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Creating a Workforce and Workplace of the Future Speakers

Brian Ruggeberg, Ph.D., Managing Director, Partner, Kincentric

Brian Ruggeberg has nearly 30 years of consulting experience and has been involved in the development and implementation of various assessment and selection, leadership assessment and development, performance management, succession management, and training programs. His areas of expertise include job analysis and competency modeling; design and validation of assessment and selection programs; design, conduct, and evaluation of training programs; design and implementation of performance management/appraisal systems; survey design and conduct; and leadership assessment and development, succession management, and executive coaching.

In addition, Ruggeberg has over 20 years of executive coaching experience and has coached leaders at all organizational levels from front-line supervisors to CEOs and corporate boards. He has coached individuals across a wide variety of industries and his coaching typically focuses on leadership development, career development, teamwork, interpersonal dynamics, and behavioral change. He has experience in several different industry sectors including healthcare, pharmaceutical, government, technology, telecom, finance, insurance, manufacturing, hospitality/restaurant, education, transportation, and utilities.

Prior to joining Kincentric in July 2019 as part of Aon’s sale of its Leadership, Culture and Engagement, and HR Advisory practices to Spencer Stuart, Ruggeberg served as the Talent Enablement leader for Aon’s overall Talent practice, the co-leader of the National Staffing and Development group, and the Northeast regional practice leader for the overall Human Capital practice of Aon Consulting. In addition, he has served as an executive coach and assessment professional for a multitude of organizations. Key clients include Ahold Delhaize, Microsoft, Darden, Penske, American Express, Chick-fil-A, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Nestle-Purina, Texas Mutual, Sentry, Q2 Solutions, Lovesac, FedEx, Walgreens, The Port Authority of NY&NJ, CryoLife, and General Atomics. Before joining Aon in 1996, He served as an independent consultant and worked with organizations such as Bell Atlantic; BellSouth; Canon Virginia, Inc.; Norfolk Southern Corp.; and the Office of Personnel Management.

Ruggeberg graduated summa cum laude with a BA in psychology from Cornell College and earned  an MS in psychology and a PhD in industrial-organizational psychology from Old Dominion University. He is an active member of the American Psychological Association (APA) and the Society for Industrial-Organization Psychology (SIOP), and was the 2002-2003  President of the Metropolitan New York Association of Applied Psychology (METRO). He is also a founding member of the I/O  Corporate Advisory Board for Hofstra University and the Corporate Advisory Board for Farmingdale State College SUNY, has  contributed to various book chapters and journal articles, and has conducted more than 60 presentations at professional conferences.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION MODERATED BY:

Charles E. Makey, III, President, Merchants Insurance Group

Charles E. Makey, III, is the president of Merchants Insurance Group, headquartered in Buffalo, NY. Makey was previously senior vice president of insurance operations, for the company after serving as vice president and regional manager of the company’s Central States Strategic Business Center in Dublin, Ohio. He began his career with Merchants in 1996 as director of sales and was promoted in 1998 to assistant vice president/regional manager of the company’s New England regional office in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Makey has an MBA from Daniel Webster College, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and Management from St. Bonaventure University. He also holds the following designations from the Insurance Institute of America: Associate in Insurance Services (AIS), Associate in Management (AIM), and INS (General Insurance). A native of Buffalo, Mr. Makey and his family reside in Orchard Park, New York. He will serve as NYIA’s Chair in 2022 and has served on its Board of Directors since 2014. 

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Annual Meeting Sessions

Tuesday, November 9, 2:30–3:30 p.m.
The Current State of Affairs: Being an Employer in New York
Speaker: Monaliza Seepersaud, Associate, Hodgson Russ LLP
It can be tricky to traverse the recent workplace mandates, obstacles and developments that are impacting employers. This session provides an update on the headlining HR topics businesses are facing and will better prepare companies for implementation and what lies ahead. Topics include COVID-19 and the NY Hero Act, vaccine policies and best practices, marijuana and the workplace and hybrid/remote office scenarios.

Tuesday, November 9, 3:30–4:30 p.m.
The Big Picture: Doing Business in New York
Featured Panelists: Greg Biryla, New York State Director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB); Tim Dean, Chief Executive Officer, Marshall & Sterling Inc. and President, Professional Insurance Agents of New York (PIANY); Lev Ginsburg, Director of Government Affairs, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.; Tom Stebbins, Executive Director, The Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York (LRANY); Stephen Zogby, National Director, Big I NY and Executive Vice President, Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc.
Moderated by: Ellen Melchionni, President, New York Insurance Association
Looking for a better sense of how companies are tackling overarching business issues? If so, don’t miss the business community panel discussion, The Big Picture: Doing Business in New York, at this year’s Annual Meeting. In order to see the big picture, it’s important to consider the economic, political, or societal events happening around us and analyze their potential impact on businesses overall as well as on insurance. We have assembled a seasoned group of professionals from different areas of the business community who will help us to take a step back from focusing on insurance as we also more broadly approach the business climate in New York.

Wednesday, November 10, 10:00–10:45 a.m.
In the Weeds: Legalization of Marijuana in New York
Speaker: Heather Trela, Director of Operations and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government
New York’s legalization of adult-use marijuana earlier this year raises many questions about the impacts of the new law and how the yet to be released regulations will be rolled out. There is still a great deal of uncertainty given that the federal government has not taken action in relation to marijuana, including with the SAFE Banking Act and the CLAIM Act. Heather Trela of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, a familiar face and Annual Meeting favorite, who is an authority on federalism issues, particularly in relation to marijuana policy, will tackle what’s happening on the federal level as well as delve into the specifics of New York’s law.

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Annual Meeting Speakers

Greg Biryla
New York State Director, National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Greg Biryla serves as New York’s Senior State Director for NFIB, the state and nation’s leading small business advocacy association, representing thousands of small, independent businesses across every community in New York. Prior to joining NFIB, Biryla lead Upstate United, a coalition of trade groups and chambers of commerce from across Upstate New York focusing on pro-business policy reform and economic development. Greg and his wife Ashley live in Rochester, NY where she owns and operates her own independent fitness studio and is a proud NFIB member.

Tim Dean
Chief Executive Officer, Marshall & Sterling Inc. and President, Professional Insurance Agents of New York (PIANY)
Timothy Dean was elected to his current position as CEO of Marshall & Sterling Enterprises, Inc. in 2020. Prior to this appointment, he served as president of Marshall & Sterling Enterprises from 2009-2020, and vice president and branch manager for both the Poughkeepsie and Wappingers Falls, New York offices of Marshall & Sterling Insurance from 2005-2009. He started with the company in 1985 as an account executive, managing many of Marshall & Sterling’s largest accounts.

A graduate of the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in communications, Dean is both a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM.) He is an active community volunteer, and currently serves as chair of the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency, and chair of the Vassar Brothers Medical Center Board of Directors. He also serves as president of the Professional Insurance Agents of NY, as well as a board member for Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress and the Nuvance Insurance Captive. He is also a Charter Member of Hudson Valley Start Up Funds I & II.

Previously, Dean served the community in a number of leadership roles including board chair for the Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, board chair for the Mid-Hudson Civic Center, chair and board member for the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley, and board member for United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. He was also the 2010 chair of the Dutchess/Ulster Start! Heart Walk for the American Heart Association.

Lev Ginsburg
Director of Government Affairs, The Business Council of New York State, Inc.
Lev Ginsburg, Esq., director of government affairs for the Business Council of New York State, is primary lobbyist responsible for health care, unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation issues.  He is a graduate of the University of Buffalo and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.  Prior to his legal education, Ginsburg served as a staff member for U.S. Senator Arlen Specter, a political campaign coordinator and marketing director.  He was a staff attorney with a national telecommunication company, handling real estate leasing and title issues for mobile communication antennae sites.  More recently, Ginsburg served for seven years as attorney and staff supervisor with the former Governor’s Office of Regulatory Reform (GORR). At GORR, he handled stakeholder outreach and regulatory oversight over many State agencies.  While Ginsburg’s regulatory oversight work covered a broad range of issue areas, he focused on health, labor and environmental regulations.

Acting Superintendent Adrienne A. Harris
New York Department of Financial Services
Adrienne A. Harris was nominated to lead the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) by Governor Kathy Hochul in August 2021.  Acting Superintendent Harris began her career as an associate at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP in New York City representing a number of U.S. and non-U.S. based corporations in various forms of litigation and regulatory matters, before accepting a position at the United States Department of the Treasury under President Obama.

While at the Treasury Department, Acting Superintendent Harris served as a senior advisor to both Acting Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary for Domestic Finance Mary Miller, and Deputy Secretary Sarah Bloom Raskin. Her work ranged from financial reform efforts to identifying solutions to the student loan crisis, analyzing the nexus between foreign investment and national security, and working to promote financial inclusion and health in communities throughout the country.

Following her time at the Treasury Department, Acting Superintendent Harris joined The White House, where she was appointed as Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, as part of the National Economic Council. In this role, Harris managed the financial services portfolio, which included developing and executing strategies for financial reform and the implementation of Dodd-Frank, consumer protections for the American public, cybersecurity and housing finance reform priorities.

After leaving the White House in January 2017, Acting Superintendent Harris went on to serve as general counsel and chief business officer at States Title, Inc. (now DOMA), which provides a more simple and affordable closing experience for homebuyers.  Prior to being nominated, she also served as a professor and as faculty co-director at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy’s Center on Finance, Law and Policy at the University of Michigan, as well as a senior advisor at the Brunswick Group in Washington, D.C.

Monaliza Seepersaud
Associate, Hodgson Russ LLP
Monaliza Seepersaud is a member of the firm’s Labor and Employment Practice. She represents management on all aspects of labor and employment law. Prior to joining Hodgson Russ, Seepersaud was an assistant corporation counsel at the New York City Law Department, where she worked on a broad range of employment litigation matters. She has appeared on behalf of numerous New York City agencies in federal and state court and has represented agencies in cases involving the New York State Division of Human Rights and the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Seepersaud has written various articles on the NY Hero Act for Hodgson and Russ and has spoken at multiple labor and employment programs since joining the firm. She holds a B.A. from Hunter College and J.D. from Emory University School of Law.

Tom Stebbins
Executive Director, Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York (LRANY)
Tom Stebbins is the executive director of the Lawsuit Reform Alliance of New York (LRANY), a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to reform of New York’s costly civil justice system.  Prior to joining LRANY in 2011, Stebbins was a project manager for Horizon Wind Energy, where he developed multiple commercial-scale wind farms in New York and the Northeast United States. Prior to joining Horizon, he worked for PBS flagship station WGBH-TV, where he coordinated the national marketing and promotion efforts for programs such as NOVA, Masterpiece Theatre and Antiques Roadshow.

Stebbins has spoken to dozens of organizations across New York—from Buffalo to Brooklyn, from Rotaries to multi-national business conferences. He has been published or quoted in over one hundred publications, including, The New York Times, NY Daily News, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist, and he has been interviewed on numerous broadcast radio and TV shows, including, NPR, Fox News, and 1010 WINS. Stebbins is personally devoted to the issue of head injury and has worked with his family to build three homes dedicated to the care of people affected by head injury. He has a bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and an MBA from Cornell University.

Executive Deputy Superintendent for Insurance My Chi To
New York Department of Financial Services
My Chi To is the Executive Deputy Superintendent of the Insurance Division at the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), which regulates nearly 1,800 insurance companies with assets of $5.5 trillion. In that role, she oversees the regulation and supervision of the life, property and casualty, and health insurance industries in New York State, which is the 7th largest insurance market in the world. Prior to joining NYDFS in January 2020, she was a partner in the restructuring group and global insurance practice of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP. She received an M.Phil. in Politics from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She received an LL.L. and LL.B. in Civil Law and Common Law from the University of Ottawa and was a law clerk to the Hon. Claire L’Heureux-Dubé of the Supreme Court of Canada, the highest court of Canada.

Heather Trela
Director of Operation and Fellow, Rockefeller Institute of Government
Heather Trela oversees the day-to-day operations of the Rockefeller Institute and serves as the executive director’s primary liaison with management, staff, and other stakeholders. Her research focuses on federalism issues with an emphasis on marijuana policy. She was a doctoral candidate at, and holds a master’s degree in political science from, the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy as well as a bachelor’s in economics and political science from Hartwick College.

Stephen Zogby
National Director, Big I NY
Executive Vice President, Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc.
Steve Zogby was born and raised locally, graduating from Mohawk Valley Community College, SUNY Brockport, and Leadership Mohawk Valley. In 1992, Zogby, along with Gary Scalzo and Leon Wittig, started an independent insurance agency; Scalzo, Zogby & Wittig, Inc. in Utica. He currently serves as the State National Director for Big I NY, representing New York as a board member of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America. Zogby has served on many insurance company agent advisory councils over his 30+ years in the industry, and is currently a member of the advisory board of Adirondack Insurance Exchange. In his community he serves on the Board of the Oneida County Industrial Development Agency; is president and board member of the Mohawk Valley Community College Foundation; and a board member of the Stanley Center for the Arts.

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NYIA Disaster Preparedness Agenda

PDF

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Partners:

Diamond

Gold

 Silver

Bronze

Merchants Insurance Group

North Country Insurance Company

What the Future May Hold: Changing Landscape and Insurance Models Speakers

Deb Zawisza, Senior Principal, Aite-Novarica Group 
Deb Zawisza is a senior principal at Aite-Novarica Group. She has expertise in insurance technology leadership and transformation with over 25 years of experience. Prior to joining the firm, she spent eight years as SVP/CIO for Claims/Loss Control at Travelers Insurance, leading core system modernization, expansion of data and analytic capabilities, Agile transformation and digital initiatives related to property/casualty claims across all lines of business. Zawisza has also served as CIO/CTO at The Phoenix Companies (now Nassau Re), where she was responsible for all IT functions for life and annuity and investment management. In addition, she has held roles as a senior principal Consultant at PwC with a focus on insurance technology strategy and various IT leadership roles at Aetna for commercial P/C, Life and Annuity and pensions. She attended Rensselaer Polytechnic’s MBA program and holds a BBA from Adelphi University. 

Insurtech Company Panel Speakers

Kayvan Farzaneh, head of marketing, CAPE Analytics, Inc.
Kayvan Farzaneh is head of marketing at CAPE Analytics, a property intelligence company leveraging machine learning and geospatial imagery to produce loss-predictive property information for personal and commercial lines carriers. Prior to joining CAPE, Farzaneh ran a communications consultancy and worked with Silicon Valley startups and leading venture capital firms, including XL Innovate, an insurtech-focused venture fund.

David Gritz, Co-founder and Managing Director, InsurTech NY
David Gritz is an insurtech community leader, public speaker, and insurtech advisor for InsurTech NY. He has been featured in recognized insurance media including Carrier Management, Digital Insurance, IIR, AM Best TV, and the Re/Image Podcast. Gritz is the co-founder of InsurTech NY, the largest insurtech community in the NY metro area. He also serves as a strategic advisor to high-growth insurtechs to help them go from concept to scale. Previously Gritz has served as the director of innovation for the Silicon Valley Insurance Accelerator (SVIA) and has led product at Zero, a behavioral safety focused insurtech acquired by EverestRe. He holds a J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law and business and industrial engineering degrees from Lehigh University.

Alexander Zhykh, Chief Executive Officer, Draivn
Active sales trainer. Entrepreneurship enthusiast. Pretty much know how to start from scratch, scale and exit companies. And how to learn quickly from the mistakes on the bumpy ride. Co-founded the first project, freight forwarding company, at the age of 25. In four years hit the 10 million ARR without any external investments being profitable from the year 1. Now fully committed to building Draivn—new age of fleet insurance enabler.

EVENTS ▸   Upcoming Events  |  Bi-Weekly Conference Call (m)

Links: Details  | Registration | Speakers | Partnership Opportunities | Partnership Contract | Questions | Add to Calendar

Partners:

Diamond

Gold

 Silver

Bronze

Merchants Insurance Group

North Country Insurance Company

As We Evolve: Practical Uses for Current Technology Speakers

Truman Esmond is vice president, membership and solutions for American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS) and technical steering committee chair of openIDL. Esmond has an extensive background in innovative networked technology solutions, across a variety of industries and enterprises—large and small.

AAIS is uniquely positioned as a trusted intermediary and data conduit between insurance carriers and regulators. In this position, AAIS impacts the entire industry and the industries that depend on effective risk partners with advisory products combined with innovative technology and operational solutions. Esmond leads AAIS membership and solutions, engaging members and our community to grow and leverage the expertise, technology and resources of a modern advisory organization serving member insurers.

openIDL, the regulatory reporting data network that leverages blockchain technology, provides members and regulators data privacy, integrity and transparency and is an output of that mission. Esmond continues to serve as the lead architect for openIDL and following openIDL’s incorporation into the Linux Foundation, was elected by membership to chair the technology steering committee for the project.

Robin Luo is senior vice president, business development and delivery for Harford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company (HSB) is a senior insurance innovation leader with a proven track record in developing and commercializing transformative technology and insurance solutions such as award-winning commercial insurance IoT, Blackout Risk Model and Utility Service Interruption products.

Luo has a unique combination of expertise in technology, data analytics, insurance, product development, and commercialization. He currently leads HSB’s SME solution commercialization activities that include commercial strategy, customer engagement, product and service delivery, and data and product strategy. He started his career at HSB 19 years ago. He has held various positions with increasing responsibilities in the areas of data analytics, underwriting, ceded reinsurance, enterprise risk management, and innovation.

Prior to joining HSB, Luo served as the chief electrical engineer on-board of ocean cargo vessels and worked as a commercial engineering manager for WIKA GmbH, a Germany based sensor automation and instrumentation engineering company.

Robin has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Master of Science degree in statistics and finance. He holds CPCU and ARe designations. He also held insurance producer license and surplus line broker license in Connecticut.

Dirk Smith, vice president and engineering manager of Mutual Boiler Re, is responsible for building the company’s equipment breakdown expertise and providing jurisdictional inspection services. With more than 25 years’ experience in engineering, Smith brings a vast knowledge of property insurance to his position at Mutual Boiler Re, a benefit to both customers and the company alike. His experience includes serving as a national board commissioned inspector of boiler and pressure vessels, a property loss prevention engineer and an operations chief inspector.

Smith has been a member of the FM Global community for over 20 years, beginning his career with the company as a loss prevention engineer. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York.

Tracey Waller is director for ISO small commercial underwriting at Verisk. She is responsible for the strategy and execution of ISO’s small commercial and casualty underwriting products, focused on powering digital transformation in the industry.  Previously at ISO, Tracey handled coverage product development for the general liability, excess/umbrella, home healthcare, and medical professional liability lines of business. Tracey holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Saint Peter’s University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University. She has earned the designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). She joined ISO in 2008.

MODERATED BY:

Jennifer Cavolo is New York product manager for Progressive. Cavolo joined Progressive in 2012 after graduating with an MBA from the University of Chicago. She has served in various positions at Progressive since starting as a product manager in commercial lines, were she worked on a number of complex states, and on projects related to transportation networking companies. She was promoted to manage Progressive’s Pennsylvania personal lines business from 2016 through 2017. In 2018, she was promoted to New York product manager.

Prior to business school, Cavolo worked as an analyst on the sell-side with UBS and on the buy-side with T. Rowe Price. She received her bachelors in Finance and Political Science from Notre Dame, and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. 

Cavolo became a board member of the New York Insurance Association in 2019. She is a member of their Education and Conference Planning Committee, Finance Committee, Nominating Committee and Public Relations Committee.