Leader's Edge

In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast John Jackovin, executive director of the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator, shares what he's seeing on the front lines of insurance innovation. As artificial intelligence moves from buzzword to business tool, the startups inside the BTV Accelerator are finding sharper, more sophisticated ways to put it to work. Jackovin breaks down the trends defining this year’s cohort, previews what’s ahead at BTV Mania, and explains how brokers and carriers are rethinking their technology and operational needs in an era of rapid change.

After years as a leading independent acquirer, the Leavitt Group recently sold a 21% stake in its business, but it has remained near the top of the list of active buyers. Speaking with Leader’s Edge Editor in Chief Sandy Laycox, agency Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Leavitt discusses the reasoning behind the sale, why succession planning is central to its M&A approach, the two-year journey to gaining consensus on integrated tech, and what’s on the horizon for Leavitt Group and brokerage M&A overall. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Part two of our conversation with Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sompo Commercial P&C Insurance. In in this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sompo Commercial P&C Insurance, continues his discussion of talent and technology in the workplace. Sparro dives deep into the world of technology adoption. If you’re in the middle of a tech overhaul, or about to start one, this episode delivers the insights you need.

In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sampo Commercial P&C Insurance, discusses talent and training in today's insurance industry. They explore the newest generation entering the workforce, the diverse backgrounds they bring, the tech skills they carry, and the areas where they’re eager to grow. The conversation opens with a look at how this influx of fresh perspectives is reshaping the industry and what it means for its future.

In this episode, Associate Editor Chris Hann sits down with Patrick Kinney, CEO of Keystone Agency Partners, for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey in the insurance industry. Kinney, a returning guest, traces his path from his early days in insurance after college, through more than thirty years at Travelers, to his current role leading Keystone Agency Partners. Along the way, he shares hard-earned lessons from his life and career, including what to look for when building a winning team. Whether you’re new to the industry or a seasoned professional, there’s plenty of insight to take away from this one.

Against a backdrop of music, laughter, and clashing steel, Renaissance fairs create an atmosphere where history and imagination blur together. From their unconventional origins to their modern-day popularity, these events combine entertainment, entrepreneurship, and live performance in ways that introduce a wide range of exposures for organizers, vendors, and performers. Journey with market analyst and podcast producer Zach Ewell as he dives deep into the people behind Renaissance fairs and the risks they face.

From the Today show to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and beyond, Meredith Vieira's career spans decades and many famous television brands. In this discussion moderated by Council Meetings and Culture Associate Samantha Willow at the Insurance Leadership Forum, Vieira takes us on a journey through her career’s most memorable moments, and shares how she’s been able to pivot jobs in the ever-changing media landscape.

Michele Sansone, chief underwriting officer of property and head of multinational solutions for the Americas for AXA XL, joins the Leader's Edge podcast to share key focus areas for 2026. Data centers continue to pop up across America. Their massive power needs and building requirements are impacting policyholders and the property market as a whole. Meanwhile, the industry is reevaluating the impacts of secondary perils such as wildfires and storms that occurred in 2025.

Journalist and author David Brooks sat down with Leader's Edge during the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum. Having recently written his book, How to Know a Person, Brooks discusses why he set out to better understand others around him and what he gained from the experience, how leaders today can better support new graduates, and more.

In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, Andy Barker, CEO of Houchens Insurance Group, pulls back the curtain on what leadership looks like at his business. Additionally he shares why giving back to the Bowling Green Kentucky community is central to his mission, and what drives him to start every day at 4:40 a.m.

In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, The Council’s senior vice president of government affairs, Joel Kopperud, and Audra Jackson, director of government affairs, are joined by Matt Kirk, head of North American retail placement at Acrisure. Jackson and Kirk both served in White House Office of Legislative Affairs, respectively during the Biden and George W. Bush administrations. They share unique stories from the White House spanning from Sept. 11 to the passage of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act to Jan. 6.

In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District shares how his background as a McDonald’s franchisee owner influenced his outlook on employer-sponsored healthcare, expresses his support for individual coverage health reimbursement arrangements, and discuses changes he wants to see to third-party litigation funding. Council Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Joel Kopperud and Vice President of Government and Political Affairs Blaire Bartlett also discuss the issues they are focused on in the new year and if we are headed for another federal government shutdown at the end of January.

Joseph Schauer, President and CEO of Schauer Group, joins our personal lines podcast to share the 106-year history of his family's firm and discuss what gives him his competitive edge in business. He also touches upon how his hometown of Canton, Ohio, was vital to shaping his life.

Having previously served as chief futurist at Deloitte, global innovation director at Accenture, a venture capital co-founder, and an inventor, Mike Bechtel has more than 25 years of experience with technology and innovation. Starting with the basic tools developed by ancient ancestors, Mike explains how to view today’s advanced technology with the right perspective. Data centers, AI, and quantum computing are all on the agenda.

In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez of California’s 38th Congressional District discusses the impacts of the upcoming expiration of Affordable Care Act enhanced premium subsidies and issues of affordability in America, and offers her thoughts on President Donald Trump's leadership. Council Senior Vice President of Government Affairs Joel Kopperud and Vice President of Government and Political Affairs Blaire Bartlett also join for a conversation on what to expect from Washington in 2026.

Bars and other alcohol-serving establishments have been rocked by high premium increases and liabilities, which have resulted in business closures and job losses across America. In this podcast, Leader’s Edge writer Russ Banham takes us on a journey through his reporting and shows how a hard market for a specific type of coverage can easily disrupt a centuries-old U.S. industry.

Trucordia’s COO Michael Moran open up about the process of integrating acquired companies. Being a substantial brokerage acquirer in recent years, Trucordia is undergoing the multi-pronged process of integrating those acquired companies into one. From the tech stack to the branding to the culture, integration is a complicated process. This conversation gets under the hood of that work.

During the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Paul Kottler, president of U.S. Loss Adjusting for Crawford, discusses how claims adjusting has changed in recent years given the changing weather environment, and whether policyholder needs have changed as well. He also explains how advanced technology is being used in claims handling and what success looks like in this environment.

In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, recorded live at The Council’s 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Dan Fortin, president of specialty insurance at QBE North America, dives into the intricacies of relationships in the specialty business. He describes how key relationships early in his underwriting career helped him to grow and understand the industry in new ways. He also discusses the challenges of building post-pandemic relationships, the importance of the broker-carrier relationship, and the importance of relationships in the complex specialty business.

At last month’s Insurance Leadership Forum, Leader’s Edge podcast host Zach Ewell sat down with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, and Warren Downey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Specialist Risk Group, for a candid and wide-ranging conversation. The two leaders unpack how a major deal between their firms came together, offer sharp insights on the surge of brokers entering the continental European market, and reflect on how recent elections are reshaping their strategic priorities.

In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, Eric Diamond, President and CEO of Marshall+Sterling, shares how joining the military helped bring structure to his life, the lessons he learned while serving our country, and who inspires his leadership style.

Talking with Leader’s Edge onsite at the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Darren Tasker, Head of Construction and Tom Houlihan, Head of Alternative risk transfer at Allianz Commercial, take a deep dive into the construction line of business. They discuss the current risk landscape, the risks of labor shortages and tariffs on construction, the rise of data centers and the challenges of insuring them, and the role of alternative risk transfer as a critical component in ensuring proper coverage for construction risk.

London & International Insurance Brokers' Association Chief Executive Chris Croft sat down with the Leader's Edge podcast during the latest Insurance Leadership Forum to share key findings from The Innovation Imperative, a report from LIIBA, Gracechurch, and Trimstone Partners laying out brokers' key role in today's insurance value chain.

In this episode, Cyber Product Lead for E-Risk Services John Butler talks third-party risk, AI exposure, and more middle market cyber risk. The conversation covers the overall cyber threat landscape for medium-sized businesses, the growth of third-party risk, and new exposures coming from AI. We also discuss threat actors’ use of AI and how underwriters are responding.

In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Democratic Representative Adam Gray of California’s 13th Congressional District shares how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting his constituents—and what can be done to end it. The Council’s senior vice president Joel Kopperud, vice president of government affairs Blaire Bartlett, and director of government affairs Audra Jackson also join the conversation to break down how we got here.

With the last day of the conference buzzing around us, the Leader’s Edge podcast caught up with Rob Newbold, president of extreme event solutions at Verisk. He shared takeaways from Verisk’s latest Global Modeled Catastrophe Losses report, discussed how modeling has evolved to use new data and technology and respond to modern climate risk, and offered suggestions for better integration and use of advanced modeling in the insurance ecosystem.

Speaking with the Leader’s Edge podcast at the Insurance Leadership Forum, Julie Wood, CEO of QBE North America, discusses the culture of dialogue, thoughtful listening, and transparency that she is fostering at QBE. She shares candid learning experiences from her personal history that are truly valuable lessons for leaders everywhere.

Sitting down with Leader’s Edge during at the Insurance Leadership Forum, Mike Victorson, CEO of M3 Insurance and co-CEO of BrokerTech Ventures, takes us back to his first real leadership experience and all the way through to what the next five years of innovation could look like in the insurance industry. Don’t miss this conversation live from ILF!

In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Chad King, CEO of King Risk Partners, shares how his career pursuits led him from professional baseball to insurance, what its like running a small business, and shares stories of leadership and innovation.

Every October, millions of Americans flock to haunted house attractions, or "haunts" as they are also called, to be entertained. From theme parks to mom-and-pop operations, over 1,200 haunted attractions open their doors to scare seekers each year, according to the organization America Haunts. The haunted house industry generates $500 million in ticket sales annually, with an average of 8,000 guests per attraction and some locations employing dozens of scare actors. But in this business, the risks—like the devil—are in the details. For the Leader’s Edge podcast, market analyst and podcast producer Zach Ewell spoke with people who love working at scare attractions and people who insure them. They share the risks that put them in danger and the policies that protect them.

In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Curtis Barton, CEO of ALKEME, shares why he chose a career in insurance, what it was like building a business alongside his father, and the most valuable business lesson he’s learned along the way.

Nationwide’s John Anthony, SVP, Contract P&C and Excess, E&S Wholesale, discusses advanced data use in E&S underwriting. In this episode, we dive deep into advancements in data analysis in underwriting in excess and surplus lines. We discuss how the evolution of third-party data and the use of AI have helped turn raw data into usable information, change management and barriers to implementing advanced technology in underwriting, and what’s on the horizon in this changing field.

AXA XL’s Head of Wholesale Solutions in the Americas Tim Whisler discusses growth, goals, and getting there. In our latest conversation with AXA XL, we discuss their focus on building out their wholesale solutions, including the programs segment, excess & surplus (E&S), and the wholesale underwriting unit. Topics include the value of the wholesale broker in complex risk markets, trends in E&S, and the importance of talent in achieving growth goals.

Lisa Hawker, Regional COO of people solutions at Lockton, and the current chair of the Council of Employee Benefits Executives, and Jenn Walsh, Founder and CEO of Genuine Shift, sat down with Leader’s Edge at the 2025 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum. They share stories drawn from over 30 years each of experience, muse on trends, and focus on the future of employee benefits.

Tom O’Neal's career has spanned over half a century. He made an early name for himself during the 1960s and ’70s, with photographs gracing the album covers of rock legends such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Steppenwolf, B.B. King, John Denver, and many, many more. In addition to photographing the musicians and songwriters who defined a generation, Tom has spent the past two decades photographing events hosted by The Council. After wrapping up a conference, podcast Producer Zach Ewell sat down with Tom to discuss his history with The Council, how he gets his subjects to open up, and how he feels about the ever-changing media landscape.

In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Ed Cha shares how his career path led to the insurance industry, says why he finds learning a reward for his job, and dives deep into the problem-solving intricacies of his role.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its third conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Ahmed Marmoush, co-founder and CEO of Handl Health, an AI platform that aggregates and analyzes publicly available healthcare pricing data to aid insurance brokers. A world traveler, Marmoush discusses his life’s journey of immigrating to several countries, how he was inspired to start his business, and the intricacies of AI.

In this episode, FIRST Insurance Funding Vice President of Business Solutions Nolan Steenberg goes deep on agency payment processing system integration. Steenberg dives into detail around the current state of automation and the benefits agencies can reap when investing in integration. Later he shares what options suit different-size agencies. FIRST Insurance Funding is not endorsing any specific payment service provider or making representations about their privacy and data security resources. Any agency, broker, or any other entity that desires to work with a payment service provider should conduct their own due diligence as part of their vendor evaluation process to assess the necessary risks.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its second conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, a Germany-based brokerage. Körner dives into detail about the Krankenhausversorgungsverbesserungsgesetz, which is changing how the German hospital system operates and funds itself. Körner also shares how his family’s history of working at brokerages led to his career in insurance and offers advice for people looking to break into the industry.

“Nobody wins when the insurance company can’t afford to sell insurance and the homeowners can’t afford to buy insurance.” In this episode of the Politics & Risk podcast, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) discusses the increasing pressure that wildfires are placing on insurance companies and their clients. Westerman for years has been a chief champion of the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill that includes a host of measures to transform federal forest management in order to reduce the wildfire threat. The legislation easily passed out of the House in January, and Westerman expressed optimism that the Senate will also approve it and send it on to President Donald Trump for signing.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts a conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Jonathan Hsieh, CEO of Pacific Prime Americas. Hsieh shares how his background in law helped him break into insurance industry, how medical inflation and tariffs are impacting his clients, and what trends he’s watching in the benefits market.

A conversation onsite at The Council’s Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Prudential’s John Trevisan, Head of Distribution for Group Insurance, and Mark Devine, Vice President, Head of Life, Absence & Disability Product. Having recently surveyed employers and employees about modern benefits, Prudential gathered data on the disconnects between the two groups. In addition to discussing the survey results, the conversation covers benefits-related technology, opportunities for growth, new product development, better client service, and the 150-year history that provides the foundation for Prudential today.

In this podcast, Scott Goodreau CEO of Brightstone Specialty Group, shares childhood stories of waking up at 3 a.m. to help his dad's canteen truck business, and how that informed his entrepreneurial nature. Goodreau also dives into why higher education changed his life and how he started his company.