Inna Ashtamenko, Managing Director, Marsh Marsh’s Inna Ashtamenko is lauded for being a very nuanced communicator. Whether it’s in a presentation to a board or to a panel of underwriters, she is super sensitive to her audience and the need to help the risk manager put their best foot forward. “What sets her apart is… View Article

Wesley Bryan, Senior Vice President, Marsh Marsh Wortham’s Wesley Bryan doesn’t just know the insurance business, he knows the insured’s businesses. “Wesley knows our business, our philosophy and our needs intimately,” said one client. “This level of understanding and commitment to our account ensures that we get the right solution first time and in no… View Article

Sollie Bartoe, Area Senior Vice President, Gallagher When Baptist Memorial Health Care Corp. merged last year with a health care system, its master group medical practice liability policy was ready for the new physicians. That’s because of Gallagher’s Sollie Barto. Under Baptist’s prior structure, claims could pit doctor against employer, said Rodney Betts, VP, finance…. View Article

Paula Bennett, Managing Director, Marsh Paula Bennett’s approach to client service is to partner with the client, conduct the necessary research to fully understand their business, and then become an extension of their team, acting with a sense of urgency to get to optimal outcome. “Paula quickly pulled a strong syndicate of insurance carriers to… View Article

Brandon Cole, National Director, Gallagher Community Arts Resources (CARS), has a niche business which produces large-scale cultural events, including the 100th anniversary celebration of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The event required two venues — the Disney Concert Hall and Hollywood Bowl — and eight miles of closed streets to accommodate 1,800 different performances and more… View Article

Seth Cole, Senior Vice President, Alliant The Association of California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority is made up of 360 water districts across California. One district, explained Karen Thesing, director of insurance services, has a hydropower electric facility worth $3.2 billion. When the authority placed its all-risk portfolio in April, it did not include… View Article

Jacqueline Altschul, Account Executive Lead, Alliant Insurance Services By building deep relationships with her clients and their families, Jacqueline Altschul adds value by often anticipating risk before they do. While reviewing coverage for a billionaire client from Japan, she noticed he hadn’t appraised his art collection in five years. A new appraisal was completed, revealing… View Article

Morgan Anderson, Area Senior Vice President, Gallagher Morgan Anderson simplified the insurance program at the Interstate Equities Corporation, where, until recently, its coverages for more than 20 properties were scattered all over the place. “Morgan consolidated all of our policies under one master policy with a single renewal date,” said Miles Hofmann, the manager of… View Article

Kenneth Branigan, Senior Vice President, Marsh One of Kenneth Branigan’s recent challenges included devising a new approach to CAT risks for a client with more than 1,000 North American locations. Many are vulnerable to windstorm, flood and earthquake (WF&E), and 2017 saw three outlets suffer storm damage. At renewal, Branigan’s team negotiated a global marine… View Article

Jonathan Ball, Managing Director, Marsh “We started putting our general, umbrella and excess liability into a captive in 2017,” said one manager of risk and insurance. “It should not have been difficult but our carrier really struggled with how to handle the paper. “We talked to them about it months in advance and every time… View Article

Larry Bowlus, Senior Vice President, Aon Professional liability insurance veteran Larry Bowlus is a broker his clients have come to rely on. His positive traits are numerous, but they include the fact he is a great listener who is also skilled at communicating with various internal constituents. “I didn’t have an insurance background coming into… View Article

Maron Impagliazzo, Vice President, EPIC Despite the legalization of recreational marijuana in California, growers and distributors have a hard time building their businesses, because few insurers want to take on their commercial auto exposure. The potential for theft combined with federal prohibition of cannabis makes transporting the goods a risk endeavor. But Maron Impagliazzo and… View Article

Zach Brown, Partner, Orion Risk Management By all accounts, Zach Brown is a force to be reckoned with. Brown has been a part of the insurance industry only three short years. But in that time, he has established himself and cemented a reputation as a next-level broker — one who will move mountains to help… View Article

The quirky and profound ways in which insurance and risk management impact our lives.

Humbled by his own experiences with homelessness, this P&C broker knows what it’s like to face a challenge. So he works for solutions instead.

An oil refinery filed a complaint against its power supplier due to it being “unreliable” and “subject to intermittent and unexpected disruptions.”

A program analyst for the FBI sued her employer for not offering a reasonable accommodation as part of her return to work plan.

Watching workers go home safe and injury-free is why this health and safety manager does his job.

As the aerospace insurance market shrinks, underwriters are backing ambitious ventures, including a college rocket competition.

Economic pressures are leading to thieves becoming more innovative, particularly in the theft of food and beverage cargos.