RISE Announces 2024 Strategic Planning Board

Awais is the SVP of Strategy & Transformation at Crawford & Company, driving the future of claims through cutting-edge technology, fostering a dynamic culture, and optimizing operational excellence. With a diverse leadership background spanning front and back-office roles, he has successfully led strategic transformations for claims, IT, and digital insurance solutions at State Farm, Chubb, and Berkshire Hathaway GUARD Insurance Companies. Awais’s impact in the industry is recognized through accolades such as Mentor of the Year and the R.I.S.E.’s ’35 Under 35′ award, showcasing his outstanding contributions to his company, community, and the insurance sector as a whole.

After graduating from Clemson University in 2017, I joined Canal Insurance as a Commercial Truck Small Fleet Underwriter. After 2 years, I began Underwriting Large Fleets. Since joining the Large Fleet team I took on a Supervisor position and was recently promoted to Manager which allowed me to take on Operations teams as well as our Fleet Underwriting Team. Developing team members to have strong and technical Underwriting skills as well as improving operational efficiencies is my current focus. I am also working towards my CPCU designation In my free time, I enjoy spending time outdoors camping and hiking.

Caitlin McPhillips is a Senior Claims Professional at Berkley Construction Solutions. Previously, she was a Senior Complex Claims Specialist at Vela Insurance Services and handled New York Labor Law, Property Damage and Construction Defect claims. Prior to joining Vela, Caitlin was an associate attorney at a highly regarded national law firm and litigated New York Labor Law cases. She was awarded a 2022 RISE 35 under 35 award, an award that recognizes upcoming talent in the insurance industry.

Chris Cutrer is a SIU Field Supervisor with GEICO in Columbus, OH.  He has been with GEICO for nearly 8 years and has worked as a claims adjuster and SIU investigator prior to becoming a leader within SIU.  Prior to working in the insurance industry,  Chris worked in law enforcement.  Chris has a bachelor’s degree in Criminology from The Ohio State University.  In his spare time he enjoys lifting weights and participating in Scottish Highland Games.  Chris was a winner of the 2023 RISE awards for 35 under 35.

Dr. Claire Muselman is a prominent figure in the workers’ compensation field, known for her innovative and inclusive approach to risk management and insurance. As the founder of CM Advising, she has made a lasting impact by infusing her unique style, characterized by glitter and sparkles, into the industry. Celebrating nearly two decades of experience, she also serves as the Chief Operating Officer of WorkersCompensation.com and has introduced transformative initiatives such as the Workers’ Recovery Unit and the Workers’ Compensation Center of Excellence.

Beyond her professional roles, Dr. Claire is a media influencer, with a history as a podcast co-host, a co-founder of The Transitions, and a mentor through Rising Insurance Star Executives (RISE). She is a prolific writer, contributing to platforms like Bloom, WorkersCompensation.com, and Captive.com. In academia, she shares her expertise as a Professor of Practice at Drake University’s Zimpleman College of Business and Co-Director of the Master of Science in Leadership Development in the School of Education.

Dr. Claire is a strong advocate for gender diversity and inclusivity, serving as an Ambassador for the Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation and the Kind Souls Foundation. Her dynamic speaking engagements nationwide reflect her commitment to empathetic and emotionally intelligent leadership. Her ultimate mission is to inspire positive change that transcends industries and encourages others to strive for nothing less than extraordinary.

Ema is a Digital Transformation and Change Management expert with over a decade of corporate training and enterprise software sales experience. She is the Co-Founder of Roloff Consulting, a consulting firm that focuses on helping sales teams transform their process. Ema has conducted over 300 expert interviews in the space of Digital Transformation and Innovation within insurance and beyond. She has been recognized as one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices in Digital Transformation and Sales, a RISE 35 under 35 Award Winner, named in Lightico’s Innovators Top 100, and a ‘Making Waves’ Honoree by InsurTech Hartford.

Jarrod Zea has been with Ringler since 2007. He assist both plaintiffs and defendants navigate the settlement process. He attends settlement conferences, mediations, and court hearings. Whether it be Medicare, trust
solutions or needs based government benefits, he works to find solutions that moves cases towards resolution. He
holds the Certified Structured Settlement Consultant designation from Notre Dame University and is a California Licensed Professional Fiduciary. By creating a settlement strategy and plan, a case can reach resolution in more timely and effective manner.

Khalid Brammer-Blackman is the Retail Excess Construction Lead at Arch Insurance Group, where he, alongside a team of underwriters, works on expanding Arch’s business within the retail excess space within the Construction insurance group. With over ten years of insurance experience, Khalid received the RISE 35 under 35 in 2023, which has added to his visibility in the industry. He graduated from Florida State University’s Masters of Risk Management and Insurance and York University (Toronto, Canada) Disaster and Emergency Management programs. He hopes to work with the rest of the strategic board on expanding the RISE brand as an organization, as he firmly believes in the organization’s initiatives.

Lael Chappell serves as the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer at Desq in their New York Office. Lael is responsible for the development, implementation, and management of Desq’s brand and marketing strategy and leads Desq’s pipeline development and solicitation of the industry’s top underwriters to build opportunities on the Desq platform.

Lael received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance and Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management & Insurance from the University of Georgia, obtained full alumni status as a graduate of the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School, and has an Executive MBA from the EMBA Global Asia Program jointly conferred by Columbia Business School, London Business, School, and the University of Hong Kong.

Mary is a Portfolio Underwriter at Westfield. Prior to this, she was an Associate Underwriter on the commercial agribusiness team at Crum & Forster, and has worked in personal lines underwriting and personal auto pricing at Farm Bureau Financial Services. Mary is also involved in her local Iowa CPCU Chapter and currently serves as the Director of Member Activities. In addition to the CPCU, AINS, and AFIS designations, she holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics from Northwest Missouri State University.

Mohamad is a multilingual professional with international experience in both project and risk management in the construction field. He has been overseeing all the risk management activities in many local and international multi-billion dollars projects such as Mega 4800 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant, Complex TBM tunnels under the Suez Canal, and huge Metro Lines. He has developed a formal risk management department from scratch in an international construction company after seeing and realizing the need of such approach to a successful completion of projects. He has proven experience in using Monte Carlo Simulation in anticipating project duration, budget and contingency. He co-lead the successful three Guinness World Record Holder largest Water Treatment Plant in the world in the capacity of Assistant Project Manager. He shared the responsibility with the project director as the PMO, interface and coordination manager in the High-Speed Rail Project in Egypt.

Nicole Velino has been in insurance for 8 years.  Nicole is employed by Falvey Insurance Group and works in the claims division for cargo shipments. She resides in Rhode Island, has one daughter Ava Grace, and loves all things Christmas. Nicole was a 2021 RISE Professional Award Winner and looks forward to being part of the ever- growing insurance industry.

Pam is an accomplished leader and highly active member of the insurance industry in Central Illinois, soon to be serving as Past President of the largest chapter in the world – Central Illinois. Through her involvement with the local CPCU chapter and RLI Toastmasters club, she has promoted the insurance industry to professionals and young people in the region. Pam also participates in mentoring college students through the U of I Axis Risk Management program. Pam was named on the Rise 35 under 35 list in 2023. Pam holds the CPCU, AINS, and AU designations. She has a degree in Actuarial Science from Bradley University. In her free time she enjoys the outdoors through hiking and gardening.

Petyah Pierre is an experienced HR/Risk Management Claims Analyst with extensive experience in insurance benefits to include Workers’ Compensation, FMLA, Social Security disability, and Long-Term Medical disability. Petyah has been an employee of The Broward County Sheriff (BSO) for over six years as a Sr. Human Resources Analyst in the Workers’ Compensation section overseeing in excess of 600 open claims. She has an Associate in Risk Management, 6-20 All Lines Adjusters License, and Certified in Workers’ Compensation Litigation.

Petyah is member of National African American Insurance Association (NAAIA) Florida Chapter, The Public Risk Management Association (PRIMA) South Florida Chapter, RISE Professionals, and actively participates in both The Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation along with Dive In, a Global Festival for Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance. She is a freelance writer for BLOOM magazine which covers everything workplace, wellness, industrial health and safety, holistic living, clean beauty, living sustainably, travel environment, and happiness. Her most recent piece is titled “Black Hair in Corporate America.”

Rachel Jenkins is an experienced professional in the insurance industry, currently serving as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of XN Capital, a startup focused on scaling access to captives and other alternative risk structures. Prior to her role at XN Capital, she worked as the Managing Director of Founder Shield’s client advisory team, where she established herself as a leading customer success professional with over 12 years of experience in the insurance sector. Before that, she spent several years with Marsh, advising on risk management for major financial institutions and insurance companies globally.

Apart from her successful career, Rachel is passionate about mentorship and supporting younger and diverse candidates in the insurtech industry. She finds inspiration in helping others further their careers and is actively involved in mentorship initiatives. Outside of her professional endeavors, Rachel is deeply involved in her family’s non-profit organization, which focuses on rehoming and job placement for homeless and non-violent offenders. This work gives her a strong sense of purpose and allows her to make a positive impact in her community.

Scott currently serves as Vice President, Strategic Accounts for Ethos. In this role, he partners with clients to develop technology-enabled solutions that help improve operational workflows and reduce expenses. Over the last 7 years, Scott has held several leadership positions, developing and empowering the next generation of leaders in our industry – a professional passion of his. Outside of work, Scott and his wife love to travel and enjoy new experiences with their two children. Scott is a fitness enthusiast and recently completed his first marathon.

My name Tania Sanfiel, and I have nine-year tenure at Assurant in Property & Casualty (P&C) claims. At Assurant I currently lead our Renters Claims Operations, Digital Initiatives and Claims Customer Experience. During this time, I have cultivated a comprehensive understanding of the industry, beginning my journey from the grassroots of property claims handling to leadership roles that span claim management and operational performance enhancement.

Throughout my career, I’ve contributed to transformative projects aimed at streamlining and elevating customer experiences. This has involved the implementation of artificial intelligence and machine learning, coupled with business rules, to automate less complex claims for our renters’ product. Additionally, I spearheaded the creation of automated event-driven text messages, expanded digital payment capabilities to include EFT, push to debit, and eCheck, and harnessed tools like Hi Marley to establish an asynchronous channel for adjusters to keep customers informed.

More recently, I’ve been at the forefront of modernizing our legacy systems, particularly as the Claim Center product owner, leading our transition to the cutting-edge Guidewire platform. My journey at Assurant has been marked by a relentless pursuit of innovation and a commitment to enhancing customer experiences, making me a dedicated contributor to the dynamic landscape of P&C claims.

Taylor joined the Risk Management and Insurance industry in 2014 when she began working for Lockton Companies in a client service role. In 2018, Taylor joined Questpro Consultants as their Campus Recruiting Manager where she helped launch their newest division, QGrads, serving to attract college graduates into our industry.

Taylor now serves as the Vice President of Business Development for Questpro, an insurance-specific staffing firm with a national presence. In this role, Taylor oversees new business sales across all service lines, grows relationships with existing accounts, and manages a national sales team based throughout the country. As a member of the University of Texas-Dallas RMI Advisory Council, Taylor also serves as an Associate Member of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s (IICF) Southeast Division Board, as well as a Director with the Dallas Chapter of Young Risk Professionals. Taylor has earned national recognition through earning the Rising Insurance Star Executive (RISE) award in 2021 and earning the Emerging Leader in Insurance Award by APCIA (the American Property Casualty Insurance Association), AM Best, and ICM (the Insurance Careers Movement). Taylor’s role has allowed her the opportunity to collaborate with candidates, companies, and hiring managers across the country and has given her a unique insider view on our industry and the current trends and challenges we all face as we look toward hiring the next phase of insurance professionals.