PODCAST · business
Leader's Edge
by A Council Platform - 868329
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
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Midterm Election Preview: Council Lobbyists Break Down Races and Insurance Repercussions
In this episode of Politics & Risk, The Council’s SVP of Government Affairs Joel Kopperud sits down with Council President and CEO Joel Wood. With just over two weeks left before America’s midterm elections, Wood and Kopperud break down the key issues and races they’ve been keeping a close eye on...
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BTV Moves Beyond Startup
The success of the second BrokerTech Connect conference validates the belief of its parent organization, BrokerTech Ventures, that it can be a convener of stakeholders across the insurance industry, says Mike Victorson, BTV co-CEO and CEO of M3 Insurance. The Chicago conference doubled in size in...
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Older Workers Bring Necessary Knowledge to New Recruits
Crawford & Co. is dedicated to ensuring that its institutional knowledge is passed from experienced claims adjusters to the younger generation, Chief Sales Officer Mark Cunningham tells the Leader’s Edge Podcast. That means establishing training programs that help replicate the learning that...
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Digital Hijack: Cargo Theft in the Cyber Age
In this episode of the Leader's Edge Podcast, reporter Russ Banham discusses his October cover story on cyber-enabled cargo theft. From the container ship that blocked the Suez Canal in 2021 to today’s supply chain disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the freight shipping industry is no stranger…
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Personal Lines with Walid Nehme
In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, associate editor Chris Hann sits down with Walid Nehme, Chairman at Associated Alliance. Nehme shares what it was like growing up in Lebanon during a time of war, how that conflict shaped him and his family into becoming more resilient, and…
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Insuring the Irreplaceable: From The Louvre to Lego Sets
A string of high-profile art heists in France, as recently as early September, highlights the unique risks in holding these pricey pieces. Tyler Najeer, who specializes in fine arts and jewelry risk management for Gallagher, joins the Leader’s Edge Podcast to discuss the landscape for insuring...
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Burning Parallels: Wildfire Risk on Both Sides of the Atlantic
In this episode, Leader's Edge speaks with Lance Malcolm, president of U.S. network solutions at Crawford & Co., about wildfire resilience in Europe and the United States. With wildfires scorching Spain and southern France this summer, and nearly 8 million acres burned in the United States to…
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Personal Lines with Jennifer Hill
In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, associate editor Chris Hann interviews Jennifer Hill, Vice President and Operations Director at Harmon Dennis Bradshaw, a partner with Higginbotham. Hill shares how a college major switch from accounting to risk management set her on an...
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Addressing Affordability
The new chair of The Council of Employee Benefits Executives (CEBE), Kenneth Olson, joined The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers Vice President of Government Affairs Audra Jackson for a discussion during the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum. CEBE is the executive committee that guides...
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Is the insurance industry ready for data integration?
Talking with Leader’s Edge at the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, Dennis Gushue, ThreeFlow’s senior vice president of sales, discusses why he sees increased desire among carriers for data integration. He also dives into the AI experimentation he sees in the industry, how to spot pitfalls...
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Beyond Borders: Coverage For Digital Nomads
In this episode recorded live at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, Leader's Edge Podcast Producer Zach Ewell sits down with Isabelle Moins of APRIL International to talk international health insurance. Moins maps out how historically insuring expats abroad has given way to a new...
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Big Risks in Large Scale Construction
Construction continues to reshape America's landscape, with demand growing for more efficient airports, improved hospitals, and larger sports complexes across the country. In this episode, Jon Tellekamp, chief underwriting officer of construction for the Americas at AXA XL, joins the Leader’s…
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AI’s Expanding Cyber Threat
John Butler, cyber product lead for E-Risk, a Nationwide company, explores supply chain vulnerabilities, AI powered threat actors, and more. From expanded attack surfaces and AI-powered threat actors to supply chain vulnerabilities and governance gaps, this conversation explores what businesses,...
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Personal Lines with Jack Butcher
In this episode of our personal lines podcast series, associate editor Chris Hann interviews Jack Butcher, Chairman and CEO of Vantage Insurance Partners. Butcher shares personal stories and reasons why he’s spent part of his career volunteering with fire and emergency rescue services, how his…
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Don’t Answer Their Question, Solve Their Problem
During the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum in May, the outgoing chair of The Council of Employee Benefits Executives (CEBE), Lisa Hawker, sat down with Kerry Finnegan, former senior partner at Mercer and also a past CEBE board chair, now a senior advisor at Oliver Wyman. CEBE is the...
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Insurance Talent Problem? There’s AI for That
Eric Rentsch, Zywave’s chief product officer and head of emerging markets, talks with Leader’s Edge onsite at the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum. The conversation centers around AI use in insurance industry operations and covers issues including embedding AI more effectively into…
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Unearthing the Disconnect in Perceived Benefits Value
Speaking with Leader’s Edge onsite at the 2026 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, Jon Trevisan, vice president and head of distribution for group insurance at Prudential, shares takeaways from Prudential’s recently published research in its Benefits and Beyond series. The conversation covers...
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The Canadian Benefits Brief
Recorded live at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, Leader's Edge Podcast Producer Zach Ewell sits down with Massimo Nini, SVP of Consulting, Underwriting, and Actuarial at AGA Benefit Solutions. Nini maps out the Canadian healthcare landscape, by comparing and contrasting the...
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Affordable, Transparent, Simple Healthcare
A conversation with Dan Kueter, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Employer and Individual. One of the most crucial topics discussed in healthcare coverage today is the challenge of affordability. Diving right in, Dan Kueter discusses where employers are most focused in dealing with healthcare coverage...
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Personal Lines with Jessica Jung
Q&A with the Jessica Jung, President of Oswald.
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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 action and less analysis, he believes. Speaking to Leader’s…
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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. Glasgow walks through the cases he’s watching most closely,...
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Personal Lines with Lucy Clarke
A conversation with the President of Risk and Broking at WTW.
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‘First and Foremost, You Must Learn Insurance’
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 about additional endorsements? From its humble beginnings in...
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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 space at Beazley, discusses innovations from the maturing...
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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 business tool, the startups inside the BTV Accelerator are...
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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 Executive Chairman and CEO Eric Leavitt discusses the…
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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 discussion of talent and technology in the workplace.…
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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, the diverse backgrounds they bring, the tech skills they...
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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 early days in insurance after college, through more than...
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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 entertainment, entrepreneurship, and live performance in ways that...
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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 Insurance Leadership Forum, Vieira takes us on a journey through...
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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. Their massive power needs and building requirements are...
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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 what he gained from the experience, how leaders today can...
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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 community is central to his mission, and what drives him…
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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 at Acrisure. Jackson and Kirk both served in White House...
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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, expresses his support for individual coverage health…
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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 Canton, Ohio, was vital to shaping his life.
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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 the basic tools developed by ancient ancestors, Mike...
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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 affordability in America, and offers her thoughts on President...
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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 a journey through his reporting and shows how a hard…
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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 into one. From the tech stack to the branding to the…
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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 changed as well. He also explains how advanced technology...
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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 business. He describes how key relationships early in his...
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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 conversation. The two leaders unpack how a major deal...
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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 inspires his leadership style.
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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 business. They discuss the current risk landscape, the risks of...
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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 LIIBA, Gracechurch, and Trimstone Partners laying out brokers'...
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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 of third-party risk, and new exposures coming from AI. We...
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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 Council’s senior vice president Joel Kopperud, vice…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
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.
HOSTED BY
A Council Platform - 868329
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Leader's Edge have?
Leader's Edge currently has 263 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Leader's Edge 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...
How often does Leader's Edge release new episodes?
Leader's Edge publishes regularly with 263 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Leader's Edge?
You can listen to Leader's Edge on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Leader's Edge?
Leader's Edge is created and hosted by A Council Platform - 868329.
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