The Insurance coverage Enterprise Corridor of Fame

International President

Years within the {industry}: 42

Nominator’s view: “As he prepares to retire on the finish of 2025, we have fun a profession that exemplifies the very spirit of the IBA Corridor of Fame. Larry Thomas is not only a frontrunner – he’s a legend. His contributions have formed the {industry}, impressed numerous professionals, and can proceed to affect the way forward for insurance coverage for years to come back.”

In 1999, Thomas made a pivotal transfer by taking the helm of a small, underperforming acquisition known as Prism. With attribute foresight and willpower, he rebranded it as Contractor Connection, which underneath his management has turn into considered one of Crawford & Firm’s most profitable and revered enterprise items.

His management has enabled the Contractor Connection community to course of $2.5 billion in challenge prices and over 350,000 assignments yearly.

“We created proprietary platforms and built-in different third-party expertise,” he says. “We drove the restoration {industry} to adapt and embrace this expertise to raised join with the insurance coverage {industry}.”

 

“My lasting legacy within the {industry} would be the transformative influence that I’ve had on what’s now often called contractor managed restore”

Larry ThomasPlatform Options, Crawford & Firm

Beneath his steerage, the idea of ‘contractor direct restore’ developed into what it’s broadly recognized now as ‘contractor managed restore’. This remodeled how insurance coverage carriers and restoration professionals collaborate.

Thomas explains, “We digitized the restore course of that permits us to trace the timelines and permit communication instruments direct from the contractor to the property proprietor.”

His visionary management has earned him deep respect throughout each the insurance coverage and restoration industries, the place he’s seen as a trailblazer.

With Contractor Connection established as a benchmark within the {industry}, broadly emulated and admired Thomas’ legacy grew much more as he moved to guide Platform Options, an industry-leading section recognized for innovation, shopper satisfaction, and operational excellence.

This continued skill to construct high-performing groups and foster a tradition of integrity and repair has had a long-lasting influence not solely on Crawford & Firm however on the broader insurance coverage ecosystem.

Conclusion: Thomas’ management spans a various vary of enterprise segments and geographies, together with loss adjusting, disaster, aviation, class motion, and Asia-Pacific operations. His client-centric strategy has persistently delivered modern options, incomes the belief of {industry} leaders and forging long-term partnerships.

Chief Underwriting Officer 

Years within the {industry}: 36 

Nominator’s view: “His management has resulted within the profitable launch of latest divisions, the event of cutting-edge threat administration protocols, and the implementation of superior analytics and AI in underwriting. Jude DiBattista can be a devoted mentor and position mannequin, recognized for constructing high-performing groups and fostering the subsequent era of insurance coverage professionals.”

DiBattista has made a fame for main and being a supply of inspiration inside the insurance coverage sector by prioritizing the development and integrity of the {industry} as an entire.

In his present position, he oversees a $2.8-billion portfolio, and ensures innovation via superior expertise, AI-driven underwriting, and course of optimization.

He has additionally held senior govt roles at main organizations, together with GuideOne Insurance coverage (head of casualty underwriting, threat engineering & operations), Nationwide Mutual Insurance coverage Firm (chief casualty underwriting officer, E&S/specialty), QBE North America (SVP, head of E&S nationwide property & casualty), Aspen Insurance coverage (SVP, nationwide casualty & environmental), and Allied World Assurance Firm (VP, common casualty).

All through his profession, he has launched and remodeled enterprise items, driving double-digit worthwhile development, and implementing modern underwriting methods and applied sciences.

 

“My evolution as a frontrunner entails not simply setting a imaginative and prescient, but additionally selling an setting with numerous views that I actually worth in my staff”

Jude DiBattistaStarr Insurance coverage

At Nationwide E&S/specialty, he led the transformation of a $450-million division by implementing a vertical construction centered on specialization and technology-driven underwriting. This not solely improved inner processes but additionally set a benchmark for {industry} greatest practices.

Then, whereas at QBE North America, DiBattista launched a $350-million extra & surplus division, creating complete enterprise plans, underwriting tips, and pricing fashions that positioned the unit for long-term success.

Notably, he pioneered Aspen and Nationwide’s first AI-driven underwriting platform, decreasing quote turnaround time by 40 p.c and enhancing threat choice accuracy, which resulted in a 15-percent improve in profitability inside the first yr.

At all times working with an modern mindset, DiBattista remembers when knowledge insights remodeled the insurance coverage {industry} a bit of over a decade in the past.

“The rise of information and analytics has essentially altered how we underwrite, course of claims, and interact with our clients,” he explains. “To remain forward, I’ve at all times championed digital transformation initiatives. I actively encourage the usage of knowledge to supply that ahead view to reply extra shortly to regulatory and market shifts, determine points inside portfolios, guaranteeing compliance and sustaining flexibility and pace to market.”

When creating new enterprise, DiBattista prioritizes placing collectively a top quality staff and the suitable controls round underwriting, making the operational effectivity seamless whereas delivering and listening to clients and brokers.

“I wish to construct a portfolio that’s niched and balanced, however broad sufficient that I can learn markets with sure KPI knowledge to go out and in per market cycle,” he says. “That began about 10 years in the past for me, and it’s one thing I carry via each enterprise unit that I handle.”

Conclusion: By persistently inserting the {industry}’s pursuits on the forefront, whether or not via creating risk-based options, enhancing underwriting requirements, or advocating for technological development, DiBattista has not solely pushed organizational success however has additionally elevated the broader insurance coverage sector.

CEO, North America and International Areas 

Years within the {industry}: 37

Nominator’s view: “Lori’s affect is unmistakable. At {industry} occasions, attendees line up for the chance to talk along with her immediately. She dedicates time to shoppers of all sizes, demonstrating her perception that each relationship issues, and that listening is foundational to management. Lori’s influence extends via mentorship. Her ‘mentoring tree’ consists of dozens of present and former Aon leaders who credit score her with shaping their careers.”

In her present position as CEO of North America and world areas, Goltermann leads the strategic administration and supply of the agency’s threat capital and human capital options, serving to shoppers navigate volatility and make higher choices about their folks and threat methods. She is accountable for embedding Aon’s shopper management mannequin throughout the agency and delivering built-in options that strengthen shopper relationships and relevance.

Her profession started at Vacationers earlier than she moved to Aon in 1993, holding a variety of positions, together with account govt, personal fairness and M&A apply chief, and in the end working the St. Louis workplace, earlier than being appointed as US well being and advantages apply chief.

This was adopted by a sequence of management roles together with CEO, US industrial threat & well being options, and chief shopper officer & CEO, world enterprise shoppers.

 

“While you see how one can influence any person else’s life, there’s nothing extra rewarding. It’s a really humbling expertise”

Lori GoltermannAon

One in every of Goltermann’s most enduring contributions to Aon and the broader {industry} started throughout her tenure as chief of US well being & advantages. Tasked with deepening shopper relationships, she acknowledged the necessity for a extra unified, constant strategy to shopper service. Her imaginative and prescient was to ship a high-quality, high-value expertise at each shopper touchpoint. This led to the creation of Aon’s shopper management mannequin, a transformative framework that redefined how Aon engages with shoppers.

What started as a business-specific answer developed into the inspiration of Aon’s world go-to-market technique. It now underpins the agency’s 3×3 development strategy: delivering built-in options throughout threat and human capital, deepening relationships via constant shopper management, and elevating service and analytics through Aon Enterprise Companies.

The shopper management mannequin is constructed on 5 core guarantees – partnership, experience, innovation, excellence, and outcomes – and a structured methodology that goals to find, develop, evaluate, and ship. Each new client-facing colleague is skilled on this mannequin, guaranteeing a constant and elevated shopper expertise throughout Aon’s world community.

For Goltermann, the fundamentals of shopper companies have remained the identical since she began, although the market situations have turn into exponentially extra advanced.

“We discuss rather a lot in regards to the megatrends at Aon, whether or not it’s commerce and tariffs and geopolitical threat or expertise and the large transformation that each firm goes via with synthetic intelligence and generative AI,” she explains. “However after I began within the {industry}, the idea of attempting to grasp your buyer’s technique and methods to underwrite their enterprise and put collectively a proposal to assist them switch threat – that also holds true right now.”

As well as, Goltermann is understood for her accessibility, authenticity, and dedication to creating future leaders, particularly ladies and underrepresented expertise. Her ‘mentoring tree’ consists of dozens of present and former Aon leaders. This seemingly stems from Goltermann’s personal expertise of senior staff members’ steerage.

“I’ve had so many mentors which have helped me get to the place I’m. I by no means might have achieved this a lot with out earlier mentorship.”

Past Aon, Goltermann serves on a number of boards and neighborhood organizations, together with the Lincoln Park Zoo, the Particular Olympics, and Aon’s apprenticeship program, which creates profession pathways for numerous candidates.

She can be a member of The Chicago Community, a coalition of the town’s most influential ladies leaders. By Aon’s position as a founding member of the Community’s Fairness Pledge, Goltermann is a visual advocate for gender fairness in management, with a dedication to reaching gender parity in govt roles by 2030. Her instance continues to encourage the subsequent era of entrepreneurs and enterprise leaders to guide with objective, empathy, and influence.

Conclusion: Goltermann’s skill to translate imaginative and prescient into scalable, enterprise-wide innovation exemplifies her management and lasting influence on each Aon and the {industry} extra broadly.

Government Managing Director of Government Legal responsibility 

Years within the {industry}: 39

Nominator’s view: “Together with deep experience in each the underwriting and brokerage aspect, Lattmann leverages his in depth market information and understanding of advanced exposures to assist shoppers navigate administrators and officers legal responsibility, skilled legal responsibility, employment practices legal responsibility, fiduciary legal responsibility, crime and associated traces.”

The chief legal responsibility apply at Beecher Carlson underneath Lattmann’s steerage, as considered one of its founders, has grown considerably pushed by a client-first philosophy and a tradition of collaboration and excellence.

Lattmann is an innovator in govt legal responsibility insurance coverage; he spearheaded the event of the primary predictive D&O analytics software at a brokerage, initially known as MARA, now often called D&O In-Web site. This software remodeled how shoppers assess threat by leveraging historic loss knowledge and tailoring insights to every shopper’s particular threat profile, which helps drive threat switch choices.

“Folks weren’t utilizing the time period ‘knowledge analytics’ again within the day,” he notes. “However with the ability to sift via a threat profile and determine hazard areas allowed me to grasp the chance profile higher and discover one of the best insurance coverage firm to jot down that threat.”

Discovering predictive dangers was the final word purpose of Lattman’s efforts.

“Over time, there was sufficient securities litigation towards administrators’ officers of boards to determine why one firm obtained sued and one other one didn’t. So, we invested closely early on to principally purchase as a lot knowledge as we might each across the threat profile after which the claims knowledge.”

Beneath Lattmann’s management, this analytics-driven tradition expanded into EPL-InSite and Cyber-InSite, offering shoppers with forward-looking, data-informed methods throughout a number of traces of protection. These instruments have turn into key differentiators for the agency, providing shoppers a stage of perception and program customization beforehand unavailable.

 

“I wish to guarantee that I’ve a footprint on the enterprise the place I’ve given every part I might to make different folks profitable”

Jeffrey LattmannBrown & Brown

Lattmann additionally helped launch CyberSelect, a tailor-made cyber insurance coverage type, and led the creation of affinity applications that permit regional Brown & Brown places of work to entry D&O and cyber protection, broadening entry to classy options throughout the group. His skill to anticipate shopper wants and translate them into scalable, modern options has positioned him as a visionary within the {industry}. Lattmann’s work continues to redefine how brokers ship worth in a quickly evolving threat setting.

Previous to becoming a member of Beecher Carlson, Lattmann spent 15 years at Marsh, the place he led a staff centered on advanced threat placements for Fortune 1000 firms. Earlier in his profession, he served as a regional supervisor at Nationwide Union Hearth Insurance coverage Firm (AIG), gaining foundational underwriting expertise.

Since 2012, Lattmann has additionally been the president of the Skilled Legal responsibility Underwriting Society (PLUS) and a member of its Board of Trustees since 2006. As well as, he serves on the AIG New York Advisory Board and beforehand held a place on the ACE (now Chubb) Bermuda Advisory Board.

He’s additionally eager to pay it ahead and share his time to assist others.

“I spend time on the board of a minority enterprise improvement institute to assist ladies minority and disabled veterans get their companies off the bottom. I like to present again and provides to everybody else,” he says.

Conclusion: Lattmann’s profession is marked not solely by technical excellence and innovation but additionally by a deep dedication to mentorship, inclusion, and the {industry}’s long-term success.

🛡️ Resilience and breaking boundaries

• Many Corridor of Fame honorees started their careers in eras or environments the place ladies and minorities had been underrepresented in management. They confronted and overcame biases, typically being the primary or solely of their roles.
  
   

• Becky Patel, for instance, challenged gender and cultural stereotypes, advocating for work-life stability and inclusivity, and turning adversity right into a platform for change.

🌱 Mentorship and expertise improvement

• Almost all of the professionals highlighted have a powerful dedication to mentorship. 
  
   

• Brenda Austenfeld centered on shaping future leaders.
  
   

• Howard Siegel established or led formal mentorship applications, guaranteeing information switch and assist for rising expertise.
  
   

• Jeff Lattmann labored with the Minority Enterprise Improvement Institute and PLUS Girls’s Management Community, demonstrating a dedication to supporting underrepresented teams.

🌍 Advocacy for range, fairness, and inclusion (DEI)

• Many of those leaders are champions of DEI, not simply in phrases however in motion.
  
   

• Lori Goltermann advocated for gender parity.
  
   

• Charles Brophy deliberately included ladies in management discussions and M&A conferences.

💡 Innovation and visionary management

• A number of honorees are acknowledged for pioneering new enterprise fashions, applied sciences, or practices.
  
   

• Jude DiBattista launched new enterprise items and centered on digital ecosystems and innovation.
  
   

• These leaders aren’t simply sustaining the established order; they’re actively shaping the {industry}’s future.

🤝 Service past the office

🧭 Values-driven and genuine management

• Attributes resembling integrity, empathy, authenticity, and objective are repeatedly cited.

🌟 Legacy of inspiration and empowerment

• These professionals are acknowledged not just for their achievements however for the enduring influence they’ve on others. They function position fashions by main by instance, sharing their journeys, and empowering others to succeed.

“Integrity and belief are the inspiration of success within the insurance coverage {industry},” provides Worters. “Resilience, adaptability, and curiosity are crucial as dangers and circumstances evolve. Analytical abilities are essential, however so are empathy and collaboration; balancing technical experience with the human aspect of our work defines true success.”

Studying from crises

The Corridor of Fame honorees have been current throughout a number of the most consequential occasions of the previous 4 many years. Whereas these occasions introduced main challenges to insurance coverage leaders, Worters explains that one of the best within the enterprise have overcome crises with resilience and new options.

“Every disaster supplies insights into threat publicity, claims administration, underwriting practices, and buyer communication,” she says. 

“As an illustration, the teachings from 9/11 led to improvements in terrorism protection and reinsurance buildings, whereas the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted gaps in enterprise interruption insurance policies and distant workforce dangers. Local weather change is prompting insurers to rethink disaster modeling, pricing, and sustainability methods.”

Remaining calm and dependable throughout occasions of disaster served Goltermann significantly effectively via the tumultuous pandemic.

“Every time these moments occur, it’s an opportunity for our leaders to be inspirational, assured, and possibly not present as a lot vulnerability in how you’re feeling,” she says. “It builds a bond along with your staff when you may get via powerful occasions like that.”

Throughout turbulent markets, Lattmann has redistributed his personal wage raises and bonuses to reward his teammates in lean years.

“I wanted to verify the staff stayed intact, nevertheless it needed to be the suitable staff with the suitable leaders,” he explains.

Adapting to technological modifications

IBA’s Corridor of Famers have gone from utilizing manuals for underwriting to leveraging AI to do the identical process within the area of practically 4 many years.

When Thomas started his profession as a claims adjuster, he would carry a pocket filled with quarters to report again to his workplace via a pay telephone. Having seen the influence of expertise, Thomas has maintained a curious perspective.

“People who resisted had been left behind, however people who embraced it and wished to study expertise made a distinction,” he says. “The staff and I had been modern, applied sciences of the long run, not simply utilizing the expertise that’s out there in right now’s market.”

Leaving a legacy

This choose group of {industry} veterans can be paving the way in which for the subsequent era.

Goltermann’s personal challenges of balancing profession objectives with private obligations motivates her to move on recommendation.

“Girls typically must navigate the trail of a excessive profession efficiency and trajectory with attempting to determine methods to even be a spouse and a mother or a daughter to an getting older father or mother,” she explains.

“Quite a lot of occasions, I don’t know that I’ve the reply to the proper equation of work-life stability, however even simply sharing how I’ve navigated these totally different levels of my life and serving to rising stars work via that query is one thing I get numerous enjoyment out of.”

Corridor of Famer DiBattista notes the diminishing expertise hole between management and common underwriters, a phenomenon he says stems from elevated teaching and abilities improvement.

“We’ve began to shut that hole over the previous couple of years. That’s accomplished with easy issues like lunch and learns, and speaking about topics like rising points and tendencies. It’s crucial to have the ability to carry younger expertise up.”

Holding quite a few management positions throughout his profession, DiBattista shifted his mindset to allow a extra collaborative strategy.

“My management type has actually developed in a optimistic means. It was traditionally extra of a directive type of management, however now it’s extra collaborative and empowering,” he says. “Over time, I’ve realized the worth of belief. Belief, however confirm. My evolution as a frontrunner actually entails not simply setting a imaginative and prescient but additionally selling an setting with numerous views that I worth in my staff. And I feel that actually motivates the staff to wish to do higher, study, and reply.”

Taking up department administration at 24, Lattmann understood the significance of management via schooling. Now with many years of expertise, he factors to an open-door coverage that facilitates innovation and excellence.

“I inform all of them, ‘If I’m wanting left and I must be wanting proper, it’s your accountability to wake me up and problem me,’” he explains.

Having competed in faculty athletics and coached highschool soccer, Thomas finds many parallels between the management abilities wanted.

“Everybody’s obtained a sport plan, however that’s why there’s halftime. You make changes and revise your sport plan to what’s vital, however the purpose by no means modifications.”

Conclusion

The Corridor of Fame 2025’s achievements, prowess, and experience have earned them this prestigious honor. Not solely have they raised the bar throughout the {industry}, however they’re additionally examples to different colleagues attributable to their:

• Position modeling: Sharing private tales of overcoming adversity, balancing work and life, and breaking new floor, these leaders present that success is feasible.
  
   

• Mentorship: Each formal and casual mentoring supplies steerage, assist, and alternatives for others to study and develop.
  
   

• Advocacy: Dedication to DEI and creating inclusive environments encourage youthful professionals to pursue management roles and advocate for others.
  
   

• Innovation: Willingness to embrace change and drive innovation encourages youthful professionals to suppose creatively and be proactive in shaping the {industry}.
  
   

• Neighborhood engagement: The honorees show the significance of giving again and constructing networks past the office.
  
   

• Values: They emphasize integrity, empathy, and repair, setting a normal for moral and impactful management.
  
   

• Becky Patel
  
  Advisor and Former CEO, Amwins Join
  
  Amwins
• Charles Brophy
  
  Regional President, East President and CEO, HUB New England
  
  HUB Worldwide
• Claudia Mandato
  
  Government Vice President, Operations Government
  
  Lockton
• Jude DiBattista
  
  Chief Underwriting Officer
  
  Starr Insurance coverage