As National Commercial Surety Practice Leader, Greg has dedicated himself to providing the best possible service to his clients. He takes pride in negotiating and structuring very competitive surety programs, which have resulted in improved program terms and cost savings for his clients. Greg also handles the surety needs of various contractor clients.

Ken is SVP, CUO Commercial for Global Surety. He oversees both Core and Transactional Commercial. Ken started his surety career as a college hire with The Fireman’s Fund in 1978. He worked in NYC and Long Island, NY as a contract and commercial underwriter. In 1978 he became a Surety Manager at SAFECO in N.Y.C.. In 1990 he transferred to Mahwah, NJ to become the Regional Commercial Manager, handling the entire Northeast Region for SAFECO. In 2003 Ken was promoted to RVP of the Northern and Midwest Regions, and after the merger with Liberty, was appointed RVP for the Northeast.   In 2010 he was promoted to his current role. In August 2023 he will celebrate 45 years in Surety. 

Craig L Gortner, CPCU, AFSB is a 37-year surety professional, currently serving as the Senior Vice President and  National Underwriting Director of Chubb Commercial Surety. Based in Philadelphia, Craig is responsible for implementing Chubb’s underwriting strategy for Chubb’s Commercial Surety clients in the North America and managing a Home Office Referral team, which is a resource to Chubb’s regional field staff, brokers, and clients. In addition, Craig is responsible for facilitating access of US and Canadian clients to Chubb’s international surety network, and training and development of our Commercial Surety underwriters.

Prior to assuming this role in April 2020, Craig was the Senior Vice President and Director of Chubb’s Eastern US and Canadian Commercial Surety operation. Prior to joining ACE (which acquired Chubb), Craig spent 17 years in the field, primarily in New York City, and upon moving to Philadelphia in the aftermath of 9-11, in Home Office positions handling commercial and large construction clients headquartered around the world.

Craig  is a past Chairman of the Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) Commercial Surety Committee and is the current Chairman of the Energy Subcommittee of the SFAA.

Tara brings over 25 years of underwriting, marketing, and management experience in the surety industry.  Tara had an integral role on the leadership team hired to launch Argo Surety in 2008, which successfully became a top ten surety carrier with one of the lowest loss ratios in the industry.  At Argo, she drove underwriting and marketing strategy in various positions including National Underwriting Officer as well as Senior Vice President overseeing the Commercial Surety field organization of 30 underwriters.  

Prior to joining Argo, Tara was Managing Director at Travelers, New York City Metro responsible for a $30 million Commercial Surety portfolio. 

Based in Houston, Pat is Sompo Surety’s U.S. National Underwriting Officer.  This role encompasses portfolio management and credit modelling responsibilities for the U.S. Surety book, reinsurance placement activities, and other facets of surety executive leadership. Pat brings 15+ years industry experience to Sompo and its broker partners.  This experience includes underwriting and broking a variety of companies within the Fortune 2000 and private company equivalents, energy risks, and all facets of the surety life cycle including complex credit analysis, mergers and acquisitions, private equity involvement, collateral structures, and claims management. 

Prior to Sompo, Pat worked to build JLT Specialty’s surety brokerage practice in the United States with an emphasis in Energy as JLT’s Energy Surety Practice Leader.  Upon Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.’s acquisition of JLT, Pat became a Senior Vice President in Marsh JLT’s Surety Practice.  Prior to Marsh JLT, Pat worked at RLI Insurance Company in RLI’s Surety Group.  

Pat earned a B.B.A. in Finance and a B.B.A. in Economics from Loyola University of Chicago. He also holds the Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB) certification.  Pat serves on the Houston Advisory Board for Heroes for Children, an organization that advocates for and provides financial assistance to families with children battling cancer.

Carl Oliveri is the Construction Practice Leader and a partner at Grassi. Carl possesses over 20 years of experience advising owners and executives within the Construction industry, particularly in regards to project-centric and companywide financial modeling, operational strategy development, financial statement attest services and income tax method analysis. This extensive industry experience allows him to provide insight and advice to construction clients on marketplace trends and best practices.

A thought leader in the industry, Carl has presented at national construction conferences hosted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and Construction Industry CPAs and Consultants (CICPAC) associations and across the Metropolitan area, including at the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA) Construction Conference and the New York metropolitan trade associations’ events. Additionally, he has published articles on an array of contemporaneous issues impacting the construction community.

Carl is currently participating on the Construction Financial Management Association’s (CFMA) Emerging Issues Task Force and is a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers CPA Advisory Board. Prior to that, he served as a member of the Executive Committee of CICPAC, where he currently serves as the Thought Leader Committee chair. He has also served on the board for the New York City Chapter of CFMA, held an at-large position on the board of the Institute of Certified Construction Industry Financial Professionals (ICCIFP), and was the chairperson for the NYSSCPA Construction Contractors Committee.

Other professional affiliations include membership in the AICPA and the worldwide and New York City chapters of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Carl earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and his Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Management from the York College of Pennsylvania.

Susan has 30 years of experience in the surety industry. She has worked for the top large surety companies, the mid-size, and smaller companies. For the past 20 years, she has focused primarily on commercial surety, driving profitable results by developing long-term strategic partnerships. Susan enjoys training and educating others on surety bonds. She is a published author on commercial surety topics. When not working, Susan enjoys spending time with her family, including her four children and two dogs, relaxing on a beach, and exercising.

Michael Bond joined Markel Surety in January of 2021 as Chief Underwriting Officer – National Accounts.  In that role, he oversees the underwriting of accounts requiring surety capacity from $50 million to $500 million.  The National Accounts offering adds to Markel Surety’s well-established track record and existing business in Contract and Commercial Surety.  Markel Surety’s primary mission is to help our partners profitably grow their business through all market cycles.

Prior to Markel Surety, Mr. Bond was Head of Surety for Euler Hermes North America.  Prior to Euler Hermes, Mr. Bond work at Zurich Insurance Company in a variety of executive roles, including the Head of the Zurich Credit & Political Risk team and the Head of Zurich Surety.  As Head of Zurich Surety, he was responsible for a $600 million surety business, which serves contract and commercial surety customers in North America and around the world.

Prior to joining Zurich, Mr. Bond served as a senior insurance officer at Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), underwriting political risk insurance coverage for projects in a variety of industrial sectors.  Previously, Mr. Bond worked as a municipal development advisor with the U.S. Peace Corps in Honduras and as a project manager with Law Environmental in Atlanta, Georgia.

Mr. Bond is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Surety and Fidelity Association of America (SFAA), the Management Committee of the International Credit Insurance & Surety Association (ICISA) and the Executive Committee of the Pan American Surety Association. Mr. Bond holds a B.S. from Rutgers University, an M.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology and an M.B.A. from Loyola College. He is fluent in Spanish.  He resides in Olney, Maryland.  He is actively involved in fundraising and advocacy on the behalf of the ALS Association.  

Courtney is the Director of Surety for AssuredPartners in the MidAtlantic Region. She is a member of the agency's executive leadership team where she oversees and manages the surety team in Rockville, Maryland as well as carrier relationships.

 Courtney's expertise extends to providing both commercial and contract surety solutions. As a devoted advocate for her clients, Courtney specializes in helping businesses across various sectors, including construction, nonprofits, hospitality, government contractors and real estate, navigate the complex landscape of Surety. Her approach is characterized by a deep commitment to understanding her clients' unique needs, business plans, challenges, and risk tolerances. By forging meaningful connections and delivering tailored advice, she empowers her clients to achieve their business and profitability goals. Her track record of success and unwavering dedication to her clients has earned her a reputation as a trusted partner in their businesses.

 Her dedication to staying current on industry issues through active involvement in both construction and surety industry associations positions her as a true industry leader. This commitment not only benefits her clients but also contributes to AssuredPartners' business development efforts. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Associated Builders and Contractors, VA Chapter and on Board of Directors for the American Subcontractors Association, Metro Washington Chapter. For NASBP, she serves as the Region 9-Regional Director and she sits on the Small & Emerging Business and International Committees. 

Kevin leads FORVIS’ restructuring and special situations team and has more than 25 years of professional experience.  Prior to joining FORVIS, he was an owner and managing member of an Indianapolis firm where he specialized in restructurings and turnarounds, financial and strategic consulting, special situations practices, financial due diligence, transaction support, debt and capital transactions and originations, forensic accounting, and litigation support.

Kevin has represented both public and private companies, banks, law firms, family offices, and private equity groups. He has served as an interim officer, chief restructuring officer (CRO), state court receiver, federal Chapter 11 trustee, and federal bankruptcy court CRO. He has provided professional depositions and testimony, both with and without written reports.

He has supported clients and their counsel in the financial elements of judicial proceedings, including preferences and fraudulent conveyances, and provided court testimony on various matters in proceedings conducted under U.S.C. 11.

Kevin also has performed financial and accounting work and forensic analysis for trustees and served as both a fact witness and an expert witness in his areas of expertise.
He is a member of the American Institute of CPAs and Indiana CPA Society. He also is a Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA).

Robert Thomson, a certified public accountant (CPA), has served as the board-appointed Indianapolis Airport Authority Treasurer since 2014 after assuming the position of Senior Director of Finance in 2013.  Thomson began his career in Indianapolis with Geo S. Olive & Co. (now FORVIS, LLP), where he was an audit and tax specialist focusing on manufacturing, dealerships, and employee benefits.  Subsequently, Thomson served as controller of Indianapolis Newspapers, Inc., focusing on systems implementation and profit-driver financial management.  He later served as the Chief Financial Officer for a local family-owned manufacturer.  

Thomson joined the Indianapolis Airport team in 2004 as Accounting Director for BAA Indianapolis (BAAI), responsible for operating budgets, reporting, and financial systems.  Thomson paused his airport career between 2007 and 2009 and pursued a business ownership opportunity with a Midwest-based, middle market, contractor that provided hard-earned experience in cash flow management, contract negotiation, and crisis management.  The hard-earned experience allowed Thomson to successfully lead the Indianapolis Airport Authority through the 2020 economic disruption. In 2016 and 2017, respectively, Thomson was named CFO of the Year by the Indianapolis Business Journal and the Medium Hub Airport Finance Professional of the Year by ACI North America for his leadership and contributions to the aviation industry.  Thomson, an Illinois native, holds a degree in accounting from Cedarville University.

Robert graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and has over 35 years of experience in the construction industry, specifically underground utilities and earthwork.  He is the President of Solo Gratia which is the holding company for Weihe Construction, Inc., Weihe Transport, LLC. and Arrow Construction, LLC. He is very involved in every facet of the organization.  Robert has experience working in the field as well as project managing and estimating.  

Matthew Horowitz has been representing sureties and fidelity carriers in Connecticut and Massachusetts for approximately 30 years. He regularly assists sureties with performance and payment bond disputes and claims arising under probate and other commercial bonds, as well as in salvage and recovery matters. He litigates in state and federal courts, appellate courts, and arbitration forums, as well as representing sureties in mediations and informal negotiations. He also provides representation to sureties in transactional matters, including drafting and negotiating takeover and tender agreements, completion contracts and documents in aid of indemnity obligations.

Matt is a member and has held leadership positions in the Fidelity and Surety Law Committee of the American Bar Association. He is a co-sponsor of the Northeast Surety and Fidelity Claims Conference held annually in New Jersey. He has published extensively in the surety industry including contributing chapters or serving as editor for ABA publications such as the Law of performance Bonds, the Law of Payment Bonds and the Law of Commercial and Miscellaneous Bonds. Matt is a frequent speaker at surety and fidelity conferences. He has developed extensive relationships in the surety industry and is in regular contact with surety claims professionals, surety claims consultants, and surety lawyers from other jurisdictions.

Matt frequently teaches as an adjunct professor in the mediation program at the University of Connecticut School of Law. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Institute of Community Research, a non-profit organization located in Hartford, Connecticut. He is also a member of the Town of West Hartford Civilian Police Review Board.

He earned his B.A, summa cum laude from Tufts University and his J.D. from New York University School of Law. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Texas, and the District of Columbia. In addition, he is admitted to practice in the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and Fifth Circuit, and the United States District Court, District of Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Eugene Polyak is a Partner in the Fort Lauderdale office of Smith, Currie & Hancock LLP. He is Board Certified in Construction Law by the Florida Bar. Gene specializes in drafting and negotiating construction, construction management, design-build, EPC, design, and other contracts on behalf of owners, general contractors, subcontractors, architects/engineers, and consultants. Gene provides advice during ongoing construction projects and serves as counsel in the development, prosecution, and defense of construction-related claims. 

https://www.smithcurrie.com/professionals/eugene-polyak/

Melissa Rice is an Executive Specialist at Crum and Forster handling contract surety claims. Melissa graduated from Cabrini University in Radnor, Pennsylvania with a Master of Accounting. She is also obtained her bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education Certification at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania. In her spare time, Melissa enjoys gardening and spending time at the beach. 

Melissa Jane Lee is a principal with Manier & Herod practicing primarily in the areas of surety law, construction law, and general insurance coverage and litigation. In 2007, Ms. Lee graduated magna cum laude from the Honors College at Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. Ms. Lee received her Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2010.

Ms. Lee is a construction surety lawyer and has represented numerous clients with respect to every aspect of surety law, including takeovers and relets, bond claim analysis, bankruptcy matters and litigation in various courts in the Southeast. Ms. Lee also represents clients in matters involving general construction law and miscellaneous surety bonds. Ms. Lee has the unique perspective of being both a litigator and a transactional attorney, having both courtroom and arbitration experience and having represented clients in large scale workouts. Additionally, Ms. Lee assists insurers with preliminary coverage analysis and coverage dispute litigation involving a variety of insurance policies, from commercial general liability policies to fidelity bonds. Ms. Lee is a member of the American Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, Nashville Bar Association and is active in the Surety and Fidelity Law Committee of the Torts, Trial & Insurance Practice Section of the ABA. Ms. Lee is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and is currently Vice-Chair of FSLC’s Construction Law Subdivision. Ms. Lee is a graduate of the TIPS Leadership Academy and has been recognized as a “Rising Star” in the area of insurance coverage by Mid-South Super Lawyers, a Thomson Reuters business, since 2013.

Elizabeth Paquet joined Beacon Consulting Group's team in 2019. With more than 20 years of construction industry experience and a Master’s Degree in Construction Management from Steven's Institute of Technology, Elizabeth’s background and deep industry knowledge have made her an invaluable member of Beacon's Construction Consulting team.

Elizabeth's experience in the construction industry goes back to her early teen years when she started working part time at her father's firm M.J. Paquet, Inc., a construction company specializing in complex heavy transportation projects for the public and private sector. During her high school and college years, Elizabeth started working full time during school breaks as an administrative assistant and intern at the company where she played an active role helping to support and manage large highway / infrastructure projects. During that time, Elizabeth learned about all aspects of bidding on, managing, and completing large construction projects, including both the business and technical aspects.

After spending several years working in the family business, Elizabeth started up her own firm, Empco Contracting, Inc., based in Haworth, NJ. The company took on numerous projects, grew to employ more than 25 people, and solidified Elizabeth's knowledge of all aspects of the construction business. After running Empco for more than six years, Elizabeth took on progressive roles at other construction companies. She served as Director of Operations at a regional Contracting / Construction Management company and then as Manager of Purchasing, Project Management & Project Coordination at another construction company based in Northern NJ, focusing on bridge construction, rehabilitation, and other heavy construction projects.