100 Greatest Insurance coverage Leaders within the USA | Scorching 100

“Leaders have been compelled to make peace with chaos. To adapt sooner than regulation permits. To rebuild belief in an age when headlines journey sooner than assist,” says Jeff Arnold, founding father of RightSure. 

The Jacobson Group’s president, Corey Pinkham, paints a equally powerful image of the state of affairs dealing with trade leaders. 

“Organizations are being hammered by excessive prices, inflation, and enormous payouts from latest catastrophes – seeing their margins and profitability constrained. On the identical time, there’s rising strain for leaders to make high-cost technological investments to remain aggressive, particularly in AI,” he says. 

Insurance coverage Enterprise America’s eleventh annual Scorching 100 record honors those that have risen to the problem and overcome the hurdles on their path. The 2026 record was narrowed right down to those that have formed the insurance coverage trade over the previous 12 months and are one of the best the trade has to supply. 

A commonality amongst IBA’s Scorching 100 has been coping with employment points. 

Zippia analysis means that the typical insurance coverage agent’s age is 46 years previous, whereas the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that just about half of the insurance coverage workforce can have retired by 2038. 

Some are impacted by a expertise hole and never seeing sufficient candidates with the required abilities. Nonetheless, the prevailing state of affairs is leaders unlocking expertise sources with initiative options and coupling that with modern tech to totally leverage their staff’s abilities. 

Hitting $2 billion in premiums in 2025, up from $600 million simply three years in the past, is a testomony to the powerhouse efficiency of the agency’s finance staff. Together with taking part in his half within the rise, Mortimer has confronted retirements and addressed this by rebuilding the staff from the bottom up. 

“The best way it labored earlier than was there’s a staff, everyone doing a little bit of every thing,” says Mortimer. “So, within the first 12 months, I actually needed to outline the roles and duties and ensure folks understood what they owned. Whenever you give possession and accountability, there’s a way of empowerment that they’ll management what’s happening.” 

As CFO, Mortimer guides guides the enterprise in a fiscally accountable means but in addition makes a degree of understanding the place the agency goes.  

“When you’re all the time going to say no, you’re not going to get a seat on the desk. It’s good to be understanding and listen to different folks’s perspective and talk at a degree that they perceive in terms of finance. You wish to just be sure you’re speaking in a means that they really feel that once they have issues, they’re heard,” he says.

 

“I’ve to be myself on this function and convey my very own talent set, however I must even have a staff round me that may actually assist with my shortcomings”

Philip MortimerHeffernan Insurance coverage Brokers

Mortimer has additionally shifted the view of the finance division’s function.

He explains, “Once I got here in, my purpose was to maneuver us from a back-office operate to a enterprise companion. The one means you possibly can actually do that’s to guarantee that everybody feels empowered to deliver their concepts to the desk.” 

Mortimer has inspired this apply from day one and incessantly does one-on-one conferences to maintain his finger on the heartbeat. 

“I ask the staff, ‘The place do you wish to be in a 12 months or two years?’ I mix that with what the corporate goes to want as we transfer ahead from a method perspective. I all the time wish to guarantee that the folks right here have the primary alternative when new roles come up and new asks are required from the enterprise.” 

Preserving this pipeline of expertise alive is a precedence for Mortimer, however he by no means loses perspective on what the corporate wants. The technique is to align each initiatives. 

“We’re all the time speaking about, ‘What’s the plan? Who’s the subsequent individual up?’ And if the plan wants to vary for no matter cause, we will pivot. We’ve recognized some high expertise right here at Heffernan who’re able to take that subsequent step of their profession,” he says. 

Crawford & Firm’s GTS staff has undergone 250 p.c progress over the past three years by specializing in addressing more and more complicated and bigger losses with specialised expertise and a team-based strategy, enabling sooner and more practical claims administration. 

To realize this and deal with the expertise hole, Crawford & Firm revamped its Protégé Program, which reduces the method to turn into an government normal adjuster from 10–15 years right down to round 5. This system attracts expertise of various backgrounds, a few of whom are straight out of faculty and others already working in different industries.  

Kottler says, “They aren’t mid-career as a result of it’s the youthful crowd that’s becoming a member of, however they’re very good, and we pair them with our government normal adjusters or managing government normal adjusters. They’re getting on-the-job coaching from day one.” 

 

“We particularly goal expertise and convey them in. We have now CPAs, funding bankers, typical Wall Road varieties, and lecturers becoming a member of our ranks”

Paul KottlerCrawford & Firm 

With three a long time of expertise, he recollects when insurance coverage corporations didn’t practice their very own folks. 

“With the escalation of losses and the dimensions and complexity of the insurance policies, we’ve actually wanted to shut that hole. And the Protégé Program permits us to rapidly get folks into higher-level positions,” he says. 

Bringing in this sort of expertise with different levels and trade expertise (e.g., finance, regulation, engineering, and expertise) has made the claims groups extra adaptable and succesful, with youthful professionals driving technological adoption and operational effectivity. 

One other of Kottler’s initiatives was the profitable relaunch of the Ocean Marine Division, facilitated by securing specialised expertise and a focused, expertise-driven strategy, recognizing the complexity and significance of marine and inland transport in international commerce. 

“It’s one thing that we’ve had our eye on, however you need to have the specialists to do it. It’s a really specialised talent set,” he says. 

The staff is conscious of worldwide implications, but in addition all of America’s home waterways transporting every thing from oil to grain provides. 

Kottler says, “Nearly all of items are transported by water out and in of the US, and we’ve got a few of the largest ports on this planet on either side of the nation.” 

McKenna has headed a staff that has seen exceptional progress in each earnings and expertise, with the goal of servicing Fortune 3000-level corporations.  

MSIG USA’s latest product expansions have been pushed by leveraging its international community, monetary energy, and underwriting expertise to enter markets the place these differentiators matter, with a deal with considerate, long-term progress.

 

“We’re a corporation that’s been round for over 350 years. We wish to guarantee that we’re going to be right here for the subsequent 100 years”

Peter McKennaMSIG USA

There was spectacular progress throughout the staff, as 180 folks have been employed within the final 12 months, with 13 government leaders. Discovering this wave of latest expertise has allowed MSIG USA to be on the forefront of the trade’s digital revolution. 

“Modernizing the underwriting expertise has attracted us much more folks, particularly the youthful people,” McKenna says. “It permits us to watch the enterprise extra effectively and alter course if we have to, if issues within the market are altering in opposition to us.”  

A part of this modernization has seen the overwhelming majority of MSIG USA’s high leaders changed over the past 18 months. McKenna describes the setting as “new blood in every single place”. 

The brand new senior leaders have been chosen for abilities outdoors of their core insurance coverage roles, to allow them to make sure the agency has a expertise pipeline to allow it to proceed thriving for years to return. 

“They’re all acknowledged throughout the trade as being very competent of their roles, but in addition have good reputations for working in creating staff environments,” says McKenna. “They’ve constructed companies earlier than, however what I’m most happy with is how they’re spending lots of time with these youthful of us. They’re coaching them up and probably the most spectacular factor is we’re altering the tradition at this group.” 

Main by instance and making certain his staff is ready to develop is a spotlight for Karlinsky. 

He says, “I need my staff to work laborious, and I need them to be educated about points. I attempt to be the toughest working man on the staff.”  

He retains everybody sharp by ensuring they’re all the time within the loop on the newest trade information and developments. Along with his dedication to fixed analysis and staying knowledgeable, Karlinsky ensures his staff is one step forward. 

 

“I consider in main by instance in terms of expertise improvement. I attempt to set a typical for laborious work, and I encourage my staff to remain continually knowledgeable and engaged with the problems our purchasers face”

Fred KarlinskyGreenberg Traurig’s International Insurance coverage Regulatory and Transactions Observe Group

“It requires rather a lot being on the high of your sport on a regular basis. That’s what I anticipate from myself and that’s what I anticipate from the staff, and when the staff will get to that time, they’re positioning themselves greatest for skilled improvement in addition to for serving to our purchasers,” he says. 

One other level that Karlinsky advocates is specialization. He encourages staff to turn into greater than generalists to allow them to supply outlined worth. 

“We don’t see lots of instances of first impression, and even after we do, there’s some semblance of lots of issues we’ve carried out earlier than,” he says. “Specializing to me is a vital part of being one of the best skilled you could be and being environment friendly for purchasers.” 

Expertise shortages are being solved not solely by revolutionary recruitment however by tapping into tech. IBA’s Scorching 100 are supporters of utilizing techniques and platforms to drive efficiencies and bridge the expertise hole. 

Pinkham lays out the complicated and evolving nature of the present market within the US. 

“There’s rising strain for leaders to make high-cost technological investments to remain aggressive, particularly in AI. Not all leaders should be AI specialists, however they should familiarize themselves with it and deal with constructing groups that possess the particular expertise,” he says. 

Arnold believes future leaders must be “half technologist, half humanist”. 

He explains, “An distinctive chief within the insurance coverage trade of 2026 isn’t measured by coverage counts or premium quantity. They’re measured by the human impression they create – in how they merge expertise with belief and information with empathy.” 

Arnold states that probably the most urgent problem is integrating new AI-driven tech whereas remaining centered on shopper outcomes.  

“We’re watching an trade as soon as outlined by paper and endurance rework into one powered by prediction and personalization,” he says. “AI and automation are not buzzwords, they’re the spine of contemporary operations. It’s not about who has the latest software – it’s about who can join the dots greatest. Methods speaking to techniques. Leaders studying to steer by way of information and never simply round it.” 

Kottler spoke of how expertise is vital however isn’t as leading edge as some anticipate. He says, “The efficiencies of expertise insurance coverage are nonetheless a long time behind different industries, however I feel it’s catching up, and introducing these newer of us into our enterprise is de facto going to make it excel.” 

He additionally notes that whereas the faster and extra correct entry to data has elevated efficiencies, the technical abilities and human judgment essential to be a high-level adjuster stay the identical. 

One type of tech that has significantly improved Kottler and his staff’s capabilities is the usage of drones and satellite tv for pc imagery to quickly assess claims. 

“If we’ve got a knowledge middle that’s a $100-million loss, we’re placing drones on it instantly to calculate the sq. footage. We’re asking, ‘What’s the injury? What specialists do we have to get on it?’” 

Mortimer additionally ensures his staff is well-versed within the newest instruments to boost their capabilities.  

“If the transactions are the identical, we should be AI, and we should be expertise to have the ability to do these faster,” he says. 

One AI-powered software is Comulate, which permits Heffernan to automate the reconciliation course of. It makes use of a mix of OCR expertise, machine studying, and AI to deliver ahead a course of that used to take days to an hour.  

“We’re making an attempt to try this to free the oldsters. We pose inquiries to account managers, business strains managers, and different executives, comparable to, ‘What’s the data that you must see to make one of the best selections?’ We wouldn’t have been ready to try this earlier than as a result of we simply wouldn’t have had the time,” he explains. 

Mortimer stresses how tech and folks can come collectively in an ideal storm. 

He says, “I see there’s a lot expertise on the staff and there’s a lot extra we will do. If we leverage all these expertise, we will actually deliver the enterprise ahead as a companion and supply insights that possibly we wouldn’t have had time beforehand to supply.” 

Mortimer’s staff can also be utilizing Workday Adaptive Planning, an EPM software program that has allowed them to extend effectivity in monetary reporting, budgeting, planning, and income evaluation. 

Karlinsky highlights the chances for improved pace and accuracy inside claims, fraud detection, and underwriting on account of AI. He does, nonetheless, emphasize the significance of diligent use, with human oversight being an important part of expertise adoption. 

“You actually want to ensure there isn’t any unintended bias or unintended penalties. And that you must guarantee that human eyes are on issues once they should be on them,” he says.  

Whereas AI implementation has drastically modified many roles inside insurance coverage, McKenna explains that underwriting capabilities have seen a drastic shift, with underwriters now in a position to assess threat by way of a sooner course of and extra full information. 

“What we’re making an attempt to do is construct a data-driven platform. Our underwriting workbench is one hundred percent digital, so the underwriter doesn’t should look by way of troves of paperwork. It’s all AI ingested.” 

McKinsey’s “The way forward for AI within the insurance coverage trade” report highlights fraud detection by way of superior information analytics as a pertinent alternative for insurance coverage corporations to capitalize on. That is an space the place MSIG is energetic, with McKenna noting the necessity to root out fraudulent claims to stay worthwhile.  

McKenna additionally highlights that MSIG USA is just not burdened with the legacy tech techniques that another corporations function beneath, which has allowed for easy implementation of latest expertise.  

He provides, “We’ve been ready, over the past 12 months, to break down lots of this into one part that we’re classifying as our enterprise information platform. That’s permitting us to have finance, operations, claims, and underwriting in a single ecosystem. Not separate ones coming collectively, however multi functional, which permits for higher pace and consistency.”  

McKenna believes there isn’t any lack of expertise, however concedes there’s a must do extra with fewer folks within the fashionable trade. 

“It’s vital to know who we’re attracting to fill our roles. Once I discuss data-driven insurance coverage corporations, what we’re making an attempt to do is enabling the underwriting to happen in a way more considerate means.” 

The 2026 Scorching 100 honorees have distinguished themselves by efficiently navigating a turbulent trade dealing with challenges from all instructions. These leaders have enabled their organizations to thrive beneath tough circumstances by discovering new expertise to allow increased efficiency, together with supercharging the prevailing expertise inside their ranks. 

• Integrating expertise and human abilities: merging expertise with belief and information with empathy whereas specializing in the human impression
  
   

• Accelerating expertise improvement packages: fast-tracking expertise by way of structured mentorship and coaching, permitting high-potential people to succeed in management positions faster whereas additionally infusing the group with new views
  
   

• Modernizing techniques to draw and retain expertise: making corporations extra engaging to youthful professionals and permitting adaptation extra rapidly to market adjustments, supporting each operational effectivity and expertise retention
  
   

• Selling collaboration and enterprise partnership: empowering groups to contribute insights and drive firm technique, additional unlocking expertise potential