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!