A 2025 of Service and Growth for the CPCU Society with Sherry McFadden
Release Date: 12/11/2024
From Panic to Purpose in a Changing Industry with Amy Waninger
IN-the-Know
Amy Waninger is the Founder & CEO of Lead at Any Level, where she helps organizations transform their STEM professionals from reclusive nerds into inclusive leaders. Amy offers assessments, advisory services, and training on essential skills for inclusive leaders. She is the author of eight books, including Network Beyond Bias: Making Diversity a Competitive Advantage for Your Career. Amy spent twelve years working in the insurance industry, where she achieved the CPCU designation in 2016 and the Certified Insurance Data Manager (CIDM) designation in 2018. She also holds associate...
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Innovation and Ecosystems in Insurance with Rose Hall
IN-the-Know
Rose Hall is a visionary innovation strategist and risk management expert with 25 years of experience. She leverages innovation to solve complex business problems and create unique growth opportunities at the intersection of technology and risk. Her unique expertise spans the insurance, construction, and technology industries, and was cultivated in senior leader roles at global organizations such as AXA XL and Turner Construction. As CEO of RH Business Ventures, she advises the insurance, technology, and construction industries, focusing on transforming risk management through innovation and...
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The Changing World of Workers’ Compensation with Mark Walls
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Mark Walls is the Chief Marketing Officer at Safety National, a multi-line specialty insurance and reinsurance carrier and member of the Tokio Marine Group. With over 30 years of workers’ compensation and risk management experience, Mark’s career spans claims management, client engagement, strategic analysis, and market research. He previously served as VP Client Engagement at Safety National and as Senior VP at Marsh’s Workers’ Compensation Center of Excellence. Mark is the founder of the Work Comp Analysis Group on LinkedIn, the largest online discussion group dedicated exclusively...
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The Evolution of the Legacy Sector with Katie Reynolds
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Katie Reynolds is the Executive Director of AIRROC, the Association of Insurance and Reinsurance Run-Off Companies, the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated to promoting the interests of the legacy insurance and reinsurance community. She brings nearly a decade of experience in the legacy sector from claims leadership roles at RiverStone and The Hartford. An active AIRROC member since 2020, Katie has served on committees, the NextGen Council, and the Board of Directors. She holds a B.A. from the University of Rochester and a J.D. from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. On this episode of...
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Removing Friction for Growth in Wholesale Specialty with Leah Ohodnicki
IN-the-Know
This episode of In The Know features host Chris Hampshire and Leah Ohodnicki, Executive Vice President of Carrier Relations at RT Specialty. Leah leads strategic initiatives to strengthen trading partnerships and drive growth across the wholesale insurance landscape, and brings two decades of experience spanning retail brokerage, E&S carriers, MGUs, and program business. Leah began her career at Marsh in 2006, advancing through leadership roles in marketing and business development. In 2015, she joined Argo Group, where she led distribution for the group and later led Specialty Programs....
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Flipping the Script on Host Chris Hampshire
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In this special episode of In The Know, our podcast host Chris Hampshire takes on the role of guest when he is interviewed by Spenser Villwock, Executive Director of the CPCU Society and President of Associations at The Institutes. Chris works with leading P&C carriers and program administrators to design impactful claims management programs as a Vice President of Sales in Gallagher Bassett’s Carrier Practice. He was elected as the Global CPCU Society President in 2022, served as the President-Elect in 2021, began a three-year term on the National CPCU Society's Leadership Council in...
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Building a Culture of Innovation with Rob Galbraith
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In this 5th anniversary episode of In the Know, one of our earliest podcast guests returns to help us celebrate and to determine which of his 2020 predictions have come true. Rob Galbraith is the founder and CEO of Forestview Insights, an independent consulting, research, and training company focused on enabling organizations to create and build a lasting culture of innovation. Rob has over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry in various leadership positions, and is the author of the international best-selling book The End Of Insurance As We Know It. He is a recognized...
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Unpacking 200 Years of Insurance History with Marc Adee
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Marc Adee is the CEO of Crum & Forster, a leading specialty insurance carrier founded in 1822 and headquartered in Morristown, New Jersey. Marc joined Fairfax in 2000 and holds a B.A. from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He serves on the boards of the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science, the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center, the Community Foundation...
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Redefine What's Impossible with The Iron Cowboy, James Lawrence
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, better known as The Iron Cowboy, is a world-renowned keynote speaker, bestselling author, and endurance athlete who redefined human potential by completing 50 Ironmans in 50 days across all 50 states — and then doing the unthinkable — 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days. Before becoming the greatest endurance athlete in history, James was a successful entrepreneur, running a thriving mortgage company and helping hundreds of clients build wealth through homeownership and strategic refinancing. That same relentless mindset that powered him through thousands of miles now...
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The Data Revolution in Modern Claims Management with Heather Wilson
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, Chief Executive Officer of , has more than a decade of executive experience in data, analytics, and artificial intelligence, including Global Head of Innovation and Advanced Technology at Kaiser Permanente and Chief Data Officer of AIG. While at AIG, she was named Insurance Woman of the Year by the Insurance Technology Association for her data innovation work. Wilson has been a steady supporter of diversity. She launched the Kaiser Permanente Women in Technology group, focused on mentorship and retention for women in math, technology, and science. At AIG, she launched Global Women in...
info_outlineThis episode of In The Know features incoming 2025 CPCU President Sherry McFadden. Sherry recently retired from her position as Director of Enterprise Customer Care in Phoenix, AZ. Throughout her 34-year career with State Farm, she held various leadership roles in human resources, personal lines underwriting, and claims. Ms. McFadden has completed several insurance designations including CPCU, CLU, ChFC, and FLMI. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Human Resources from the University of North Florida and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from Tougaloo College, MS. Sherry has served as a member of the executive board of the CPCU Society Leadership Council. She held leadership roles as the past Mountain States governor, past president, and vice president of the AZ CPCU Chapter. She has also served as the current board chair of the Greater Phoenix Urban League, the Western Region Board Trustee with the National Urban League, a member of the National Urban League Council of Board Chairs, and president of her local chapter of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Together with Chris Hampshire, Sherry highlights her progressive career roles and leadership experience, the opportunities that her CPCU designation has provided in her career, and her vision for the CPCU Society in the coming year.
Key Takeaways
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Sherry’s path toward the role of 2025 CPCU President.
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The analytical side of insurance has always appealed to Sherry.
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Relocating seven times has offered challenges and rewards for Sherry’s career.
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Major changes to the industry over the last three decades.
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The importance of continuing education in Sherry’s career.
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DEI is an integral part of attracting new talent to the insurance industry.
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Sherry’s involvement in the CPCU Society started with a desire for career movement and a rewarding challenge.
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As the 2025 CPCU President, Sherry will focus on striving for excellence.
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Encouragement for anyone who is considering joining the CPCU Society.
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A look at the future of technology and talent in the industry.
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Sherry’s self-reflective advice to her early career self.
Quotes
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“My CPCU designation has helped me grow professionally, academically, and also as a leader.”
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“When there’s change, there’s always risk, but there’s also opportunity.”
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“My CPCU designation is all about career movement and the opportunity to prove my intelligence and my abilities.”
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“In the CPCU Society, the one thing we all have in common is the pursuit of our designation.”