Toby Merrill Awards

Meredith is the U.S. Cyber Brokerage Leader in Marsh’s Financial and Professional (FINPRO) specialty practice. In this role, Meredith leads all broking operations in the U.S. and is responsible for driving client and operational excellence at every level of Marsh’s Cyber Center of Excellence. She also works with Marsh’s national and zonal FINPRO and distribution leaders to streamline and enhance Marsh’s cyber operating model. Prior to joining Marsh, Meredith was the National Practice Leader of USI’s Professional Risk Practice, and previously held a similar leadership role at Wells Fargo Insurance. Throughout her 25-year insurance career, she has focused solely on Errors & Omissions coverage and its subsequent evolution into cyber insurance, and is a nationally-recognized expert on cyber and E&O insurance.

Serene Davis is the Global Head of Cyber for QBE. In this role, she is responsible for working with QBE’s divisional cyber underwriting leaders to develop and drive a unified cyber strategy for risk assessment, pricing, claims, product and service offerings, and marketing across the entire enterprise. She is accountable for the overall global performance of QBE’s cyber business. She is a seasoned insurance executive with more than 20 years of experience. Prior to joining QBE, she worked at Beazley for 17 years, where she most recently served as Regional Manager of the West and Head of the Los Angeles office. She was instrumental to Beazley’s Cyber Risks Global Strategy Group to ensure international alignment and collaboration. Preceding Beazley, Serene worked at AIG and began her career at Federated Insurance. Serene holds a Finance and Risk Management Insurance degree from Washington State University.

Ms. Sullivan is an industry-leading cybersecurity and privacy attorney and Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/US) who has provided thousands of clients with pre- and post-incident services. She serves Redpoint Cybersecurity as the Vice President of Client Engagement, managing the insurance channels, breach counsel relationships, and strategically positioning the DFIR team for growth. Her expertise in preparing businesses for cyber incidents and managing scaled breach responses has made her a trusted authority for public and private sector clients, including many Fortune 100 companies. She frequently facilitates customized tabletop simulations focused on “pressure-testing” an organization’s incident response procedures and she is an established speaker on cybersecurity awareness. Ms. Sullivan also serves as a professor of Cybersecurity & Privacy Law for Baylor Law School’s LL.M. Program, where her focus on litigation management has made her course especially valuable to general counsels and leading law firms nationwide.

Leigh McMullan serves as a Senior Vice President of Crum & Forster (C&F) Executive Risk Division, where she manages the Management, Professional, and Cyber Liability businesses. Leigh is a noted expert on matters in executive risk and professional liability and speaks regularly on topics impacting the insurance marketplace. She is the former President of the Board of the John Street Insurance Association (2017-2018) and previously served on the Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s Eastern Chapter steering committee (2013-2017). Prior to joining Crum & Forster, Leigh worked at Valiant Insurance Company, and began her insurance career at ACE USA. She was named one of the “Elite Woman” in insurance by Insurance Business America in 2019.

Michael Phillips is the Chief Claims Officer of Resilience Cyber Insurance Solutions. He also serves as the Co-Chair of the Ransomware Task Force convened by the Institute for Security & Technology. He previously served as the Head of Cyber, Media, and Technology Claims for North America at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, and as a cyber claims leader at Beazley. Michael was previously a litigator in private practice at the global law firm of Clyde & Co, representing international insurers in disputes before US federal and state courts and before a diverse array of arbitral institutions. He was twice named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, and recently concluded his tenth year on the executive board of the New York American Inn of Court.

Jim Leonard is an associate managing director in the Cyber Risk practice of Kroll, based in Nashville. Jim has more than 20 years of experience helping organizations develop proactive strategies and resolve challenges relating to crisis management, investigations, data breach investigations, response, and cyber liability risk.

Robert Jones is Executive Vice President of Financial Lines Claims at AIG with global responsibility for claims within the Cyber, Technology, Media, and Kidnap & Ransom lines of business. Rob has more than 30 years of experience in Financial Lines, having developed his expertise through a variety of technical and managerial roles in Claims, Operations, Reinsurance, and Underwriting. Rob began his career at The Travelers in 1989 and joined AIG in 1992.

Brian is the Senior Vice President, Head of Cyber/MPL/Tech at Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance (BHSI). Prior to joining BHSI in 2021, Brian was Underwriting Director at CNA and was responsible for product development and underwriting strategy within CNA’s Cyber and Technology E&O underwriting operation. Prior to joining CNA, Brian worked in private practice in New York, where his practice focused on Professional Liability Litigation.

Nick Economidis is Vice President of eRisk Underwriting for Crum & Forster (C&F). He is responsible for eRisk, including cyber insurance products and technology errors & omissions. Nick has more than 30 years of total underwriting experience, including 20 years of experience underwriting cyber risk exposures. Under Nick’s direction, C&F’s tech/cyber underwriting group continues to expand and, through innovative products and solutions, is addressing the ever-changing needs of its clients from all business disciplines. Prior to joining C&F, Nick was an underwriter with Beazley, and Vice President and Product Manager for Media, Technology and Network Security within AIG’s Executive Liability practice.

Meghan Hannes serves as a Cyber Product and Tech E&O Head for Hiscox U.S., a business segment of Hiscox Ltd, a Bermuda-incorporated insurance provider. Meghan is responsible for setting and executing the strategic direction of the Cyber and Tech E&O Liability line of business. Prior to joining Hiscox, Meghan held various product management and senior-level underwriting positions at Axis Insurance, The Hartford, Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, and start-up insurer CloudInsure.

As US Cyber Product Leader for Marsh’s Cyber Center of Excellence, Mr. Parisi leads the effort to develop cyber risk transfer solutions for Marsh clients and bring them to market. His work includes advising and assisting clients in understanding, measuring and managing their cyber risks.

As National Cyber Risk Practice Leader at Acrisure, a top 10 global insurance broker, Mr. Abresch designs custom cyber risk solutions for clients around the globe. He is a frequent guest lecturer at Fordham University and leads cyber liability education for over 250 Acrisure Partner Agencies throughout the country.

Executive Vice President at Willis Towers Watson, Mr. Foster provides cybersecurity and technology strategic risk management advice and risk transfer services to large and multi-national corporations around the world.

As Managing Director, Global Cyber Underwriting Executive, Kara is responsible for establishing and leading Markel’s cyber market strategy and working with cyber underwriters across the company to achieve growth and profit initiatives. She is in charge of best practices for cyber underwriting and reinsurance strategies worldwide in all Markel divisions. Kara holds RPLU, CPCU, ARe and ARM designations.

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Vice President and National Cyber Risk Practice Leader at Risk Strategies Company, Rob is responsible for coordinating and growing the cyber liability business across all Risk Strategies offices nationwide. Rob currently holds a designation as a Registered Professional Liability Underwriter and he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Government & Economics from Hamilton College.