The secret to being a successful leader involves multiple elements: A strong vision for the organization; the willingness to learn, ask questions and listen to the answers; the ability to communicate effectively; showing empathy and concern for co-workers and customers; valuing integrity, as well as creativity; and the boldness to share one's convictions and to be authentic.
The 18 women selected by Digital Insurance as the 2024 Women in Insurance Leadership honorees exhibit all of these traits and more as they lead their teams and organizations across the insurance industry.
This year, there were three categories of honorees. The Women in Insurance Leadership (WIL) program was launched in 2006 and recognizes senior executives who are driving the evolution of their businesses and the insurance industry at large. Eleven women were selected as WIL honorees:
- Tracey Cournoyer, Chief Information Operations Officer of Bond & Specialty Insurance, Travelers
- Lauren Dieterich, Chief Operating Officer, Arch Insurance Company North America
- Ruchi Haubrich, AVP, IT Engineering, The Hartford
- Tatjana Lalkovic, Sr. VP & Chief Technology Officer, Definity
- Michelle McLaughlin, EVP, Middle Market Chief Underwriting Officer, Chubb
- Amy McNeece, SVP, Digital Consumer Partnerships, Chubb
- Catherine Myers, Chief Operating Officer, reThought Flood
- Ashley Phillips, Senior Vice President of Operations, A-MAX Insurance Services, Inc.
- Kristine Poznanski, EVP, Head of Global Business Solutions, MetLife
- Jennifer Riley, EVP, Head of Digital Strategy & Operations, Chubb
- Megan Sharpe, VP, DTC Media & Strategy, Gerber Life Insurance Company
The Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT program expanded the longtime WIL program in 2019 to recognize the emerging leaders in the industry, women under the age of 40 who have demonstrated an outstanding ability while embracing the rapidly evolving field of digital innovation. The 2024 Women in Insurance Leadership: NEXT honorees are:
- Brittnie Bordonaro, VP, Head of Corporate Communications, Protective Life Corp.
- Lauren McKinzie, Operations Manager, Obie
- Sarah Tomaro, Director of Operations Analysis and Reporting, Openly
- Kendra Werkheiser, Software Engineering AVP, Travelers
- Danielle Wyman, VP of Product & Strategy, Openly
A new category was added this year to recognize women who have been trailblazers and forward-thinking visionaries in the industry for well over two decades. Their leadership and insight have changed the trajectories of their companies as well as the careers of those fortunate enough to be within their sphere of influence. Two women were selected as the 2024 Women in Insurance Leadership Lifetime Achievement honorees:
- Jill Francis, EVP, NA Field Ops Marketing & Distribution Management, Chubb
- Cilsy Harris, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer of Insurance & Service Applications, Hanover Insurance
All of the honorees will be recognized at an awards dinner held at the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida on June 26, following the full-day
These leaders represent a wide variety of companies covering every aspect of the insurance industry including life and health insurance as well as property & casualty and insurance technology. They are proponents of innovation and collaboration and have been instrumental in positioning their companies and colleagues for future growth.
Over the next six weeks, Digital Insurance will introduce readers to each one of these honorees through a series of individual profiles, so
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