Laura Penhale is an Assistant Vice President of Home Office Underwriting for IAT Insurance Group, Surety.  She has been with the company for over 17 years with more than 25 years of experience in the industry.  Laura spent most of her career as a contract field underwriter in the Philadelphia region prior to joining IAT’s HO Surety Team in 2021 where she was an active member of the Philadelphia Surety Association.  She holds an MBA in Finance from Villanova University.

David Moorhead has over 30 plus years of insurance technology experience focused on data and analytics across all personal and commercial lines of business. David has led numerous insurance data transformations with a focus on data management operating models, migration, legacy remediation, operational reporting and advanced analytics.David is aligned to EY Insurance AI and Analytics practice and delivered numerous data management, data architecture, reporting and enterprise data warehouse solutions for all sizes o Property and Causality insurers. 

Recent project experience:

David has executed data strategy and roadmaps, analytics innovation labs, and performance management delivery for Underwriting, Actuarial, Product Management,Claims and Policy Operations, and Agent Compensation. '

David created EY’s IntAIke accelerator that leverages traditional AI and Generative AI to automate data ingestion for both Specialty, Reinsurers and Carriers.  

David has developed advanced analytics for claims focused on severity monitoring and execution, as well as fraud propensity scoring. Analytics were imbedded intothe coresystem for immediate adjuster assignment and automated workflow to not only gain efficiencies within claims operations but improve outcomes. 

 Develop a workers’ compensation data management solutions with key performance metrics to improve outcomes for claimants while improving vendor management and case reserve accuracy. 

 As an insurance leader, David develops P&C specific assets on the Insurance Insights Platform. Currently he is expanding insurance analytics use cases for GenAI ,as well as extending our supporting Databricks and Snowflake offerings.

Ryan is a Managing Director in the Ernst Young’s FinancialServices Risk Management Advisory practice. He has over 16 years of experiencein the financial services industry providing advisory services to banking andcapital markets, asset management, and insurance clients.

Ryan has a BS in Finance and Accounting from GeorgetownUniversity and an MBA from Columbia Business School Ryan holds the CharteredFinancial Analyst ( designation and is a Certified Public Accountant in thestate of New York.  Ryan frequently presents at industry conferencesand forums on model risk management topics including events hosted by IIF,PRIMA, Risk.net, and others.

Recent project experience:

Assisted numerous banks and insurance companies in the design oftheir AI/ML governance frameworkincluding designed of AI/ML policy, AI/ML definition, risk tiering, and rolesand responsibilities across,data, technology, and risk. 

Assisted multiple leading global financial institutions in enhancing model risk management frameworks to incorporate AI/ML models including updates to model identification and tiering, standards and procedures for AI/ML model development, design of model development and validation documentation templates, and connectivity between MRM and other risk stripes. 

Assisted leading global financial institution in developing its model risk framework including enhancing model risk policies, procedures, standards and development and validation templates to be consistent with regulator guidance including specific considerations for AI/ML models In addition, subsequently led team in enhancing2 000 model validations. Assisted leading global financial institution in designing target state model risk management framework including performing a gap assessment of existing policies and procedures and drafting materials to articulate target state to bank senior management and regulators.

Mr. Dunn is a Chambers ranked construction lawyer, a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America, and has been recognized as an accomplished trial lawyer, including a 2019 top jury verdict.  Mr. Dunn concentrates his practice in construction law (including transactions, project support, and litigation), government and public contracts, creditor’s rights and complex commercial law matters, including real estate, collections and bankruptcy.  Mr. Dunn has thirty years’ experience in addressing complex legal and factual matters, especially those that arise out of construction disputes and defaults on federal, state (public works) and private construction projects in the United States.  In particular, Mr. Dunn has significant experience in complex construction disputes, including performance, changes, administration, delay, impact, disruption, inefficiency, extra-work, design scope, errors and omissions, differing site conditions, design-build, false claims, bid-protests, subcontractor substitutions, suretyship, guarantees, letters of credit and other construction matters.  Mr. Dunn has been qualified and testified in court matters as an expert witness in construction and surety law.

Mr. Dunn also has numerous successes in complex commercial and bankruptcy / creditor cases, including collections involving fraud, trusts, family limited partnership and other asset-shielding devices, workouts – pre-bankruptcy and post-petition, fraudulent transfers and preferences, indemnity, pre-judgment remedies (writs of attachment, restraining orders, preliminary injunctions) and other collection issues.

Mr. Dunn has successfully represented clients in trial, litigation, arbitration, and mediations, and handles a multitude of complex commercial transactions, project support and litigation in construction and bankruptcy matters at any given time.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Dunn was a senior partner at Sedgwick LLP, and prior to that in-house counsel for two national bonding companies, where he had management responsibilities for various construction and commercial default matters in the Western United States.  Prior to practicing law, Mr. Dunn was an active participant in his family’s construction business.

EDUCATION

• Seattle University School of Law, J.D., 1992
• University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), B.A. Economics, 1989

Shelly began her career in surety in Oklahoma in 1998.  She has underwritten from National American, Travelers and Merchants Bonding.  In June 2005, she joined the SureTec Team in Austin to help develop the prequalification department. Markel acquired SureTec in 2017 and the prequal division has continued to thrive.  Prequal services are now provided to more than 115 general contractors nationwide.  Shelly has a Masters in Business Admistration and a Bachelors in Business Administration, both from the University of Central Oklahoma.  In her spare time, she runs a foster based dog and cat rescue in Frisco, TX.  She has two grown children, one grand child and four personal dogs. 

Juan has more than 15 years of construction industry experience where he performed various roles for a global 100 construction firm; including liaising with cross-function teams in developing root cause analysis, as an audit manager, commercial risk manager, and project executive. Juan provides the SDI team with a depth of insights based on analytical acumen and using a process-centric background as a strategy for deriving business outcomes.

Mr. Heine is Managing Director, Construction Specialty Division - Surety at Marsh McLennan Agency – Northwest Region.

Since 1979, Ed has spent his entire career in the Surety and Construction Risk industry. He held surety underwriting positions in New York City, Seattle and Houston prior to joining Marsh McLennan Agency (formerly PayneWest Insurance) in 1990.  The agency has 26 offices throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana and has built their Construction Specialty Division into their largest specialized division. Ed's current focus is the growth and sustainability of their effort.

Michelle has been involved in the International Trade Segment of the Insurance Field since 1993 holding various roles throughout her career in both agency and company surety operations. From 2009 to 2019 Michelle served as Vice President of Surety for Navigators Management Company, Inc. (NMC). In April of 2019, Navigators became a Brand of The Hartford where Michelle managed the Customs and Logistics Surety Division until moving to her current role as Vice President of Customs Surety at Tokio Marine HCC in 2022

John Sheppard has been with C.A. Shea & Company, Inc. for over 22 years, and is currently the Vice President. He oversees the day to day operations of the bond department and is responsible for underwriting and dealing with Customs on both the local and executive levels.

Shailesh Kumar is the head of the Global Specialty Insights Center. In this capacity he oversees economic and geopolitical research to provide insights and risk advisory services to the firm’s underwriting departments and its clients, brokers, and agents.

Before joining The Hartford, Shailesh managed the Asia research and advisory practice at Eurasia Group, a political risk consulting firm. Prior to Eurasia Group, Shailesh was an economist at the US Department of Treasury where he served in various functions including developing the US government’s economic policies and engagement strategy with India, preparing financial market briefings for the President of the United States and Treasury Secretary, and other cabinet officials, and working on US Treasury securities market policies and issuance strategies to fund the nation’s deficit. Earlier in this career, Shailesh held positions at various investment banks as a global macro investment professional.  

Shailesh earned a master’s degree in international affairs from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a dual bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from The Stern School of Business at New York University. 

Robert J. Duke is Vice President and Legal Counsel for Markel Surety. Prior to joining Markel, Rob was Surety Legal Counsel for Euler Hermes North America. Previously, he was General Counsel for The Surety & Fidelity Association of America, the industry trade association for insurance companies that write surety bonds. 

Mr. Duke was in the surety and fidelity industry as a company underwriter and broker for 8 years before joining SFAA in 1999. Mr. Duke spent two years working in private law practice.

He has authored several articles on surety and fidelity topics.  

Mr. Duke graduated with a J.D. summa cum laude and first in class from Columbus School of Law, Catholic University in 2005. He graduated summa cum laude from Loyola College of Maryland in 1988 with a Bachelors in Business Administration and obtained a Masters in Business Administration from Loyola College in 1992.  

With her insurance industry experience and finance background, Jenna is well-versed in coverage and financial analysis. She began her career as an actuary study, an experience that prepared her to discuss total cost of risk, lead annual budget discussions, conduct risk assessments, and look at alternative risk finance mechanisms. Jenna co-authored a book for the American Bar Association titled Construction Insurance: A Guide for Attorneys and Other Professionals. In addition, she regularly hosts webinars on risk management topics and speaks at industry events related to climate change. 

Outside of her career, Jenna is actively involved in philanthropy working with groups that support families in the Washington DC community and equity organizations nationally. She currently serves as Board Member and Audit Committee chair of AAUW and Treasurer and Finance Committee of Community of Hope. She was previously the Board President for CREW DC and Board Treasurer for 826DC. Jenna also chairs the Washington DC leadership committee for 50/50 Women on Boards. Also participating in the host committee for the Annual Harvest for Hope Event for Volunteers of America Chesapeake and Carolinas.

David advises clients on a variety of environmental law and construction issues, including compliance and permitting issues under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, and Toxic Substances Control Act. David regularly speaks and publishes on environmental and construction law issues. He is the author of the Illinois Environmental Law blog, which provides news and updates on cases, laws, and regulations involving Illinois environmental issues. In 2011, the LexisNexis Environmental Law & Climate Change Community named his blog one of the "Top 50 Blogs for Environmental Law & Climate Change."

Mónika leads the climate resiliency program at Turner Construction. She has held roles in most phases of the construction management sector in the last 18+ years. She believes both resiliency and sustainability should be engrained in the built environment, throughout all operations and every individual for a successful future.