IBANY’s Emerging Leader Program Honors 17 Young Insurance Professionals

“I stumbled into the insurance world quite by accident.”

“The insurance business found me.”

“Insurance was not part of my initial plan.”

“A career in the insurance industry was not something I had considered.”

Those statements come from honorees in the Emerging Leader program, established this year by the Insurance Brokers’ Association of the State of New York (IBANY). And they are fairly typical sentiments. Unless they have a parent in the industry, few youngsters will answer “Insurance broker” to the question “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or choose their college major with a career in insurance as their objective.

What young people do want in a career is the opportunity to do interesting work, to help others, and to be rewarded and recognized for a job well done.

This is why IBANY, which represents the interests of leading commercial insurance producers in the New York metro area, created the Emerging Leader program.

IBANY’s leaders wanted to give the association’s member firms a way to recognize and support the work of their top young professionals. They also wanted to raise the profile of the insurance industry as a clear career choice for talented young people, rather than the chance it often is — a field where no two days are the same, and where, whether they work behind the scenes or on the front lines, they will be making a difference in other people’s lives.

The board placed this idea in the hands of a task force, which created the Emerging Leader program.

Emerging Leader honorees must be 40 or younger with a minimum of three years and a maximum of 10 as insurance industry professionals. Their employers must be IBANY members, and they may not be senior-level officers at their firms.

The Emerging Leader program has two levels. IBANY member companies designate their own Emerging Leaders. From that group of designees, IBANY’s Board of Directors, acting on the recommendations of the IBANY Awards Committee, selects the Emerging Leaders of the Year.

In making its recommendations for Emerging Leaders of the Year, the Awards Committee takes into consideration each Emerging Leader’s account growth, commitment, contributions and leadership – both inside and outside the industry – based on materials provided by his or her employer. For the program’s first year, the board chose Emerging Leaders of the Year in four categories: Associate Member, Managing General Agent, Retail Broker and Wholesale Broker.

At a reception in New York on June 17, IBANY President Rubin Alspector and Awards Committee Chair Renee McFadden honored all 17 Emerging Leaders for 2015 and announced the four Emerging Leaders of the Year, who were given Tiffany crystal awards and will receive complimentary attendance and recognition at all IBANY programs for the ensuing year.

IBANY’s 2015 Emerging Leaders of the Year are:

Associate Member category: Daniela Palmieri of Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. The daughter of Italian immigrants, she credits her success to the work ethic and integrity of character she learned from them, but she notes that she doesn’t have a monopoly on those traits. “Everyone at my company has the strong character and work ethic that I strive to possess,” she says.

Managing General Agent category: Tyler Nickels, CPCU, of Distinguished Programs. He began his insurance career in administration, then moved into underwriting and now focuses on businessdevelopment. He believes this diverse experience “gives me a well-rounded understanding of our business and the importance of each moving part.” He credits becoming a CPCU with helping his advancement, and he believes strongly in continuous learning.

Retail Broker category: Melica M. Pang of Wells Fargo Insurance Services USA. She lives by the words of the late Steve Jobs – “The only way to do great work is to love what you do” – and is grateful to have work she loves and many supportive mentors. She hopes to be a voice for the industry to other young adults in the city.

Wholesale Broker category: Yiana E. Stavrakis, CPCU, ASLI, of AmWINS Brokerage of New York. She is a firm believer in volunteering – both on the job and with professional associations. The latter “has given me the opportunity to meet senior leaders and highlight my work ethic to those outside my immediate network,” she says. Speaking to college students and mentoring new graduates also keeps her engaged and energized.

The other members of the Emerging Leader class of 2015 are:

• Jennifer Alimonda of SterlingRisk Insurance, who began her career at a neighborhood agency.
• Nicholas Bozzi of The Hartford, a second-generation insurance professional currently pursuing his MBA.
• Jessica Cullen of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., who enjoys the exposure to other industries she gets from her work.
• Ryan Darragh of CRC Insurance Services, a new dad who looks to his own late father, also an insurance professional, for inspiration.
• Daniel Ehrhardt of Ironshore, another insurance professional’s son who chose the industry at an early age.
• Mark Fox of Preferred Concepts, LLC, whose mother’s passion for the insurance industry fostered his own interest in it.
• Vanessa Marchand of Physicians’ Reciprocal Insurers, who feels fortunate to have landed in a particularly multifaceted, ever-changing branch of the industry.
• Tim O’Shaughnessy of ACE USA, who says the relationships he’s formed with his clients and colleagues “make what I do worthwhile.”
• Donald A. Poster, Jr. of Alliant Insurance Services, who thrives on the grateful appreciation he receives when he goes the extra mile for clients.
• Brian Roberts, CPCU, of CNA Insurance, who became a CPCU after picking up the textbook while working in an insurance company mailroom.
• Peter G. Shalhoub, CPCU, of Seneca Insurance, who says the job of insurance is “to be there in the event of ‘what if.’”
• Peter Sollecito of Foa & Son Corp., whose transition from the personal to the commercial sector wasn’t his idea but has had positive outcomes.
• Christina Warner of Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, who appreciates the mentors who have her back when she steps outside of her comfort zone.

More than one-third of IBANY’s member businesses took the time to participate in the Emerging Leader program in its very first year. That number is telling. It shows how strongly those in the insurance industry feel about the importance of reaching out to talented young people.

The message is simple: If you want great opportunity in a diverse and growing field where you can be rewarded and recognized for initiative and intelligence, you should take a look at the insurance industry.

IBANY’s 2015 Emerging Leaders members have all shared that message in their own words. They have written statements about how they got into the industry and why they find it rewarding. These statements appeared in the printed program for the Emerging Leaders reception. They are also being published on the association’s website, IBANY.org, where they will serve as a recruiting tool for future young insurance professionals and future Emerging Leaders.