Women to Watch: 2006

Posted On: Apr. 7, 2009 10:16 AM CST

	Lori S. Nugent Partner and Head of the Enterprise Risk Management Group Cozen O'Connor P.C. Chicago Age: 44 Lori S. Nugent, voted Illinois' "Super Lawyer" in 2005 and 2006 by her bar association peers, focuses on insurance, reinsurance, e-commerce and punitive damages issues. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and before the federal appellate courts for the 7th Circuit, based in Chicago, and the 8th Circuit, based in St. Louis. She co-wrote "Punitive Damages: A State-by-State Guide to Law and Practice," published in 2004, and "@Risk: Internet and E-commerce Insurance and Reinsurance Legal Issues," published in 2000. Before joining Cozen O'Connor in 2000, she was a partner with Blatt, Hammesfahr & Eaton beginning in 1994, and before that she was an attorney with Peterson & Ross, both in Chicago. Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I see it happening a little already as a result of Sarbanes-Oxley and enterprise risk management. A lot better results are obtained when company executives don't restrict themselves to rigid silos of operation. One of the neat things about SOX compliance is that companies are encouraging that kind of thinking outside of their operating units to address overarching problems that, at the end of the day, can save the company millions." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "Don't be discouraged. There are opportunities. It takes persistence and confidence, and it is really important to find a mentor. And it doesn't have to be a female, but someone you can trust, whose judgment you respect. It's also important to be flexible and find creative solutions," especially regarding conflicts between one's family matters and professional life. Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: One of the two most influential individuals in Ms. Nugent's career was Robert Hammesfahr, who was a partner with the law firms where Ms. Nugent practiced throughout her career, including Cozen O'Connor. Mr. Hammesfahr asked Ms. Nugent to update an article on punitive damages, a project that evolved into a book that the two co-wrote in 1991 and have updated several times--most recently in 2004. "He encouraged my creativity and helped me to channel it in ways that made a real difference in the insurance and legal community, which obviously has furthered my career as well." The other influential person was Ms. Nugent's husband. "My husband was incredibly helpful and supportive. I think it's very difficult for a woman to succeed in an in industry without the support of a strong husband or strong family or a network of friends. It's nothing you can do on your own. You need a sounding board, and you need somebody who believes in you, especially during the times when you're not convinced you can do it yourself."

	Leslie Nylund Executive Vp, North American Retail National Partner Willis Group Holdings Ltd. New York Age: 44 Leslie Nylund's career spans the insurance and brokerage sides of the industry. She worked for American International Group Inc. in the large lines casualty/captive group and has been a senior production underwriter at Continental Insurance Co. She then moved on to Marsh Inc., where she was a managing director in charge of the global broking multilines and global broking environmental national practices at Marsh Global Broking. She then became managing director at Guy Carpenter & Co. Inc., where her responsibilities included overseeing several specialty practices. Ms. Nylund joined Willis in 2004 and now is responsible for Willis' sales performance, client service, administration, acquisition and recruiting in New York. She is a senior executive member on Willis' Employer of Choice committee, and she created the Willis Associate Client Advocate program and currently is mentoring two women associates. Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I want the industry to finally have the courage to make the information technology investments needed to become efficient and effective so we can deliver quality service to our clients. We need a collaborative effort between insurers and brokers to focus on the back-office administration and service side of the business, so we can deliver to the clients what they demand and require from the post-binding process. We need sets of uniform policy standards so we can more efficiently deliver policies that are accurate the first time, and we need systems to expedite claims payments. If we are more efficient with the paperwork, we can be more proactively consultative and creative." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "Become a student of the business. Learn as many aspects of the business as possible and gain technical knowledge about products and contracts through formal training. Rotate around departments. Take on challenging new assignments. You'll be valuable to the organization, to your clients and to yourself. Always seek out a mentor or multiple mentors and a coach that you can chat with." Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "There have really been several accomplished executives, both men and women, who have been mentors, coaches and associates over the years."

	Janice Ochenkowski Risk Manager Jones Lang LaSalle Chicago Janice Ochenkowski moved from teaching high school English and French in 1980 when she joined the risk management department of a predecessor firm of her current employer, real estate services and money management firm Jones Lang LaSalle. Currently, she is responsible for global risk management. In addition, Ms. Ochenkowski is vp of the Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. and is slated to become president of RIMS in 2007. Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "My father. He never placed a limitation on me because I was a girl. He always encouraged me to explore my interests." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "Learn as much as you can about the business of your employer and its position in the industry. Develop relationships with key business units in your firm so that you are seen as a resource within the company. Involve business stakeholders in evaluating options when they are faced with a tough problem that is risk related and say 'no' only when all else fails. Develop good networks and contacts within your industry and with other risk managers and use them wisely." Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I would like to see more respect for the discipline of risk management from the C suite."

	Susan J. Patschak Executive Vp and Chief Operating Officer Endurance Specialty Insurance Ltd. Hamilton, Bermuda Age: 45 Susan J. Patschak became an actuary before joining Tillinghast-Towers Perrin in 1985, where she worked for the next 17 years, holding several senior management positions. She then joined ACE Ltd. in 2002, where she served as global chief actuary and led a team of more than 100 actuaries. Ms. Patschak joined Endurance in 2004 and was responsible for the property-catastrophe unit. Earlier this year, she was promoted to executive vp and chief operating officer. In addition to the responsibilities of her new position, she is a member of the executive team of Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd., and serves on the Loss Reserve Committee overseeing the liability levels for all of the Endurance Specialty Holdings companies. Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I think as far as the industry as a whole, I would love to see less regulation. But if you are looking at people in the industry, we need to raise the bar on the level of talent we select and hire. By taking a more proactive role and identifying the skill sets we need to succeed, we could then hire the best and brightest young people and raise the overall talent in our industry to a higher level." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "Start with building a foundation and building a network. Pay attention to detail and prove that you can keep confidences. Be sure to have fun, because life is too short not to have fun." Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "I would have to say my paternal grandmother, particularly as I was going through actuarial exams and working. She was always of the opinion that you should do whatever you can do so you do not have to rely on someone else. She always said not to settle for less than you are capable of doing. Strive for excellence."

	Mary Todd Peterson Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer Designee Medmarc Insurance Group Chantilly, Va. Age: 52 Mary Todd Peterson on Jan. 1 will become CEO of Medmarc Insurance Group, a company she joined in 2001 as vp and chief financial officer. Ms. Peterson was promoted to chief operating officer earlier this year. In 2005, she led the creation of a comprehensive strategic plan for the company. A certified public accountant, she was a partner with Johnson Lambert & Co., a public accounting and consulting firm specializing in insurance companies, from 1993-2001. Ms. Peterson, who began her career with the former Ernst & Ernst accounting firm, completed the Duke University Fuqua School of Business Advanced Management Program this year. Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I think the one thing I would change would be irrational pricing. The industry goes through cycles, and sometimes prices decrease without sound basis. We need to have a more consistent rationale for pricing." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "If you're looking for a career that has a lot of technical challenge and offers opportunities to learn and advance, this is a great industry for you. At Medmarc, we have a majority of women in our workforce.... As long as you stay technically up-to-date and focus on customer service, you can make a terrific contribution." Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "Three people have had a great influence on my career. My former partners at Johnson Lambert & Co., Larry Johnson and Debbie Lambert. They formed a public accounting firm in the 1980s to serve insurance companies. It's grown from two people to more than 100 people. Both Larry and Debbie are really entrepreneurial and had a vision of how to serve insurance companies that we were able to implement and to grow. I was exposed to a huge array of technical and business issues that prepared me to take over as CFO of Medmarc. "Also Jack White, the retiring president and chief executive officer of Medmarc. He very much embodies that same entrepreneurial spirit. He also showed me that you have to have a vision of what you want to accomplish, and continue to challenge to probe that vision every day as circumstances change and new opportunities and challenges are created."

	Leigh Ann Pusey Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vp-Government Affairs American Insurance Assn. Washington Age: 44 Leigh Ann Pusey joined the American Insurance Assn. as senior vp-public affairs in 1996, was named senior vp-federal affairs in 1999 and added the duties of chief operating officer earlier this year. She previously held several political positions, including communications director for former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga. Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "It's a tough environment but full of opportunity. You need to know your subject--be smart, and be willing to work hard. Most importantly--think strategically." Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "My parents, for the reason they have helped instill a sense of confidence; and encouragement to take advantage of opportunity and to be the best you can be." Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I think the industry can do a better job of telling its story. My theory is that we've bought into the notion that people don't like insurance and therefore our strategy is to lay low. As a result, people don't understand the industry, they don't understand the vital role we play. If we did a better job of telling our story and defending ourselves, we'd find ourselves better positioned in the marketplace of ideas."

	Paula Rosput Reynolds President and Chief Executive Officer SAFECO Corp. Seattle Age: 50 Before being tapped to head SAFECO earlier this year, Paula Rosput Reynolds had spent most of her career in the energy industry. After graduating from college, she worked at a consulting firm in Boston before entering the energy industry in 1979. Her previous management positions include serving as: a senior vp at Pacific Gas Transmission Co.; president and CEO of Duke Energy North America; and chairman, president and CEO of AGL Resources Inc., a holding company that includes six natural gas utility companies. In addition to serving on the board of SAFECO, she is on the boards of Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. and Delta Air Lines Inc.

	Pamela Rippens Senior Vp, Field Operations Specialty Risk Services L.L.C. Hartford, Conn. Age: 42 Pamela Rippens landed a job with The Hartford Financial Services Group Inc. right out of college. Four years after joining as an account claims representative, she became assistant manager in SRS's Brea, Calif., hub office. By 1993, she was named assistant vp in Hartford's national accounts underwriting area. Ms. Rippens moved into her current position in 2001, and is responsible for the results of the third-party administrator's 1,300 field employees nationwide. Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "There is a belief that insurance and financial risk management is a male dominated, old school, good-old-boys industry. If women accept this view, then they will shy away from this field, and they shouldn't. I want to debunk this myth. Women should challenge this perspective of the industry. In my experience, women have a variety of career opportunities in the insurance industry that are personally fulfilling as well as have an impact on the growth of the business." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "Dream big and challenge yourself. Look past perceived constraints, biases and stereotypes. Be decisive and follow your passion. Challenge yourself to do things even when you are afraid. Do not feel tied down by those perceived constraints." Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "My parents, my mother in particular, have had the greatest influence on my career. The things that stick with you are the things that your parents give you all through your life. Both pushed me to be the best I could be and not settle for good enough. They taught me to put my heart and soul into whatever I do. They taught me that I could break down barriers with knowledge, compassion and communication."

	Karen Rohan President CIGNA Group Insurance Philadelphia Age: 43 Karen Rohan joined CIGNA in 1991 after holding management positions at Ernst & Whinney, now known as Ernst & Young L.L.P., and at Monarch Capital Corp. Ms. Rohan has advanced through numerous leadership roles at CIGNA, including serving as controller and senior vp of underwriting for CIGNA Healthcare. Named last year as president of CIGNA Group Insurance, she has executive management responsibility for CIGNA's life and disability units. Ms. Rohan also is president of CIGNA Dental & Vision Care. Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "I have what I call my personal board of directors. They are made up of business colleagues, friends and family. They have encouraged me to take risks and opportunities and to be passionate about what I do." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "You should know the competition and be a student of the industry. You need to embrace risk and challenges because risk is an opportunity for growth and learning. Performance matters and you really need to drive for results." Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "I would accelerate the advent of consumerism, which I'd define as the overall active engagement and empowerment of the individual."

	Mary Roth Executive Director Risk & Insurance Management Society Inc. New York Age: 46 Mary Roth began her career at RIMS in 1985 as a research analyst after spending a couple years in research and development at Group Health Inc., a large nonprofit health services organization in New York. Ms. Roth steadily rose through the RIMS organization, assuming the position of assistant director of research and the director of membership and chapter services before being tapped for deputy executive director and then chief operating officer. Ms. Roth assumed her current position in October 2004. Q: Who has had the greatest influence on your career and why? A: "First and foremost, it was former RIMS Executive Director Gene Ricci," who headed the organization from 1991 through March 1997. "He told me, 'You someday should have my job.' And after that, he was very supportive" in ensuring that Ms. Roth was involved in budgeting and strategic planning for the organization. "He also encouraged professional development. He put in my mind that someday I could be executive director of RIMS." Also, a group of RIMS leaders, including many RIMS presidents, were instrumental "in supporting my rise to this position and encouraging it." Q: What advice would you give young women entering the industry today? A: "First, embrace a mentor," who should be someone working in an area of keen interest. Next, "join a professional organization and network with people who are your peers or will be your peers." Also, continuing education is "an important way to gain mobility within the industry." Q: If you had the ability to change one thing about the industry what would it be? A: "The one thing I'd like to change is to see greater recognition of the value of risk managers at the board level and in the C suites." With the insurance industry, "I'd like to see an improved reputation of the industry with the public. The industry does a lot of charitable things. They don't get recognition for all of the good things they provide."

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