Leader's Edge
Business & Finance
About
Established in 2004, Leader’s Edge is the award-winning content platform for The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, covering legal and legislative issues, international business and regulation, management trends and best practices, technology, and more. Leader’s Edge is written and recorded for large and mid-sized commercial insurance and employee benefit executives around the globe.
Episodes
- Don’t Overthink It
As life grows increasingly complex, exemplified today by the risk and promise of artificial intelligence, it can be easy to become frozen with overthinking about the next steps, says author Daniel Pink. But sometimes life demands more acti…
- Navigating the DEI Legal Landscape
In this episode, Leader’s Edge Editor in Chief Sandy Laycox sits down with David Glasgow, a leading legal expert in diversity, equity, and inclusion, to unpack the rapidly shifting legal landscape surrounding workplace DEI programs. Glasgo…
- Personal Lines with Lucy Clarke
A conversation with the President of Risk and Broking at WTW.
- Insurance with a Side of Satire
A candid conversation on influence, memes, and insurance with the admin behind The Hard Market. The Hard Market jokingly describes itself as a safe place for insurance professionals, and it’s not wrong. Where else would you find memes abou…
- NewSpace, The Final Frontier of Risk
With the Artemis II crew completing the first crewed lunar flyby in 50 years, space is back in the spotlight, and so is the complex world of risk that surrounds it. In this episode of the Leader’s Edge Podcast, Denis Bensoussan, head of sp…
- Navigating Maturing AI in Startup Culture
In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast John Jackovin, executive director of the BrokerTech Ventures Accelerator, shares what he's seeing on the front lines of insurance innovation. As artificial intelligence moves from buzzword to bu…
- M&A Master Class
After years as a leading independent acquirer, the Leavitt Group recently sold a 21% stake in its business, but it has remained near the top of the list of active buyers. Speaking with Leader’s Edge Editor in Chief Sandy Laycox, agency Exe…
- Riding the Spectrum of Talent and Tech
Part two of our conversation with Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sompo Commercial P&C Insurance. In in this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sompo Commercial P&C Insurance, continues his…
- The Credibility Curve
In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, Chris Sparro, CEO of North America for Sampo Commercial P&C Insurance, discusses talent and training in today's insurance industry. They explore the newest generation entering the workforce, th…
- Personal Lines with Patrick Kinney
In this episode, Associate Editor Chris Hann sits down with Patrick Kinney, CEO of Keystone Agency Partners, for a wide-ranging conversation about his journey in the insurance industry. Kinney, a returning guest, traces his path from his e…
- Where Knights, Crowds, and Coverage Collide
Against a backdrop of music, laughter, and clashing steel, Renaissance fairs create an atmosphere where history and imagination blur together. From their unconventional origins to their modern-day popularity, these events combine entertain…
- Meredith Vieira on Changing Media Landscapes
From the Today show to Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and beyond, Meredith Vieira's career spans decades and many famous television brands. In this discussion moderated by Council Meetings and Culture Associate Samantha Willow at the Insura…
- Primary Focus on Secondary Perils
Michele Sansone, chief underwriting officer of property and head of multinational solutions for the Americas for AXA XL, joins the Leader's Edge podcast to share key focus areas for 2026. Data centers continue to pop up across America. The…
- Introduction to Humanity with David Brooks
Journalist and author David Brooks sat down with Leader's Edge during the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum. Having recently written his book, How to Know a Person, Brooks discusses why he set out to better understand others around him and w…
- Personal Lines with Andy Barker
In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, Andy Barker, CEO of Houchens Insurance Group, pulls back the curtain on what leadership looks like at his business. Additionally he shares why giving back to the Bowling Green Kentucky…
- Politics and Risk Special Edition: Stories From White House Alumni Matt Kirk and Audra Jackson
In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, The Council’s senior vice president of government affairs, Joel Kopperud, and Audra Jackson, director of government affairs, are joined by Matt Kirk, head of North American retail placement a…
- Politics and Risk with Rep. Kevin Hern
In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Republican Rep. Kevin Hern of Oklahoma’s 1st Congressional District shares how his background as a McDonald’s franchisee owner influenced his outlook on employer-sponsored healthcare, express…
- Personal Lines with Joseph Schauer
Joseph Schauer, President and CEO of Schauer Group, joins our personal lines podcast to share the 106-year history of his family's firm and discuss what gives him his competitive edge in business. He also touches upon how his hometown of C…
- What’s Now, What’s New, What’s Next in Tech
Having previously served as chief futurist at Deloitte, global innovation director at Accenture, a venture capital co-founder, and an inventor, Mike Bechtel has more than 25 years of experience with technology and innovation. Starting with…
- Politics and Risk with Rep. Linda Sánchez
In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Democratic Rep. Linda Sánchez of California’s 38th Congressional District discusses the impacts of the upcoming expiration of Affordable Care Act enhanced premium subsidies and issues of affo…
- The Liability Last Call
Bars and other alcohol-serving establishments have been rocked by high premium increases and liabilities, which have resulted in business closures and job losses across America. In this podcast, Leader’s Edge writer Russ Banham takes us on…
- Undertaking Integration
Trucordia’s COO Michael Moran open up about the process of integrating acquired companies. Being a substantial brokerage acquirer in recent years, Trucordia is undergoing the multi-pronged process of integrating those acquired companies in…
- Claims Change, Empathy Remains
During the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Paul Kottler, president of U.S. Loss Adjusting for Crawford, discusses how claims adjusting has changed in recent years given the changing weather environment, and whether policyholder needs have…
- Building Intentional Relationships
In this episode of the Leader's Edge podcast, recorded live at The Council’s 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Dan Fortin, president of specialty insurance at QBE North America, dives into the intricacies of relationships in the specialty b…
- Elections and Broker Expansions in Europe
At last month’s Insurance Leadership Forum, Leader’s Edge podcast host Zach Ewell sat down with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, and Warren Downey, Group Chief Executive Officer of Specialist Risk Group, for a candid and wide-ranging…
- Personal Lines with Eric Diamond
In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, Eric Diamond, President and CEO of Marshall+Sterling, shares how joining the military helped bring structure to his life, the lessons he learned while serving our country, and who inspi…
- Construction Risk and Solutions
Talking with Leader’s Edge onsite at the 2025 Insurance Leadership Forum, Darren Tasker, Head of Construction and Tom Houlihan, Head of Alternative risk transfer at Allianz Commercial, take a deep dive into the construction line of busines…
- LIIBA Releases Innovation Imperative Report
London & International Insurance Brokers' Association Chief Executive Chris Croft sat down with the Leader's Edge podcast during the latest Insurance Leadership Forum to share key findings from The Innovation Imperative, a report from LIIB…
- Cyber Exposure in the Middle Market
In this episode, Cyber Product Lead for E-Risk Services John Butler talks third-party risk, AI exposure, and more middle market cyber risk. The conversation covers the overall cyber threat landscape for medium-sized businesses, the growth…
- Shutdown and Showdown
In this episode of The Politics & Risk Podcast, Democratic Representative Adam Gray of California’s 13th Congressional District shares how the ongoing government shutdown is affecting his constituents—and what can be done to end it. The Co…
- Modern Modeling
With the last day of the conference buzzing around us, the Leader’s Edge podcast caught up with Rob Newbold, president of extreme event solutions at Verisk. He shared takeaways from Verisk’s latest Global Modeled Catastrophe Losses report,…
- A Culture of Trust and Transparency
Speaking with the Leader’s Edge podcast at the Insurance Leadership Forum, Julie Wood, CEO of QBE North America, discusses the culture of dialogue, thoughtful listening, and transparency that she is fostering at QBE. She shares candid lear…
- Staying Humble, Connected, Innovative
Sitting down with Leader’s Edge during at the Insurance Leadership Forum, Mike Victorson, CEO of M3 Insurance and co-CEO of BrokerTech Ventures, takes us back to his first real leadership experience and all the way through to what the next…
- Personal Lines with Chad King
In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Chad King, CEO of King Risk Partners, shares how his career pursuits led him from professional baseball to insurance, what its like running a small business, and shares stories of leadership a…
- Hazardous Haunts
Every October, millions of Americans flock to haunted house attractions, or "haunts" as they are also called, to be entertained. From theme parks to mom-and-pop operations, over 1,200 haunted attractions open their doors to scare seekers e…
- Personal Lines with Curtis Barton
In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Curtis Barton, CEO of ALKEME, shares why he chose a career in insurance, what it was like building a business alongside his father, and the most valuable business lesson he’s learned along the…
- Advanced Underwriting in E&S
Nationwide’s John Anthony, SVP, Contract P&C and Excess, E&S Wholesale, discusses advanced data use in E&S underwriting. In this episode, we dive deep into advancements in data analysis in underwriting in excess and surplus lines. We discu…
- Building Out Wholesale
AXA XL’s Head of Wholesale Solutions in the Americas Tim Whisler discusses growth, goals, and getting there. In our latest conversation with AXA XL, we discuss their focus on building out their wholesale solutions, including the programs s…
- On Benefits and Friends
Lisa Hawker, Regional COO of people solutions at Lockton, and the current chair of the Council of Employee Benefits Executives, and Jenn Walsh, Founder and CEO of Genuine Shift, sat down with Leader’s Edge at the 2025 Employee Benefits Lea…
- Connecting Before the Camera Clicks
Tom O’Neal's career has spanned over half a century. He made an early name for himself during the 1960s and ’70s, with photographs gracing the album covers of rock legends such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Steppenwolf, B.B. King, John…
- Personal Lines with Ed Cha
In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Ed Cha shares how his career path led to the insurance industry, says why he finds learning a reward for his job, and dives deep into the problem-solving intricacies of his role.
- From Pharmacy to AI Healthcare Startup
In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its third conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Ahmed Marmoush, co-founder and CEO of Handl Health, an AI platform that aggregates and analyzes publicly available health…
- The State of System Integration
In this episode, FIRST Insurance Funding Vice President of Business Solutions Nolan Steenberg goes deep on agency payment processing system integration. Steenberg dives into detail around the current state of automation and the benefits ag…
- A Look at Germany’s Hospital System Reform
In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its second conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, a Germany-based brokerage. Körner dives into detail about the Krankenhausversorgun…
- A Lose-Lose Situation
“Nobody wins when the insurance company can’t afford to sell insurance and the homeowners can’t afford to buy insurance.” In this episode of the Politics & Risk podcast, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) d…
- Medical Inflation and Tariffs Hit International Firms
In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts a conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Jonathan Hsieh, CEO of Pacific Prime Americas. Hsieh shares how his background in law helped him break into insurance industry, ho…
- Modern Benefits: Design, Delivery, and Disconnects
A conversation onsite at The Council’s Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Prudential’s John Trevisan, Head of Distribution for Group Insurance, and Mark Devine, Vice President, Head of Life, Absence & Disability Product. Having recent…
- Personal Lines with Scott Goodreau
In this podcast, Scott Goodreau CEO of Brightstone Specialty Group, shares childhood stories of waking up at 3 a.m. to help his dad's canteen truck business, and how that informed his entrepreneurial nature. Goodreau also dives into why hi…
- Creative Solutions in Large Commercial
In this edition of our AXA XL podcast series, head of large commercial Donna Nadeau sits down with Leader’s Edge to talk about the latest on large-business risk. Nadeau discusses how clients are dealing with the impacts of tariffs, potenti…
- From Classroom to Clients: Teachers Pivoting to Insurance
It’s been nearly five years since Leader's Edge began the Falling Into It podcast. Our purpose is to interview up-and-coming insurance talent to find out why they chose this industry. These professionals have pivoted to insurance from care…