Kara Knowles | Age: 46 Executive vice president

Gallagher Bassett Services Inc., a unit of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Centennial, Colorado

After 10 years working as an attorney, Kara Knowles said she found herself looking for the fulfillment she’d experienced early on in her professional journey.

There were times that she would get to the end of a trial and see a great single claim resolution, but find that clients were not diligent in resolving the inherent problems that created the issue in the first place, said Ms. Knowles, executive vice president in Gallagher Bassett Services Inc.’s specialty division.

As she explored a move to insurance claims, Ms. Knowles discovered a career where she could be more proactive in advising and guiding clients.

“Kara is the consummate professional who brings not only technical expertise to everything she does, but also brings an empathetic and communicative approach that is appreciated by our external customers and everybody that deals with her internally,” said Charlie Lamberta, executive vice president and director, operations, at Gallagher Bassett.

“I value the long-standing relationships we have with clients, and I’ve also worked a lot in the past couple of years to take on more of an internal managerial role to build relationships with the team,” she said. As executive vice president, Ms. Knowles is responsible for professional liability and general liability claim management for health care systems, including a large multi-hospital risk retention group and a multi-specialty medical group.

Among her achievements, Ms. Knowles helped develop a successful strategy and structure for claims management that at the 12-month mark resulted in a 13% decrease in claims volume, 63% decrease in pre-suit claims and a 23% decrease in total case reserves.

In 2020, Ms. Knowles successfully navigated challenges in assessing the particular needs of one GB client, Mr. Lamberta said, marshaling the right resources and assigning the right people to the job.

“Because of all of that and more, the client has decided to extend their engagement,” Mr. Lamberta said. “What had the potential to only be short-term is now a solidified relationship.”