2023 Women to Watch Awards Americas EMEA
Melissa Hollingsworth Enterprise risk manager
Atlanta Housing Authority
Atlanta
No stranger to insurance volatility, Melissa Hollingsworth has her sights on a captive for the Atlanta Housing Authority. With a billion-dollar real estate portfolio, the authority was “hard hit” in the recent renewal cycle, she said.
It’s not the first time she’s jumped on trends that have helped solve complex insurance and risk problems. Earlier, it was enterprise risk management, with the aim of getting organizations to think of risk in all parts of their business.
“It’s fascinating to think that I am at the forefront” of change, she said, adding that it’s all about what she does best — “figuring out the best way to help an organization reach peak efficiency.”
She entered the insurance industry in 2003 working at a call center for Crawford & Co. She then became an adjuster and later moved to Utica Insurance to handle large property/casualty losses.
The founder of Jim Ellis Automotive Group hired her as director of risk management and insurance. She spent eight years at the dealership chain before moving on to her current position in early 2022.
Ms. Hollingsworth said her diversified career path has been helpful.
“I call myself a holistic enterprise risk manager because it takes a team approach. … Bringing everyone together, that’s a big part of why I enjoy doing this as much as I do,” she said.
Her forthcoming challenge — creating a captive — is “like putting the pieces of a puzzle together. You get to figure out what’s going to look best for your organization and not be at the whim of the market all the time.”
Ms. Hollingsworth’s expansive industry knowledge has been essential, said John Beckett, an account executive at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
“She’s had 20-plus years in the industry, and it was just very obvious early on that she knew not only how to get good results from an insurance perspective but also knows how to work within an organization to put safety and risk controls as a top priority,” he said.
Louise Esola
