Removing Friction for Growth in Wholesale Specialty with Leah Ohodnicki
Release Date: 09/10/2025
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Rena Strohmeier is the Underwriting Manager at Wawanesa Insurance and a San Diego State University faculty lecturer, teaching insurance and risk management classes. She is a member of the Executive and Leadership Council of the CPCU Society, and holds CPCU, AIC, and AINS designations. Here, she joins Chris Hampshire on In The Know for a conversation about working for a California-only insurer, global insurance interests, and insurance careers for women and offerings for underserved communities. Key Takeaways ● Rena’s career path started in auto theft. ● Underwriting or claims?...
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Lou Bonanno is the AVP of Property Underwriting at Arch Insurance Group, where he is responsible for portfolio management and analysis, program data feeds, corporate and business unit reporting. He also serves as the business unit representative to the Data Transformation Team. He has held positions in claims, premium audit, accounting, consulting, and ceded reinsurance. Lou is an active volunteer of the CPCU Society, currently serves in the New Jersey Chapter and previously on the Publications Committee and Technology and Innovation Committee. Here he joins Chris Hampshire on In The Know for...
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Special Episode: Ask the Expert: All About Space Insurance with Richard Parker
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Richard Parker is the Chairman at Applied Underwriters Aerospace, LLC, where he runs the space team. He recently joined Chris Hampshire for a special episode of In the Know: Ask the Expert, which features their conversation about the structure of space insurance, recent explosions, the typical claims process, and a host of other questions from a live audience. Key Takeaways ● The structure of space insurance. ● Recent changes in space insurance underwriting. ● Challenges of insuring smaller spacecraft. ● Geosynchronous Earth Orbit characteristics. ● What type of space-specific...
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Joe Powell is the Chief Digital Officer at Gallagher Bassett, where he oversees Data, Analytics, and Product Innovation functions. He previously served as a management consultant at Bain & Company, and holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Management Information Systems from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. This episode of In the Know was recorded live at RIMS RISKWORLD 2026 and features a conversation between Chris Hampshire and Joe about the state of AI, trends in data and analytics, and all that a future with AI has to offer. Key Takeaways ...
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J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer at Gallagher. He began his career as an intern in 1972, worked his way to Chief Executive Officer, and, in 2006, was appointed Chairman of the Board. In 2003, Mr. Gallagher joined the board of trustees of The Institutes. In this episode of In the Know, Chris Hampshire and Pat discuss his successful career, his perspective on where the insurance industry is today, and where it is heading in the future. Key Takeaways ● Pat’s successful career started with a fire and an internship. ● The...
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Fuller Consulting Principal Bryan Fuller is a reinsurance and insurance regulatory consultant with more than 30 years of specialized experience for U.S. insurance regulators and international financial institutions. He holds a BS in International Economics from Georgetown University and professional designations as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Associate in Reinsurance (ARe), Accredited Insurance Examiner (AIE), and Market Conduct Management (MCM). He is active in the CPCU Society (former Kansas City Chapter President) and currently serves on the Reinsurance and Excess...
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Surplus Lines Decoded with Glenn Leung
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Glenn Leung is the Vice President of the Surplus Line Association of California (SLA), which serves as the statutory surplus line advisory organization of the California Department of Insurance. Glenn leads a team focused on analyzing the financial solvency of nonadmitted insurers in California, and his team reviews 150 U.S. and Alien insurers that write more than $20 billion of premium each year. He received his bachelor’s degree in Economics & American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and is the President of the Golden Gate CPCU Chapter, past chair of the RE&S...
info_outlineThis 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. Leah also served as the executive sponsor for Argo Group’s Gender Equality employee resource group. In 2023, Leah joined Ethos Specialty, part of Ascot Group, where she led Strategic Partnerships and served as interim head of Casualty Programs. Leah co-chairs the community committee for RT Specialty’s WOW! — Women Opportunity Winning! — and serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh CLO and the University of Pittsburgh’s Frederick Honors College. Today, Leah and Chris discuss the wholesale specialty marketplace, the role of distribution, and other aspects of this industry segment, and Leah’s experience as a female leader in the insurance industry.
Key Takeaways
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Leah’s career journey from marketing to insurance.
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Roles and responsibilities of leading carrier relations.
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The current state of the wholesale specialty sector.
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Key differences between wholesale and primary markets.
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Leah’s message to anyone considering a career in insurance.
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Leah’s experience as a female leader in insurance.
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Technical capabilities and character considerations in the hiring process.
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The value of a CPCU designation in an insurance career.
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Questions Leah asked herself when considering career moves.
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Technology’s impact on the wholesale sector.
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A five-year look at the future of the industry.
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Leah’s advice to her college-aged self.
In the Know podcast theme music written and performed by James Jones, CPCU, and Kole Shuda of the band If-Then.
To learn more about the CPCU Society, its membership, and educational offerings, tools, and programs, please visit CPCUSociety.org.
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LinkedIn: @The Institutes CPCU Society
Instagram: @the_cpcu_society
Quotes
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“Carriers are all looking for ways to access brokers that they want to do business with.”
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“The wholesale specialty sector is in a really healthy place right now.”
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“Within insurance, you have the ability to be exposed to so much about what is going on in the world.”
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“Insurance is at the heart of the economy.”
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“If you have a seat at the table, you’re there for a reason. Own it!”
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“What is the brand that you’re building on your social media platform?”