad HallRT Specialty
Akhil Chopra
Managing Director and Cyber Brokerage Leader
Lockton Financial Services
Alexandra Glickman
Area Vice Chairman and Senior Managing Director, Global Practice Leader – Real Estate and Hospitality Practice
Gallagher
Alka Manaktala
Managing Partner
IOA Insurance
Amy Shore
EVP, Chief Customer Officer
Nationwide
Anthony Dagostino
CEO and Founder
Converge
Bill Creedon
Global Head of Construction
Willis Towers Watson
Brad Nevins
President and Founding Partner
FastrackCE, a Direct Connection Advertising and Marketing Company
Carolyn Toomey
Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer, Arch Healthcare
Arch Insurance
Casey Hartley
SVP, Head of E&S Wholesale Casualty and Environmental
Everest Insurance
Charles Williamson
CEO and Co-Founder
Victor Insurance
Chase Johnson
Senior Vice President, Construction and Design Team Leader
Lockton Financial Services
Chaya Cooperberg
EVP, Chief People and Communications Officer
AmTrust Financial
Cory Friedman
Managing Director, Veterinary Division
Alera Group
Danette Beck
National Construction Practice Leader
USI Insurance Services
Daniel Ginden
Managing Director
Novatae Risk Group
Danielle Elizabeth Lenzi
Head of Risk Management/Risk Executive
Rudin Management
Dawn D’Onofrio
Chief Executive Officer
WKFC, AgRisk, and Ryan Specialty National Programs
Deborah Fox
Vice President
NFP
Denise Campbell
Senior Vice President, Client Executive
Marsh
Dwight Williams
National Account Director, Management Liability Practice
Risk Strategies Company
Eileen Frank
President and CEO
JP West
Fela Abioye
Managing Director
The Hartford
Garrett Droege
Director of Innovation and Digital Risk Practice Leader
IMA Financial Group
George Woods
Head of US P&C Broker Sales Management
Swiss Re
Jack Ramsey
VP, Agency Channel
Next Insurance
Jacqueline A. Waters
Managing Partner and Practice Leader – Financial Services, Legal and Claims, Commercial Risk Solutions
Aon
Jacqueline Roth
President of Employee Benefits
IMA Financial Group
Jeff Breskin
Senior Vice President, Risk Management
The J. Morey Company
Jeff Lamb
Executive Director, Programs and Alliances
Markel Specialty
Jen Jacobson
Senior Vice President and Managing Claims Counsel
CAC Specialty
Jen Tadin
MD, Global Small Business and President of Gallagher Agency Alliance
Gallagher
Jennifer Hammersley
Senior Vice President, Head of Financial Lines Underwriting
Swiss Re
Jennifer Wilson
Senior Vice President, National Cyber Practice Lead
Newfront
John Chu
Founder and CEO
Bamboo Insurance
Katie Davies
CEO and President of JEM Underwriting Managers and CEO of Technical Risk Underwriters
Ryan Specialty
Ken Leibow
Chief Executive Officer
InsurTech Express
Kent Hamilton
President /Insurance Broker/Producer
Front Row Insurance Brokers LLC
Kimberly George
Global Head, Innovation & Product Development
Sedgwick
Kristen D. Peed
Corporate Director, Risk Management and Insurance
Sequoia Consulting Group
Kristin Kraeger
Chief Executive Officer, Professional Services
Aon
Lael Chappell
Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer
Desq
Larry Fine
Management Liability Coverage Leader, FINEX North America
Willis Towers Watson
Leanne Berry
Vice President, Distribution
Vantage Risk Companies
Mary Pat Joyce
Managing Executive, Carrier Alliance
Markel Specialty
Matthew McLellan
Managing Director
Marsh
Michael J. Sicard
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
USI Insurance Services
Michele G. Centeno
Senior Vice President
Lockton Financial Services
Michelle Chia
Head of Professional Liability and Cyber
Zurich North America
Michelle Lopilato
Head of Distribution and Founding Member
Converge
Nadia N. Hoyte
Executive and Professional Risk Solutions
USI Insurance Services
Noah Bank
Vice President
HUB International
Patricia Kocsondy
Head of US Cyber and Technology
Beazley
Paul H. Flowers Jr.
Regional Director of Broker and Sales Development
Fountain Health Insurance
Peter R. Taffae
Chief Executive Officer
ExecutivePerils
Pilar Summerville
Senior Vice President
RT Specialty
Quinn Shepherd
CEO and Managing Partner
Sheperd Insurance
Rachel Miller
Vice President, Management Liability
Woodruff Sawyer
Rachel Perry
Chief Innovation Officer, Commercial Risk North America
Aon
Ronald Keller
Senior Underwriter, E&S Casualty
Ascot Group US
Rusty Reid
Chief Executive Officer
Higginbotham
Sabrina Hart
President and CEO
Munich Re Specialty Insurance
Sanjay Mehta
Executive Vice President, Chief Market Officer
The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers
Scott Hudson
President and CEO
Gallagher Bassett
Senan O’Loughlin
Executive Vice President, Head of US Mortality Markets
RGA
Shevawn Barder
Founder and CEO
AM Specialty Insurance Company
Steve Love
Founder and CEO
Solero
Susan Rivera
CEO and Co-Founder
Tokio Marine HCC
Tammy Kocher
Assistant Vice President, Cyber Underwriting
BCS Financial
Teaqoshawn Nelson
Senior Product Marketing Manager
Duck Creek Technologies
Theresa Le
Chief Claims Officer
Cowbell
Thomas Elfert
Senior Vice President
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Tom Reagan
Cyber Practice Leader, FINPRO Practice
Marsh
Tony McIntosh
President and Partner
Aura Risk Management & Insurance Services, The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers
Tracey Sharis
President, Global Risk Solutions, North America Programs
Liberty Mutual
Trent Cooksley
Co-Founder and COO
Cowbell
Trish Buckhardt
Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Nautilus Insurance Group
Upasana Unni
Chief Commercial Officer
Sayata
Valerie Taylor
Producer, Vice President (National Cannabis Practice Leader)
The Liberty Company Insurance Brokers
Yiana Stavrakis
President
Monarch E&S Insurance Services
