Headquarters:

180 Genesee Street, New Hartford, NY 13413

Year founded:

1914

Number of employees:

More than 1,400

Phone:

1 800 598 8422

Email:

hello@worthyinsurance.com

Website:

uticanational.com

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/uticanational

“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”

Christine Schneider, Arch Insurance

Kristen H. Martin

President and Chief Executive Officer

David Kaplan

Chief Executive Officer

John LaCava

Chief Operating Officer

Leadership

Kristen Martin was named president and chief executive officer in 2024, having previously served as president and chief operating officer since 2019. She was also elected to the position of director of the Utica Mutual Insurance Company, Graphic Arts Mutual Insurance Company, and Republic-Franklin Insurance Company in 2019. She joined Utica National as an examiner in 2001 and, following several promotions, was named corporate secretary in 2013, executive vice president in 2013, and director of underwriting operations in 2014. She was named executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2016.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Kristen H. Martin

David Kaplan, CEO of Worthy Insurance, and a second-generation insurance professional, brings over fifteen years of experience to the industry. Having begun his career in 2006, Kaplan has developed a deep expertise in managing diverse portfolios across various exposures and fostering strong relationships with insurers across the globe. His comprehensive knowledge encompasses all facets of insurance placement, loss control, and risk transfer. Under his leadership and through our strong industry relationships, Worthy is committed to a service-oriented approach that prioritizes understanding the unique businesses and needs of each client. This emphasis on client relationships and personalized service ensures that every client receives risk management solutions that properly meet their needs and expectations. His unwavering dedication and strategic vision continue to propel Worthy Insurance forward as a leader in the industry.

Chief Executive Officer

David Kaplan

John LaCava is the chief operating officer of Jencap. He has been an insurance professional since 1985 and has extensive underwriting, operational and technical experience. His corporate strategic planning and organizational leadership were instrumental in executing several agency acquisitions to grow Jencap Program Administrators’ product portfolio. Prior to co-founding Aran Insurance Services Group (now known as Jencap Program Administrators LLC), in 2009, he held various C-level positions, most recently as an executive vice president and director for QBE North America. LaCava is active in his local community, supporting and coaching various local youth sports teams. His local charitable activities include raising over $2 million for St. Baldrick’s Foundation’s childhood cancer research efforts.

Chief Operating Officer

John LaCava

“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”

Christine Schneider, Arch Insurance

Leadership

“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”

Christine Schneider, Arch Insurance

Leadership

Harold Nam

Chief Financial Officer

Harold Nam joined Brown & Riding as a staff accountant in 2008. Since joining the firm, he has continued to ascend to positions of increased responsibility, and in 2021, he was named chief financial officer. He has seen the firm through many pivotal accounting transitions, including two significant M&A transactions, improvement of department alignment with the day-to-day needs of production staff, and has helped lead the finance and accounting department through unprecedented growth. Nam has been instrumental in helping B&R grow from a regional specialty broker to the largest fully independent, owner-operated, national wholesale brokerage firm in the UN.

Chief Financial Officer

Harold Nam

Cristi Carrington

Chief Distribution Officer

Cristi Carrington has worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years and is the point person for Brown & Riding’s carrier relationships. She manages the underwriting division and has developed many specialized programs for the company during her tenure, including a Habitational program, DIC, MPL, All Risk, including Wind & Earthquake, and a nationwide risk purchasing group for a top 40 nationally ranked retailer. Carrington works on several committees and industry associations. She currently serves on WSIA’s Board of Directors as the PAC committee co-chair and is vice president of the Surplus Line Association of Washington Board of Directors.

Chief Distribution Officer

Cristi Carrington

Utica National Insurance Group is a nationally recognized group of property and casualty insurers, providing personal and commercial insurance products and services, with the second-largest errors and omissions business in the United States. The member companies of Utica National sell their products through more than 2,500 independent insurance agents and employ more than 1,400 people throughout the US. The lead insurance company of the group, Utica Mutual Insurance Company, was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in New Hartford, NY, with offices countrywide. The member companies of the Utica National Insurance Group are rated “A” (Excellent) by AM Best. View the latest rating at www.ambest.com. Learn more about the Utica National Companies at www.uticanational.com.

Christopher Welty, PHR, SHRM-CP

Chief Human Resources Officer

Andrew Grim

Executive Director of Specialty, National Casualty Practice Leader

Nealy Farshadi

Principal, Strategic Client Relations

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Christopher Welty joined Brown & Riding in 2007 as an HR assistant and swiftly advanced within the company. His dedication and talent led to a series of promotions, culminating in his appointment as the firm’s CHRO in 2019. During his tenure, Welty has seen B&R more than quadruple in growth. He helped successfully integrate the company through two mergers and has been a strong advocate for many of the company’s important benefit plan enhancements. He excels at collaboration and has been a key contributor in establishing and promoting the company’s culture and offering programs and opportunities to help employees.

Chief Human Resources Officer

Christopher Welty, PHR, SHRM-CP

Andrew Grim is Brown & Riding’s executive director of specialty and works with the Executive Leadership Team and Practice Group Leaders to promote marketing uniformity, streamline recruiting efforts, and manage specialty formation and development. He is also tasked with spearheading innovative strategies for the firm’s industry and specialty practice areas. Grim also serves as B&R’s National Casualty Practice Leader, a position he has held since 2021, overseeing the practice group’s continued growth and marketplace reputation. He has been a member of WSIA’s Membership & Ethics Committee since 2018 and is also an IICF Southeast Division Board Member.

Executive Director of Specialty, National Casualty Practice Leader

Andrew Grim

Nealy Farshadi is instrumental in helping strengthen and grow Brown & Riding’s client relationships. She maintains and improves quality procedures, oversees B&R’s ISO certification, and manages the firm’s client feedback program. Her contributions enable the executive management team to act on client input effectively. As a result, B&R’s client feedback scores greatly exceed the average and continue to improve each year. Farshadi also supports and furthers the growth of B&R and its employees by contributing to professional development within the organization and being a resource to staff.

Principal, Strategic Client Relations

Nealy Farshadi

Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Sarah M Stewart

Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations

Karen Bannister, CM

Vice President, Marketing

Dave Longbottom

Chief Technology Officer

Alex Ventura

Head of Marketing

Damian Palovick

Senior Vice President of Underwriting AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Dr. Mary Lavoie

Head of Risk Management and Senior Vice President AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Mark Bernacki

Chief Underwriting Officer

Ryan Armijo

Chief Operating Officer, Underwriting Division

Bob Petrilli

President, Underwriting Division

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Medal

Small business

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Turnaround time – claims

BDM support

Broker communication, training and development

Overall service level

BDM support

Medal

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business

Medal

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business

“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”

Francine Minervini, Arch Insurance

“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”

Francine Minervini, Arch Insurance

“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”

Francine Minervini, Arch Insurance

property and casualty employee benefits personal risk program and retirement

Headquartered in Valhalla, NY, USI connects over 10,000 industry-leading professionals from approximately 200 offices to serve clients’ local, national, and international needs. USI has become a premier insurance brokerage and consulting firm by leveraging the USI ONE Advantage, an interactive platform that integrates proprietary and innovative client solutions, networked local resources, and enterprise-wide collaboration to deliver customized results with positive, bottom-line impact. With a long history of deep and continuing investment in local communities, USI attracts best-in-class industry talent. To learn more about USI or to view available career opportunities, visit usi.com.

technical excellence portfolio management data analytics focusing on communication collaboration

These factors are actively and routinely reaffirmed by senior vice president and chief technical claims officer Francine Minervini. She says, “We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration. Our process incorporates communication throughout the life of the claim and encourages communication with insureds, brokers, claims management, and our underwriters and actuaries.” Eager to develop and become better, Arch has a raft of future plans to boost its offerings amid the rapid pace of technological change. “We are in the midst of a system transformation that will modernize our claims system; we are also working with Strategic Analytics to introduce AI into the claims mail process,” shares Shiva Altadonna, senior vice president, claims shared services. “As a starting point, it will allow us to identify and route First Notice of Loss even faster to our claims professionals for handling and give quicker peace of mind to our customers that we are fanatical about responsiveness.”

“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not,” says Christine Schneider, senior vice president, casualty claims. “Also, strategically executing on opportunities based on market conditions has continuously supported Arch’s growth.” Leadership encourages all segments of the business to be bold, take calculated risks, celebrate accomplishments, and learn from mistakes. The focus is placed on the goals of each initiative, along with the necessary specific strategies. A key factor in Arch’s success has been the implementation of a new claims system that interlinks with the firm’s ‘North Star’ of placing employees in a position where they can add value on a daily basis. Senior vice president, financial and specialty claims Brian Kristiansen says, “We segment claims by line of business and hire employees with experience in those lines. We provide them with additional training and mentoring to ensure the continued development of expertise in those lines.” Another driver of Arch’s market-leading performance is its investment in data analytics and data transformation, increasing its ability to utilize business intelligence to improve product offerings and the abilities of its claims department, with a strong emphasis on claims handling and claims excellence. In addition, the firm continuously seeks feedback from the broker community on any areas where they would like to see potential improvement, particularly in claims service. Arch Claims specifically has done considerable work around communication with brokers over the past year, including an extensive survey to solicit feedback on the claims experience. Schneider says, “Through their commentary, we strive to be able to build even more trusting, respectful, and responsive relationships with all of our partners.” The claims department underscores the importance of: