FINREP Texas September 19-20, 2023

Since 2007, Brandon has been working with auditing insurance, governmental, not-for-profit, and commercial entities, as well as employee benefit plans. Brandon has extensive experience providing assurance and consulting services to insurance companies and related entities. A graduate of Carson-Newman College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Brandon has specific experience documenting the major transaction cycles for insurance companies, assessing control risk, and design and implementation of the control tests of the premiums, claims, reinsurance, and treasury transaction cycles.

Brandon also has experience related to inventory tracking, observation, and reconciliation. He has provided a range of services which include financial statement audits, internal control studies, agreed-upon procedures, reviews, and compilations. His responsibilities as an auditor consist of planning, fieldwork, and report preparation in the areas of financial and compliance audits.

Arthur Randolph is a principal and consulting actuary with Pinnacle Actuarial Resources managing the firm’s Atlanta, Georgia office. He has been in the insurance industry since 1998 and has been consulting since 2001. Art’s consulting career has focused on homeowners, commercial property, commercial multiple peril, workers’ compensation, medical professional liability, general liability, and commercial and personal automobile exposures.

Art provides actuarial consulting services to property and casualty (re)insurers, self-insured entities, risk retention groups, and captive insurers. In particular, he serves as the Appointed Actuary for numerous property insurance companies domiciled in Florida and in other weather catastrophe-prone states. Art’s core services include reserving, ratemaking, and risk transfer testing.

Art is a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (AAA) and holds additional insurance designations. He is actively involved with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the AAA P/C Extreme Events and Property Lines Committee.

James has experience in assignments involving loss reserving, loss cost projections, funding studies, predictive analytics and ratemaking. He has worked with loss reserve analyses for traditional insurance companies and captive insurers writing personal and commercial property, commercial multi-peril, workers’ compensation, automobile liability, general liability and automobile physical damage coverages.

James serves as project manager for group captives and insurance companies, performing both interim and year-end reserve analyses, and yearly funding analyses. He assists with the preparation of Statements of Actuarial Opinion (SAOs), Actuarial Opinion Summaries and actuarial reports. He also works with insurance industry data to update and help develop benchmarks to be applied to ratemaking and reserve analyses.

In addition, James develops funding indications for captive insurance programs and other alternative risk financing programs, works with a number of enterprise risk captives, and supports and leads projects on Pinnacle’s cutting-edge insurance industry initiatives.

John J. D’Amato is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Texas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association (TPCIGA).  He is a CPA with 30+ years of qualifications in the insurance industry. He has a strong working background in Process, Operational, and Internal Control Improvement; Audit and Financial Consulting; Regulatory Solvency Consulting; and Accounting and Shared Services Operations. His professional background was developed with “Big Four” Public Accounting, Private, Regulatory, and Consulting experience.  

John joined TPCIGA in January 2020 assuming the CFO role.  He leads the Finance, Information Technology, Human Resources, and Planning & Business Services Departments.  Prior to joining TPCIGA, John spent 20 collective years in the consulting and advisory services industries serving insurance regulators and insurance companies in all lines of business (P&C, L&H, Health).  In some aspects of his work, he worked closely with the Special Deputy Receiver (SDR) community. In fact, he was designated an SDR with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) for a number of years.  

From an insurance regulatory and corporate perspective, his experience includes:  working for a publicly held life insurer as their director of internal audit; serving as an accounting manager at a property & casualty carrier; working as an audit assistant director at a health insurer; and working as an accredited financial examiner for the State of Connecticut Insurance Department. 

Adam is an Executive Vice President and Branch Manager of Gallagher Re’s Tampa office.  He is responsible for servicing clients and production efforts in the southeast and has extensive experience working with Florida property insurance companies with a secondary focus on the InsurTech space.

He began his career with Benfield Blanch in 2004 as a servicing broker on the medical and legal professional liability team.  In 2006, Adam joined Collins and relocated to Florida in early 2007 to focus on the Florida property insurance market.  Collins was acquired by Guy Carpenter in 2009 and Adam joined Willis Re in late 2017, which became Gallagher Re at the end of 2021.  He holds a bachelors of science in economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and the Associate of Reinsurance (ARe) designation.

Since 2014, Albert Betts, Jr. has served as the Executive Director of the Insurance Council of Texas, a non-profit trade association representing the interests of nearly 400 property and casualty insurers doing business in Texas.

Previously, Albert was a partner at the law firm of Thompson Coe Cousins and Irons, LLP, practicing in the firm's Insurance Law and Governmental and Legislative Advocacy Group. His practice focused on representing clients before the Texas Department of Insurance and other regulatory agencies, including representing and advising insurance trade associations, insurance companies, and other clients on a variety of property and casualty insurance issues, as well as advocating for clients' interests before the Texas legislature and other government officials.

In 2005, he was appointed, by Texas Governor Rick Perry, as the first Commissioner of Workers' Compensation for the State of Texas. In 2007, Albert was reappointed and confirmed unanimously by the Texas Senate. Betts served as Commissioner from 2005 through 2008, during which time he testified before numerous legislative committees, advised state leaders, and led the successful overhaul and reform of the Texas workers' compensation system. Prior to serving as Commissioner, Betts served as Chief of Staff for the Texas Department of Insurance.

Overall, Albert has 30 years of experience as a lawyer, public policy administrator, and organizational leader, including prior experience at the Department of Insurance, the State Office of Risk Management, Texas Attorney General, and the former Texas Workers' Compensation Commission.

He is co-editor of Larson, Texas Workers' Compensation Handbook and is a frequent speaker to insurance, risk management, and employer groups on property and casualty insurance and workers' compensation issues. He previously served as chair of Texas Legal, a non-profit prepaid legal benefit plan created to provide affordable legal services to Texans and was on that organization's board of directors from 2010 through 2019. Currently, he serves as an ex-officio board member of the Insurance Council of Texas Education Foundation, a 501(c) (3) non-profit charitable organization promoting insurance education at Texas universities.

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law and has been a licensed attorney since 1991.

Since 2010, Stephen has been providing tax compliance services and consulting services for multiple entity types. His responsibilities include coordination of the insurance tax compliance practice, which includes federal and multi-state tax return compliance, premium tax compliance, income tax provisions on the statutory basis of accounting, consolidated income tax provisions on the GAAP basis of accounting, and representing taxpayers during the examination process with the Internal Revenue Service and state departments of revenue.

He has experience assisting clients with planning issues including: effective tax rate analysis, multi-state tax planning and analysis, distribution and dividend planning, and research for various other tax issues.

Ronnie L. Johnson advises clients nationwide on insurance regulatory, government relations and procurement, and litigation matters. His clients – based in the U.S. and abroad – include national and international insurance and reinsurance companies, underwriters, and agencies, as well as international manufacturers of automobiles and heavy equipment. He works out of both the firm’s Dallas and Baton Rouge offices. Prior to joining McGlinchey, Ronnie served as Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, Office of Property and Casualty, for Louisiana.

In his insurance regulatory practice, Ronnie represents insurance entities with licensing, market conduct, solvency, and reinsurance matters, and he represents insurance producers in licensing and market conduct matters. In his government procurement practice, Ronnie negotiates contracts and agreements with governmental agencies on behalf of clients. He also counsels clients in responding to requests for proposals issued by governmental agencies, conducts bid protests, and pursues appeals to the district court.

Ronnie represents clients’ interests in legislative matters in Louisiana, Texas, and throughout the country. He has represented clients before numerous Louisiana government agencies as well as before agencies and/or legislatures in Mississippi, Arkansas, Ohio, California, Florida, Texas, and the District of Columbia.

Christopher Howell is a CPA specializing in the insurance industry.  In addition, he is one of the leaders of the firm’s insurance practice.

Since 2000, Chris has been providing accounting, auditing, reporting, and consulting services to clients primarily in the insurance industry. His services provided include planning, supervising, and directing multiple audits of insurance companies, their affiliates, and parent companies. In addition, he has provided customized services including internal control advisory services and risk assessments in data privacy. He has also provided services in vendor management and underwriting.

Chris is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Task Force Panel of Experts. This panel helps resolve accounting and reporting issues for insurance entities. The panel also helps review revisions to AICPA Accounting and Auditing Guides.

Chris was previously Vice President and Controller for a start-up multi-line insurance group. There he designed and implemented all accounting and financial reporting mechanisms to facilitate decision-making and comply with financial and regulatory reporting requirements.

In addition to being a CPA, Chris has earned the designation of Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from the Institute of Internal Auditors. He has also earned the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the AICPA. Chris has also spoken on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).

Cassie Brown was appointed to serve as Texas insurance commissioner by Governor Greg Abbott in September 2021. She is the chief executive of the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), overseeing the regulation of the second largest insurance market in the nation and the seventh largest in the world. The agency regulates approximately 2,800 companies and more than 700,000 agents and adjusters.

Brown previously served as commissioner of the Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC), having been appointed to the role by Governor Abbott in 2018 and reappointed in 2019 and 2021. Under her leadership, DWC cut customer service hotline hold times to less than 30 seconds, made it easier for system participants to share documents electronically and more securely, and continued to reduce medical costs and increase the number of injured employees returning to work.

Brown has more than 20 years of public service experience and serves on the Executive Women in Texas Government President’s Advisory Committee. She was TDI’s deputy commissioner for Regulatory Policy where she led the regulation of the forms, rates, and products sold in the Texas insurance market; oversaw the residual markets; assured the adequacy of insurers’ loss control programs; and provided inspections and compliance activities related to the state’s windstorm market.

Earlier in her career, Brown served as a key advisor to Governor Rick Perry on policy and budget issues including insurance, health regulatory, and workers’ compensation. She also served in the administration of Governor George W. Bush. 

Brown received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from St. Edward’s University and attended the Governor’s Executive Development Program at The University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs. 

Joshua Bryant serves as the Recovery Division Chief for the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and has been with the organization since 2013. His team is responsible for coordinating with federal partners and supporting TDEM’s Regions in the delivery of the Individual Assistance Program and Public Assistance Program. Josh’s team also leads Recovery Operations during disasters by supporting the State Operations Center, coordinating resources, and conducting damage assessments across the state.    

Before joining the Recovery team, Josh served for over five years in TDEM’s Preparedness Division leading the state-level planning for response and recovery efforts across all hazards. Before joining TDEM, he served in the United States Coast Guard and received his bachelor’s degree from Troy University. Josh and his wife, Sydney, are both from Alabama originally and have lived in Austin since 2013.  

Jamie Walker is the Deputy Commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division.  Jamie is responsible for all aspects of the division’s operations, particularly focusing upon oversight of insurer solvency and related consumer protections.  The division fulfills its mission through licensing companies, conducting financial analysis, performing on-site examinations, and leading regulatory interventions including receivership for rehabilitation and/or liquidation.  

Jamie began her career with TDI in March 2000 as an Examiner Trainee in the Examinations Section.  After 12 years of holding various positions in the Examinations Section, including five years as an assistant chief examiner, she assumed the role of associate commissioner of the Licensing Services Section from 2012 to 2015.  As associate commissioner, Jamie managed a staff responsible for the incorporation and licensing of insurers and preservation of insurer records; the licensing and regulation of insurance agents, agencies, adjusters, title agents, escrow officers, navigators, and others, as well as appointments, renewals and continuing education; and the licensing and registration of independent review organizations, workers comp networks and utilization review agents. In 2015, Jamie was named the assistant deputy commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division.  The role’s responsibilities included developing and implementing administrative procedures, being familiar with all operations of the division, and functioning as a resource regarding the division’s functions to other areas of TDI.  Jamie has been serving as the deputy commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division since May 2018.

Jamie has been actively involved in various National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) committees and working groups, including the Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group, Valuation of Securities Task Force, Capital Adequacy Task Force, and Reinsurance Task Force. 

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts – Economics from Lyon College, Batesville, AR.  She has a Certified Financial Examiner’s designation from the Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE) and has been an active member since 2000.

Originally from Arlington, Texas, David Lawson has been with the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) for over ten years. He received his B.A. in History from Texas State University and has earned a Master Continuity Practitioner (MCP) certification from FEMA-EMI. Mr. Lawson is responsible for creating, maintaining, and executing the Association’s Business Continuity and Catastrophe Plans, as well as leading outreach for federal, state, county, and city emergency management officials. 

Catherine began working in public accounting when she joined Thomas Howell Ferguson in January 2015.  Her experience in public accounting includes providing assurance and accounting services. Her industries served include corporate, governmental, insurance, and not-for-profit organizations. The majority of Catherine’s career has been concentrated on serving the insurance and governmental industries.  Her responsibilities consist of engagement planning, performance of fieldwork, internal control testing, and assistance with report preparation.

Catherine has experience in auditing insurance organizations, providing financial statement and compliance audits in accordance with auditing standards, audits of statutory financial statements, reinsurance accounting, reviews, compilations, designing and implementing control tests for insurance companies, compiling quarterly and annual financial statements under a statutory accounting basis, internal control evaluation and analysis, agreed-upon procedures, consulting, technical research and documentation of accounting standards, and performing SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 engagements.

Christopher Howell is a CPA specializing in the insurance industry.  In addition, he is one of the leaders of the firm’s insurance practice.

Since 2000, Chris has been providing accounting, auditing, reporting, and consulting services to clients primarily in the insurance industry. His services provided include planning, supervising, and directing multiple audits of insurance companies, their affiliates, and parent companies. In addition, he has provided customized services including internal control advisory services and risk assessments in data privacy. He has also provided services in vendor management and underwriting.

Chris is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Task Force Panel of Experts. This panel helps resolve accounting and reporting issues for insurance entities. The panel also helps review revisions to AICPA Accounting and Auditing Guides.

Chris was previously Vice President and Controller for a start-up multi-line insurance group. There he designed and implemented all accounting and financial reporting mechanisms to facilitate decision-making and comply with financial and regulatory reporting requirements.

In addition to being a CPA, Chris has earned the designation of Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certification in Risk Management Assurance (CRMA) from the Institute of Internal Auditors. He has also earned the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation from the AICPA. Chris has also spoken on Enterprise Risk Management (ERM).

Roosevelt brings a skill set that includes predictive analytics applications for all insurance functions, ratemaking and product development, strategic reviews, competitive analysis and litigation support. He assists companies in applying predictive analytics to private passenger auto, homeowners and commercial lines rating, underwriting and product development. He also applies predictive analytics to develop claim applications, including predicting large loss development, estimating claim settlement values and detecting fraudulent claims. Roosevelt provides actuarial support for several companies, including rate indication development, rate filing and regulatory support and monitoring of program experience. Also, he assists insurance companies, industry trade groups, regulators and legislators with issues related to potential bias in insurance ratemaking, marketing, claims and underwriting processes, including testifying before regulators and legislators.

Roosevelt performs extensive competitive analysis to evaluate insurer competitive position and develop rating plans for new states and lines of business. In addition, he performs external peer reviews of insurance companies’ internal model development processes and provides recommendations for improving the modeling process and the resulting rating plans. Roosevelt also conducts reviews of company strategy to ensure operations and analytics are aligned with the strategic direction.

He has worked with several industry groups to evaluate the impact of proposed insurance legislation on claim costs and future rates, including PIP reforms in Florida and Michigan. He also provides and supports expert testimony on personal and commercial insurance matters including auto, homeowners and products liability. Roosevelt is the current president-elect of the CAS, has served as vice president of marketing and communications and on the board of directors of CAS, and as a member of the board of directors of the International Association of Black Actuaries Foundation. He has also served on the board of trustees of the Actuarial Foundation.

Jamie Walker is the Deputy Commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division.  Jamie is responsible for all aspects of the division’s operations, particularly focusing upon oversight of insurer solvency and related consumer protections.  The division fulfills its mission through licensing companies, conducting financial analysis, performing on-site examinations, and leading regulatory interventions including receivership for rehabilitation and/or liquidation.  

Jamie began her career with TDI in March 2000 as an Examiner Trainee in the Examinations Section.  After 12 years of holding various positions in the Examinations Section, including five years as an assistant chief examiner, she assumed the role of associate commissioner of the Licensing Services Section from 2012 to 2015.  As associate commissioner, Jamie managed a staff responsible for the incorporation and licensing of insurers and preservation of insurer records; the licensing and regulation of insurance agents, agencies, adjusters, title agents, escrow officers, navigators, and others, as well as appointments, renewals and continuing education; and the licensing and registration of independent review organizations, workers comp networks and utilization review agents. In 2015, Jamie was named the assistant deputy commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division.  The role’s responsibilities included developing and implementing administrative procedures, being familiar with all operations of the division, and functioning as a resource regarding the division’s functions to other areas of TDI.  Jamie has been serving as the deputy commissioner of the Financial Regulation Division since May 2018.

Jamie has been actively involved in various National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) committees and working groups, including the Statutory Accounting Principles Working Group, Valuation of Securities Task Force, Capital Adequacy Task Force, and Reinsurance Task Force. 

Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts – Economics from Lyon College, Batesville, AR.  She has a Certified Financial Examiner’s designation from the Society of Financial Examiners (SOFE) and has been an active member since 2000.

Chris has considerable experience in assignments involving loss reserving, rate filings, risk classification reviews, funding studies, loss cost projections, captive feasibility studies, risk transfer studies, captive application reviews and financial examinations. He has focused on analyses involving homeowners and dwelling fire exposures, as well as medical professional liability, lawyers professional liability, workers’ compensation, commercial property, commercial and personal automobile, and title exposures, among others.

Prior to consulting, Chris worked for a leading primary insurance carrier, leading ratemaking studies and setting the loss and expense reserves for their personal automobile liability, motorcycle and umbrella lines of business.

Currently, Chris serves as project manager for self-insurers and traditional insurance companies, performing both interim and year end reserve analyses. He also serves as project manager on loss reserve, ratemaking, risk transfer and funding studies for captive insurance companies, risk retention groups and self-insured entities. Chris also leads the firm’s research initiatives regarding title insurance, the Florida property insurance market, and workers’ compensation frequency and severity trends by state.

Chris assists with preparation of Statements of Actuarial Opinion and Actuarial Opinion Summaries. He also provides consulting services to state insurance departments, including captive application reviews, loss reserve analyses and risk-focused financial examination support. In addition, Chris also brings experience in the trucking industry for alternative markets, including development of trucking insurance loss reserves, funding, retention and deductible analyses.

Stuart Harbour is a Texas certified public accountant with over 30 years of experience in accounting and financial management. He has served in financial leadership roles in both public and private entities and has developed broad expertise including systems development, process reengineering,  internal controls design, regulatory compliance and financial reporting. Stuart is a hands-on leader and team builder experienced in Property and Casualty and Workers Compensation Insurance, energy industry accounting and merger and acquisition activities.

Stuart began his career as an auditor at KPMG before serving in various financial roles including corporate controller at a NYSE traded diversified energy company.  Stuart has also served as vice president over planning, budgeting, and reporting at Texas Mutual Insurance Company (Workers Compensation) and as corporate controller for a Texas insurance group that writes non-standard auto in multiple states.

He is currently the Chief Financial Officer of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, a residual market property insurer providing hurricane coverage to over 200,000 policyholders along the Texas coast. He manages all accounting and finance functions including budgeting, financial reporting, and treasury functions. Stuart is also the Chief Financial Officer of Texas FAIR Plan Association which provides residual market homeowners insurance throughout Texas. The annual combined premiums for the two Associations exceeds $500 million.

Since 2007, Brandon has been working with auditing insurance, governmental, not-for-profit, and commercial entities, as well as employee benefit plans. Brandon has extensive experience providing assurance and consulting services to insurance companies and related entities. A graduate of Carson-Newman College with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Brandon has specific experience documenting the major transaction cycles for insurance companies, assessing control risk, and design and implementation of the control tests of the premiums, claims, reinsurance, and treasury transaction cycles.

Brandon also has experience related to inventory tracking, observation, and reconciliation. He has provided a range of services which include financial statement audits, internal control studies, agreed-upon procedures, reviews, and compilations. His responsibilities as an auditor consist of planning, fieldwork, and report preparation in the areas of financial and compliance audits.

Catherine began working in public accounting when she joined Thomas Howell Ferguson in January 2015.  Her experience in public accounting includes providing assurance and accounting services. Her industries served include corporate, governmental, insurance, and not-for-profit organizations. The majority of Catherine’s career has been concentrated on serving the insurance and governmental industries.  Her responsibilities consist of engagement planning, performance of fieldwork, internal control testing, and assistance with report preparation.

Catherine has experience in auditing insurance organizations, providing financial statement and compliance audits in accordance with auditing standards, audits of statutory financial statements, reinsurance accounting, reviews, compilations, designing and implementing control tests for insurance companies, compiling quarterly and annual financial statements under a statutory accounting basis, internal control evaluation and analysis, agreed-upon procedures, consulting, technical research and documentation of accounting standards, and performing SOC 1 Type 2 and SOC 2 Type 2 engagements.