2010 Speakers
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CONFERENCE CHAIR Eric Gilkey Editor in Chief Claims Magazine |
Eric Gilkey joined Claims in February 2005 as editorial assistant. He was promoted to associate editor in January 2006, managing editor in July 2007, and editor in chief in June 2008. Eric manages all editorial matters and works with industry experts to solicit educational and newsworthy material for both the magazine’s print and web outlets. In addition, he serves as conference chair to the magazine’s yearly ACE Conference, held in June. Eric has a background in freelance writing and is a graduate of Ohio University.
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Denise Black Manager, Baggage Resolution Service Center Continental Airlines |
Denise Black has been with Continental Airlines for twenty three years. During her airline career she had specialized in the baggage service product and currently works at the Continental Airlines Baggage Resolution Service Center in Houston, Texas.
For the past 10 years she has focused on baggage claim fraud and is active in fostering greater cooperation between airlines to combat this problem. Denise is a frequent speaker at airline baggage fraud workshops and to groups of frequent flyers about the Continental baggage product.
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Lance Coren, MBA, CIC, CAA, CMA President The Auto Appraiser/The Ferrari Appraiser |
Mr. Coren has over 36 years experience in the automotive insurance claims industry. He has worked in the auto claims management sector for such companies as USAA and the Guaranty National Group and held positions of Director of Field Operations for the Western Region. Mr. Coren is nationally known as “The Ferrari Appraiser”. He is noted in the press as the ultimate exotic automotive valuation and damage expert in the United States. He has appeared on multiple television documentaries, including shows on the History Channel and the Discovery Channel. Articles on him and his work have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers including the New York Times. Mr. Coren has given legal testimony in over 200 cases as an insurance claims expert, automotive expert witness and as an automotive dispute arbitrator. Additionally he has been a seminar presenter at numerous conventions and symposiums. His services for many of the carriers in the United States, Federal & State Government agencies and numerous automotive related businesses focuses on exotic/classic/competition automotive claims cost analysis and fraud assessments. His noted specialty automotive niche is that of the only automotive appraiser in the Western United States who has access to the exotic car manufacturer’s material damage flat rate repair time database from Europe.
In the 1980’s, he was nicknamed “The Auto Appraiser To The Stars” by the International Society of Automotive Appraisers and the Shelby American Automobile Club, due to his work for so many entertainment industry icons which include Elvis Presley, Steve McQueen and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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Robert Fraga Claims Manager, Central Baggage Service – HDQ American Airlines |
Robert Fraga has been with American Airlines for Nineteen years. Fraga has managed the Claims Resolution Team for the past eight years and prior to that, he has held various operations positions. His responsibilities include the resolution of baggage related claims for American Airlines and American Eagle system wide.
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Jim Hammonds, FCLS, CFEI Lead Investigator, Atlanta Field Office GEICO Southeast SIU |
Jim Hammonds has been with GEICO since July 2003 and is assigned to the Atlanta Field Unit in Region 3 as a Lead Investigator. Jim has been assigned to all types of cases throughout the Region since his start with the company. He was the first field investigator to work the State of Alabama and Columbus, GA areas. Jim was the Investigator of the Year for the Southeast Region in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Jim has completed Cause & Origin training at the State of Georgia Arson Academy as well as Level 1 & 2 of the Georgia Fire Academy. He is an Accident Reconstructionist and has been sworn as an expert witness in court. He has an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Chattahoochee Technical College and spent 8 years as a reservist with the U.S. Navy. He has obtained the FCLS designation and is a Certified Fire and Explosives Investigator. Prior to coming to GEICO Jim spent almost 10 years as a member of the Decatur, GA Police Department. He was last assigned as the Sergeant on patrol and well as the supervisor of the Traffic Unit. He was previously assigned as the K9 Handler and a Field Training Officer. Jim also provided his expertise in preparing training modules used in our Academy, as well as the Internet Training course presented to SIU Associates throughout the country. He is also an instructor at the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) Mega-Academy.
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Steven R. Henning, MBA, CPCU, ARe, RPLU Vice President, Senior Risk Manager, Business Risk Review Swiss Re America |
Mr. Henning has twenty seven years in the insurance/reinsurance industry. His background encompasses the management of primary and excess claims with an emphasis on primary, excess and reinsurance asbestos and pollution claims, excess liability claims and professional liability claims. He also has extensive structured settlement and loss structuring experience. Mr. Henning is currently is Vice President, Senior Risk Manager, Business Risk Review for Swiss Re America. He is currently responsible for worldwide internal claim audit. He is recognized as an expert in claim audit design and implementation, process redesign and change management.
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Susan Henry Senior Vice President The Jacobson Group |
Susan Henry is senior vice president of The Jacobson Group, the national professional and human capital services firm serving the insurance, healthcare and financial services industries. Henry leads The Jacobson Group’s temporary/temporary-to-hire and professional recruiting divisions. She also plays a key role in the continued development and market visibility of the firm as a member of The Jacobson Group’s executive management team.
Henry brings a solid foundation of marketing and insurance industry knowledge to her role with The Jacobson Group. Her multifaceted strategic and business development expertise is drawn from her various roles at Jefferson Pilot Financial in underwriting and marketing and her leadership role at a small benefits consulting firm in Chicago.
Henry is highly involved in several insurance and staffing industry associations at the local, regional and national levels. She is a past president of the Illinois Search and Staffing Association (ISSA) and a current board member. Additionally, she lectures and participates in organizations including Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters Association (CPCU), National Association of Insurance Women (NAIW), Property Liability Research Bureau/Liability Insurance Research Bureau (PLRB/LIRB), Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and various local claims associations. Henry graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
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Chad Hersh Principal, Insurance Novarica |
Chad Hersh is a principal in the insurance practice at Novarica. For the past five years, he has been the primary researcher and author of the market leading reports on insurance core systems, and is a widely recognized expert on the topic who has presented at numerous conferences and conducted numerous vendor selection projects for US and international insurers. He joined Novarica from analyst firm Celent, where he spent five years after serving as an e-business director and IT strategist at AIG American General. He holds a BA in Economics and an MS in Accounting with a MIS concentration from Rice University, where he has also taught consulting and e-business.
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Alyssa Hostelley Vice President of Product Management BlueWave Technology |
As vice president of product management, Alyssa Hostelley drives the product direction by balancing client needs with strategic market differentiators. Through analysis of the industry and the competitive landscape, Ms. Hostelley steers her product development team towards excellence by continuously providing quality products with measurable value. Ms. Hostelley has over 10 years of experience in management, product development, project management, operations and support, servicing, sales, staff management, and finance. During her tenure in the IT industry, she has developed products in all shapes and sizes for both the health and p&c insurance industry. She has executed projects between 1- month to 3 years in duration while managing up to 50 team members. She has managed operational support, strategic initiatives, and has conducted internal, servicing, and client training. Through her numerous successful implementations, she has fostered fruitful and trusted business relationships with business partners and clients for over a decade. Ms. Hostelley earned her B.S. in Business Management from Santa Clara University.
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Thomas A. King Vice President – Insurance Oracle |
Mr. King is Vice President for Oracle’s Insurance Industry Business Unit. In this role, Mr. King works with Oracle clients to identify the issues the client is facing and works with the client to facilitate solutions. Additionally, Mr. King plays a primary driver setting the strategic direction of Oracle’s insurance market and development/partnership efforts.
Mr. King has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, both as an insurer and as a consultant to the industry. Much of his career has been dedicated to helping insurers leverage technology in conjunction with defining business strategy and addressing issues facing the industry.
A cornerstone of his philosophy is that the key to successful IT strategy is that it must not only complement business strategy but enable business strategy to stretch beyond current business models. This has included working with both IT and business management to help facilitate this process.
Having started his career as an actuary and a former, licensed broker coupled with operations and corporate strategy experience, Mr. King brings a well rounded view of the industry to bear on solving issues for insurers. An interesting example of addressing this linkage between developing IT capabilities and the insurance industry is the role Mr. King played in developing Internet and Network Computing products. Mr. King worked with domestic and international insurers, brokers and technology companies to define the coverage issues that insurers would be facing as a result of the new risks arising out of internet and network computing. This included highlighting where insurers may already have exposure under existing products and worked with the industry to develop new risk management processes, underwriting tests, forms and insurance products.
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L. Charles Landgraf Partner Dewey & LeBoeuf |
Charles Landgraf leads the Legislative and Public Policy Practice Group at Dewey & LeBoeuf and is widely considered one of the top insurance lobbyists in Washington. In addition to leadership responsibilities for the legislative practice group, Mr. Landgraf personally represents a variety of clients in the insurance, energy and real estate industries before Congress and the Administration. As part of his insurance work, Mr. Landgraf has formed several onshore and offshore captives and has obtained amendments to various federal environmental, aviation and maritime statutes for insurer clients in recent years. He regularly practices before the executive branch, including the Departments of Treasury, Commerce, Homeland Security and Transportation, and the Office of Management and Budget.
Regulation of trade in services and international intellectual property law are also areas of concentration for Mr. Landgraf. He assisted in drafting the 1993 Russian insurance law, advised the China Insurance Regulatory Commission in 2000 and 2001, and continues to manage trademark and other intellectual property litigation in a score of international countries for a major Washington, DC-based trade association. Mr. Landgraf, who was the managing partner of LeBoeuf Lamb’s London office, has a working knowledge of the Russian and Thai languages.
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Tony Monopoli, MAA Executive Director International Automotive Appraisers and Auto Mediators Associations |
Mr. Monopoli celebrated 45 years in the Automotive Industry in 2009. Insurance companies have relied on his services including consulting, appraisals & reports since the 60”s. He has appeared as a court qualified automotive expert in various automotive cases. He has been a guest speaker on Talk radio and national TV. Classic and financial publications write about his services and solicit input concerning the automotive, insurance issues and collector vehicle industry. The Federal Bankruptcy & Superior and Supreme Courts, the NJ Department of Law & Order, various US Government agencies and the Canadian Royal Mounted Police have relied on his expertise. Corporations, attorneys, financial institutions and publications consult with AVM on their projects, trials and undertakings.
He is the founding member of the International Automotive Appraisers Association (-I-A-A-A-) and the All-Auto-Appraisal-Industry-Conference (AAAIC). He is also a member of the advisory board of the NADA Exotic, Collectible and Special Interest Appraisal Guide. He is a member in good standing in the IMPA (International Motor Press Association). His appraisal column appeared in The Automotive Investor, The Classic Motoring News, and The Auto Appraiser News and now on line on the World Wide Web. Other
A.V. Monopoli is an automotive consultant with over 4 decades of experience. He writes articles about collector car celebrities, events and unique vehicles and their values. Insurers, attorneys and the courts use his reports and appraisals to resolve value related automotive disputes of all types. He is the executive director of the IAAA and the AAAIC and editor of the Classic Car News.
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Steve Piper Director of the Medical Investigations Unit Travelers Insurance |
Steven oversees Travelers medical provider fraud and abuse investigative program countrywide. Additionally, Steve has responsibility for all multi-line anti-fraud programs for Travelers in the southern United States. Steve is a graduate of the University of Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Risk Management and Insurance. Steve also has received his Senior Claim Law Associate (SCLA) designation from the American Educational Institute. Steve is active within the anti-fraud industry working with the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud, the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association, the International Association of Special Investigation Units, and National Insurance Crime Bureau related to medical provider fraud and investigator ethics training programs. Steve is a member of the Steering Committee for the Consortium to Combat Medical Fraud as well as the chair of the NICB SIU Management Advisory Committee. Steve is a former law enforcement officer and has been with Travelers for the past 20 years.
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Kevin M. Quinley Vice President, Risk Services Berkley Life Sciences, LLC |
He has over 30 years experience in managing casualty claims and litigation. He has a BA from Wake Forest University and an MA from the College of William & Mary. He holds the Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and specialty designations from the American Insurance Institute in Risk Management (ARM), in Claims (AIC), in Reinsurance (ARe) and in Management (AIM). A Contributing Editor of Claims Magazine, Kevin is the author of over 600 published articles and ten books. The latter includes Litigation Management, published by the International Risk Management Institute in Dallas. Kevin has taught classes in insurance, claims and risk management for the Washington D.C. Chapter of the Society of CPCU. He is a past President of the Washington D.C. Chapter of CPCU. He is a frequent writer, speaker and trainer on topics relating to litigation management.
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Bruce Raymond Founding Partner Raymond & Bennett LLC |
Bruce H. Raymond is a founding partner of Raymond & Bennett, LLC, an alternative fee litigation and technology firm based in Connecticut. Attorney Raymond has served as lead counsel in over 1,000 cases in Connecticut, Massachusetts and throughout the United States. He is the founder of the LinkedIn Group Alternative Fee Lawyers and has been nationally recognized for innovative law firm design and creative alternative fee arrangements for clients. He is a former board member of DRI and President of the Connecticut Defense Lawyers Association. He was recently named one of the Hartford-area Top Business Lawyers by Hartford Magazine and AVVO, Inc., a company of legal specialists that provides profiles and ratings of attorneys nationwide.
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Steven Rutzebeck Director of Claims Security/SIU GEICO |
Steven Rutzebeck has been with GEICO since December 1999. He began his career in GEICO as the SIU Operations and Training Manager. In June of 2000 he assumed the position of Director. He is responsible for SIU operations from a company wide perspective providing corporate direction and vision to GEICO’s SIU. GEICO currently has over 310 insurance fraud investigators. Mr. Rutzebeck came to GEICO after retiring as a Captain from Maryland State Police after 25 years of service. During his career with the Maryland State Police he served in a number of management capacities including Commander of Professional Development, Commander of Training, Associate Director Mid-Atlantic Regional Community Policing Institute at Johns Hopkins University, Commander Violent Crime Strike Force and the Commander of the Crime Prevention Unit. He also supervised the agency’s Analytical and Tactical Sections within the Criminal Intelligence Division. He was also a nationally recognized educator on topics such as community policing, strategic planning, organizational change, time management, problem solving and facilitation. Mr. Rutzebeck has a Bachelor of Arts in Pre Law from Pennsylvania State University and a Masters in Legal Studies from the University of Baltimore.
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Louis Saccoccio Executive Director National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) |
Louis Saccoccio began his service as Executive Director of the National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association (NHCAA) in January, 2005. Reporting directly to the NHCAA governing bodies, he serves as the chief staff executive of the Washington D.C.-based association that protects and serves the public interest by increasing awareness and improving the detection, investigation, prosecution and prevention of health care fraud. He is responsible for the successful undertaking of the association’s overall strategic objectives, as well as the management of all activities, operations, and staff. Mr. Saccoccio’s background includes legal, operational and business management expertise. Prior to joining NHCAA, he served as Senior Vice President of Professional Services at America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). In this capacity, he was responsible for all business operations of the association, including membership, business development, marketing, and education programs. Prior to overseeing AHIP’s business operations, he served for six years as its General Counsel. Prior to joining AHIP in 1996, Mr. Saccoccio practiced law in Washington, DC, specializing in health care law and representing a range of health care clients, including hospitals, physician groups, behavioral health providers and long-term care providers. He also served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. His military experience includes eight years of service as a Navy JAG lawyer, including tours as an appellate counsel handling national security cases and as the Legal Officer of the aircraft carrier USS KITTY HAWK (CV 63). He is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Harvard Law School.
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Karen Schwartz Vice President, Claims Division The Motorist Insurance Group |
Karen’s career started with Motorists Mutual as a claims adjuster. In 1995 she was appointed to her current position as Vice President, Claims Division, The Motorists Insurance Group. Karen is a graduate of the University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She obtained her Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriting designation (CPCU) in 1983, and has held leadership roles as President of the Dayton Area CPCU chapter, and Chair of the Dayton Arbitration Committee for Arbitration Forums.
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William Sylianteng Member Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg, LLC |
William Sylianteng is a member of Bennett, Bricklin & Saltzburg, LLC and focuses primarily on large loss property subrogation. Will is licensed to practice in the state and federal courts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. As co-chair of the firm’s subrogation department, Will represents insurers in the capacity of both national large loss counsel and regional counsel (Mid-Atlantic). Originally from southern California, Will attended California State University, Northridge, and received his B.A. in Political Science. After graduation, Will attended Temple University Law School (Philadelphia, PA) where he received his J.D. In 2007, Will was named a “Lawyer on the Fast Track” by The Legal Intelligencer and PA Law Weekly, an honor given annually to 35 attorneys under the age of 40 who are recognized by their peers and the judiciary as the future leaders of the Commonwealth’s legal community. Will was also named a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer Rising Star in 2007 and 2008 by Law and Politics, in accordance with its procedures, a designation bestowed on only the top 2.5% of Pennsylvania attorneys under the age of 40. He currently serves on the Board of Directors and as the Co-Chairman of the Insurance Coverage & Subrogation Committee of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute (PDI), an organization made up of insurance attorneys, insurance executives, and self-insureds. Will has authored the following articles: Subrogating Spoliation, The Subrogator, p.60 (Fall 2007 ed.); The Road to Partnership in Generation Next, The Legal Intelligencer (2008, Generation Next Supplement); and Pennsylvania Courts Address Subrogation “Priority” and the Issue of “Bad Faith”, The Subrogator (Winter 2010 ed.).
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