2024 WINNERS BY REGION
Read the announcement on BusinessInsurance.com.
Read the winner profiles.

Midwest

Evan Bahs, Acrisure LLC
Monika Fokaite, Everest Insurance, a unit of Everest Group Ltd.
Reed Kurtenbach, SageSure Insurance Managers LLC
Matt Lively, Axa XL, a unit of Axa SA
Stephanie Miles, McGriff, a unit of Truist Insurance Holdings Inc.
Emily Moran, Chubb Ltd.
Tom Mullins, RT Specialty, a unit of Ryan Specialty Holding Inc.
Megan Nelson, Gallagher Bassett Services Inc., a unit of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Kendall Petykiewicz, Marsh LLC
Brian Stovsky, Oswald Cos.

Northeast

Bethany Barrese, Saxe Doernberger & Vita P.C.
Nick DelVino, Amwins Group Inc.
Ansu Diggs, Everest Insurance, a unit of Everest Group Ltd.
Ryan Gibney, Lockton Cos. LLC
Sebastian Hennessy, Marsh LLC
Samuel Kim, Axa XL, a unit of Axa SA
Orrie Levy, Cohen Ziffer Frenchman & McKenna LLP
Matthew Reiss, Ascot Group Ltd.
Alyssa Sharr, Zurich North America
Pranav Shroff, TDC Specialty Underwriters, a unit of The Doctors Co.

 

South

Troy Calfee, Chronos Underwriters, AmRisc Group, a unit of Truist Insurance Holdings Inc.
Brendon De Souza, Sanderson Firm PLLC
Daniel Filbey, Brown & Riding Insurance Services Inc.
Rachel Hudgins, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLC
Susan Jock, Marsh McLennan Agency, a unit of Marsh LLC
Ariane Livaudais, Alliant Insurance Services Inc.
Shermaine Liggions, Bank of America Corp.
Aaron Reissner, Technical Risk Underwriters, a unit of Ryan Specialty Holdings Inc.
Colorado Robertson, Mississippi State University
Samantha Ware, United Educators Insurance

West

Megan Bennett, International Catastrophe Insurance Managers LLC, a unit of Victor Insurance Managers LLC
Shantelle Cabir, Newfront Insurance
Heather Habes, Covington & Burling LLP
Jim Heintz, Zurich North America
Lindsay Moore, Amwins Group Inc.
Ariana Richter, Munich Re Specialty Insurance, a unit of Munich Reinsurance Co.
Chelsie Tysdal, Burns & Wilcox Ltd.
Andrew Mahoney, CCIG
Randal Maestas, The Wonderful Co. LLC
Blake Hollman, Leavitt Group

The Business Insurance Break Out Awards program honors top professionals on track to be the next leaders in the risk management and property/casualty insurance field. Break Out Awards honorees can be from any area of the commercial insurance sector in the United States – risk managers, brokers, insurers, reinsurers, MGAs, MGUs, wholesalers, captive managers, TPAs, lawyers and other service providers.
 
While there is no age limit, nominees must have worked in the industry for NO MORE THAN 15 years. Nominees will have already established themselves in their careers and will be on a leadership trajectory. 

SUBMISSION DEADLINE EXTENDED: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2024 
 
Nominations are accepted from four regions: 

• Northeast: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont 
• Midwest: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin 
• South: Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C., West Virginia 
• West: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming 

Winners will be announced online in April and their profiles published in the June 2024 issue of Business Insurance. The program culminates with the Break Out Awards recognition event in Chicago in June.  
 
Eligibility:

To be considered for the 2024 Business Insurance Break Out Awards, nominees must have less than 15 years of experience in the risk management and property/casualty insurance field and must be working in the sector on June 1, 2024. Nominees must possess exceptional leadership skills and expertise. Evidence of such must be provided in the nomination form, which should also include three (3) recommendations from clients, managers and/or coworkers. 
 
Judging:

Honorees will be selected by a panel of senior editors at Business Insurance. Entries will be judged and assessed based on the criteria outlined below. The highest-evaluated entries, up to a maximum of 10 per region, will be selected for 2024 Break Out Awards. Please note that only one (1) nominee per company will be recognized per region. 
 
Criterion:

Criterion 1: Demonstrates excellence in providing service to internal or external clients. 
Criterion 2: Demonstrates expertise in their field of operations. 
Criterion 3: Demonstrates effectiveness in leadership. 
Criterion 4: Has not worked in the field of risk management or insurance for more than 15 years. 

What makes a good nomination? 

The most successful nominations are the ones that provide a good narrative combined with data to support the assertions in the narrative, for example, increased sales by xx%, conceived and launched a new product, reduced total cost of risk by xx% etc. Of the three references that we require, the strongest nominations have at least one reference from a person outside of their own company, for example, a client of a nominee. 

Why nominate for Break Out Awards?

Potential winner benefits include:

       ✅  Increased Visibility

       ✅  Increased Credibility

       ✅  Access to Valuable Networking Opportunities

       ✅  Potential Career Advancement

Questions?

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Gavin Souter, editor of Business Insurance, at gsouter@businessinsurance.com