Unveiling the 2024 Guidewire All-Star Class

People do amazing things. People make big things happen. People are at the heart of the insurance industry. 

Working for a “technology company,” it’s easy to get caught up in the product capabilities or functions that our solutions provide. However, what truly stands out is the impact that people make when using these tools.

While Guidewire does provide a trusted platform for P&C insurers to engage, innovate, and grow efficiently, the real magic happens through the efforts of those who use our solutions to bring about real business transformation. Whether it's through improved efficiency, ensuring compliance, enhancing customer experiences, or modernizing technology, none of this success is possible without them.

When we announced the inaugural Guidewire All-Star class last year, we witnessed something remarkable…a great interest in recognizing and celebrating these All-Stars, both at Connections and on social media. We immediately received inquiries about the next year. 

Here we are, and as expected, we received even more nominations this year. Following a diligent and difficult judging process, we selected 49 All-Stars of the class of 2024. 

“These champions and heroes are the users of Guidewire solutions day in and day out, to make a difference for their insureds. They enhance customer experience, make operational improvements, manage strategic projects, and more,” said Christina Colby, Guidewire Chief Customer Officer. “They bring our technology to life and harness it to make a difference in their organizations and the P&C industry at large. People are, and always will be, at the center of everything we achieve together.”

We are thrilled to announce this year’s All-Stars and provide a glimpse into why they were chosen for this prestigious award:

• Aggie Spaeth, Product Owner Manager, West Bend Insurance 
  • Aggie fostered collaboration during West Bend's ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud implementation, enhancing the decision-making process. By dissecting complexities proactively, her recommendations greatly benefited the organization's strategic direction.

• Amélie Pelletier, VP Commercial Lines, ICPEI
  • Amélie prioritized commercial lines requirements, facilitating ICPEI's substantial growth post-March 2024 go-live. Her innovation initiated renewal conversion, maintaining project timelines effectively.

• Amy Rontal, Program Lead, Zurich North America 
  • Amy's management of Zurich North America's Guidewire program laid the foundation for successful product implementations and enhancements. Her leadership in migrating PolicyCenter to Guidewire Cloud is crucial for maintaining technological advancement and operational continuity.

• Anushree Patra, AVP, Data Integration, Westfield Specialty 
  • Anushree revolutionized transactional data warehousing, overcoming challenges to build a comprehensive data warehouse. Her financial integration efforts ensured precise and timely financial reporting, streamlining data flows into the general ledger.

• Bárbara Narvaez, Product Owner, San Cristóbal Seguros 
  • Barbara's leadership ensured the first Guidewire Cloud migration success in Latin America. Her capacity to unite the team and integrate functions smoothly yielded project success and organizational transformation.

• Bethany Beccue, Vice President of Claims, Slide Insurance 
  • Bethany's leadership in the ClaimCenter implementation fostered efficiency and deployment success, and exceeded customer and end-user expectations. Her strategic initiatives drove improvements via market insights and technology, aligning with Slide's business objectives effectively.

• Bobbi-Jo Stephens, Product Owner, ClaimCenter, The Commonwell Mutual Insurance 
  • Bobbi-Jo's dedication as ClaimCenter Product Owner led to wide system adoption, enhancing user engagement and operational efficiency. By initiating monthly forums for leaders, she deepened Guidewire utilization, aiding in seamless integration within organizational processes.

• Brad Waldron, Manager of Business Analysis and Quality Assurance, Encova 
  • Brad managed Guidewire operations across multiple lines, significantly enhancing capabilities and improving operational efficiency. He led various initiatives that transformed Encova’s processes, eliminating bottlenecks, and optimizing workflows.

• Carlie Westendorf, Underwriting Operations Supervisor, Canal Insurance Company 
  • Carlie led the migration of PolicyCenter on Guidewire Cloud, securing smooth user adaptation and operations. As a PolicyCenter champion, she supported the transition, enhancing underwriting operations.

• Cathy Migita, AVP Personal Lines Underwriting, First Insurance Company of Hawaii 
  • Cathy utilized market expertise to shape successful product development, meeting evolving client needs, and boosting satisfaction. Her creative approach fosters inclusivity and innovation, continually seeking process improvements for business excellence.

• Courtney McGallion, Systems Product Owner Consultant, Horace Mann Insurance
  • Courtney displayed knowledge and dedication as the face of ClaimCenter at Horace Mann, driving quality developments and maintaining strong external partnerships. She expertly managed vendor integration, enhanced efficiency for adjusters, and elevated customer service standards.

• Dale Bowring, Rating Service Manager, Amica Mutual 
  • Dale facilitated Amica’s rating transformation, overseeing the creation of hundreds of ratebooks and rate routines. He improved performance by enhancing ratebook loading processes and implementing no-downtime bug fixes.

• Dani Schweisthal, Property & Casualty Product Analyst, Federated Insurance 
  • Danielle, as a product analyst, ensured impactful changes in PolicyCenter, excelling in understanding system changes and customer effects. Her in-depth knowledge of Guidewire implementations, especially in General Liability, enhances operations significantly.

• Dávid Papp, Delivery Manager, Colonnade 
  • Dávid increased efficiency by enhancing business users' understanding of Guidewire, leading to reduced operational errors. He led the analytical approach for upcoming product extensions, establishing optimized solutions in line with Guidewire practices.

• Dianne Holman, Claim Specialist, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group 
  • Dianne enhanced business agility through the strategic use of InsuranceNow's features, optimizing the claims operating model. Her expertise significantly expedited reporting times, minimized human error, and bolstered compliance adherence.

• Donato Savino, Head of Business Services - Claims, Vaudoise Assurances 
  • Donato guided Vaudoise's ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud project, balancing value creation with constraints for pragmatic solutions. His promotion of Guidewire instilled user confidence, ensuring successful system adoption despite project challenges.

• Hunter Ledbetter, Director, Membership Systems, Kentucky Farm Bureau
  • Hunter led the migration to Guidewire Cloud, representing the membership base and ensuring successful integration. His expertise refined membership processes, which yielded a robust user interface and smooth Guidewire experience, reducing manual efforts.

• Jason Royalty, Lead Architect, American Family Mutual Insurance 
  • Jason designed a real-time solution for reconciling claims financial payments, enhancing customer experience by ensuring timely payments to claimants. He oversaw the re-design of claims correspondence, automating it to handle high email volumes, increasing correspondence efficiency and compliance.

• Jason Smith, Delivery Manager, Capital Insurance Group 
  • Jason executed a successful Guidewire Cloud migration launch, receiving stakeholder acclaim for seamless integration and minimal required adjustments. He brought a wealth of knowledge of Guidewire, the insurance industry, program management best practices, organizational knowledge, strategic thinking, leadership confidence, and collaboration, all topped with his passion to bring CIG to Guidewire Cloud.

• Jennifer Brennen, AVP, Commercial Lines, Donegal Insurance Group
  • Jennifer led the commercial underwriting team in a multi-year implementation of core policy administration on PolicyCenter, significantly enhancing Guidewire systems. She fostered cross-functional discussions, successfully managing change across Donegal's business units, and championing standard processes.

• Jessica Michaud, Sales Operations Manager, Heritage
  • Jessica spearheaded user-centric Agent Portal advancements, improving usability and creating a seamless experience for agency users. Her strategic insights and understanding of user needs guided significant improvements, enhancing productivity and satisfaction.

• Jiten Patel, Manager - Claims, Aioi Nissay Dowa NZ 
  • Jiten spearheaded the SmartCOMM integration with Guidewire, significantly improving document production processes, which led to faster brand introduction and amendments. His expertise allowed the rapid introduction of a new brand into Guidewire within two days for testing, providing a competitive edge in an RFP response meeting.

• Kasper Pontoppidan, Product Manager, Tryg 
  • Kasper successfully transitioned lines of business to ClaimCenter, a major transformation marked by effective change management and rapid realization of goals. With his help, Tryg achieved significant automation and straight-through processing speed improvements.

• Kate Krysa, Director, Underwriting and Product, Alberta Motor Association Insurance Company 
  • Kate led the successful delivery of AMA MyPace, the province's first distance-based insurance product, resulting in a significant increase in new target customers and strategic advancements. She directed the Guidewire Innsbrook update, coordinating resources across various departments to ensure seamless updates with minimal operational disruptions.

• Kazuya Takahashi, General Manager, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance 
  • Kazuya led the ClaimCenter development, improving operational efficiency and stabilizing systems post-core system replacement. He conducted extensive training and system modifications, bolstering claims settlement rates amidst pivotal productivity challenges.

• Keegan Gregg, Director of Risk Operations, Orion180 Insurance 
  • Keegan's pricing strategy optimization was pivotal for Orion180's coastal strategy, reducing exposure and risk while increasing premium. His fire hazard scoring analysis improved acceptance rates in Arizona by enhancing accuracy and evaluating development data.

• Kelly Barr, Sr. Business Process Analyst, Philadelphia Insurance Company 
  • Kelly's management of complex billing systems upheld Philadelphia Insurance Company’s financial integrity through effective compliance and streamlined processes. Her proactive problem-solving initiatives significantly enhanced operational excellence and drove cost efficiency within billing operations.

• Kendra Dick, BIS Operations Team Leader, Trillium Mutual Insurance Company 
  • Kendra's SMT expertise facilitated a successful Guidewire PolicyCenter deployment, minimizing the impact on partners and policyholders. She spearheaded post-implementation stabilization, ensuring efficiency gains and a consistent workflow adoption across the organization.

• Kurt Tagami, Director - Financial Planning & Analysis, Hawaii Employers Mutual Insurance Company
  • Kurt led data initiatives during cloud migration, leveraging business intelligence to effectively meet reporting requirements and enhance data analysis accessibility. In the Predict implementation, he provided vital data analysis support, optimizing predictive capabilities and enhancing underwriting processes.

• Lauren Harper, Vice President of Operations, Velocity Risk Underwriters, LLC 
  • Lauren facilitated a swift BOP product rollout with strategic use of InsuranceNow features, impacting business across 12 states. Her platform familiarity met user expectations, enhancing operational efficiency and aligning outcomes with business objectives.

• Laurie Harry, Director of Underwriting Operations, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska
  • Laurie championed the Guidewire Cloud transformation, adeptly utilizing the Advanced Product Designer for designing and developing products. As the Head of Underwriting, she drove change management, promoting Guidewire benefits to ensure alignment with transformation goals.

• Laxmi Hariharasubramanian, Product Owner, General Motors Insurance 
  • Laxmi successfully rebranded OnStar Insurance to General Motors Insurance, achieved brand consistency, improved communication, and streamlined operations. She implemented document management and electronic signature integrations, enhancing efficiency, customer experience, and reducing environmental impact.

• Lindsay Lovvorn, Chief Administrative Officer, United Fire Group 
  • Lindsay's strategic leadership reduced expense ratios, increasing efficiencies in commercial lines operations at United Fire Group. Her innovative solutions provided resource optimization, aligning technology with business objectives for continuous improvement.

• Luz Bautista, Product Owner, System & Product Transformation, Amerisure 
  • Luz leveraged her expertise to expedite the Commercial Auto release process, completing more than 20 state rating requirements and 100+ forms within a single sprint. Her attention to detail enabled the successful conversion of 17,000+ existing accounts and policy data from legacy systems.

• Mary Jo Emerick, Director, Project Services, Kentucky Farm Bureau
  • Mary Jo's strategic foresight in Kentucky Farm Bureau’s Guidewire Ecosystem forged trailblazing service delivery pathways, expanding into West Virginia. She enabled efficient communications across counties and lines of business, focusing on modernization and competitive positioning.

• Mehran Samari, Product & Pricing Manager, Aioi Nissay Dowa NZ 
  • Mehran successfully implemented Data Studio throughout the Early Access Program, enhancing data analytics and enabling out-of-the-box reporting capabilities, which made efficient standard reporting accessible to managers. He optimized the Guidewire pricing algorithm, increasing flexibility while improving rates to enhance profitability.

• Melody Morgan-Jeannette, Manager, Billing and Operations, FCCI Insurance Group 
  • Melody meticulously provided requirements for BillingCenter, achieving a record timeline for production release including complex features. She crafted successful migration strategies, ensuring a seamless transition and post-production support.

• Michelle Hader, Product Manager, Insurance Business Technology, BCAA 
  • Michelle transitioned from finance to become a Guidewire product manager, leading a team to drive high revenue and net income for BCAA. She enhanced the Guidewire continuous process, resulting in increased customer satisfaction with regular platform improvements and bug fixes.

• Ric Sirmans, Vice-President of Underwriting, Builders Insurance Group
  • Ric contributed to the implementation of InsuranceSuite on Guidewire Cloud by representing various stakeholders, improving operational efficiency and customer experience. He expertly managed project requirements, fostering teamwork to ensure a successful collaboration throughout the transformation.

• Robin Chambers, Systems Implementation Manager, Innovated Holdings Inc.
  • Robin successfully implemented the Farmowners line of business in InsuranceNow, expertly managing processes from discovery to go-live. Her leadership continued with the Homeowners project, proving critical to timely product development and delivery.

• Rosie Jacomino, VP of Training and Auditing, Slide Insurance 
  • Rosie optimized claims processes, leveraging out-of-the-box capabilities to improve accuracy and reduce turnaround times for catastrophe claims. Her lead role in stakeholder collaboration and commitment to continuous improvement ensures an innovative environment at Slide.

• Sarah Weno, Vice President - DPM BPM Program Management, EMC Insurance Companies 
  • Sarah made a significant impact on Guidewire implementations at EMC, enhancing processes across more than 10 workstreams with cloud products. She collaborated with teams to translate insights into actionable product enhancements, resulting in streamlining and cost savings.

• Sreenivas Gouraram, AVP, Enterprise Policy Admin & Guidewire Strategy, CNA 
  • Sreenivas has been a pivotal advocate for utilizing Guidewire Advanced Product Designer to transform the CNA team into a highly efficient "product factory" on PolicyCenter. He standardized processes across specialized teams, enhancing speed-to-market and synergy in business processing.

• Steve Hostert, Director of Claims Services, Farmers Mutual of Nebraska 
  • Steve guided the Guidewire Cloud transformation with deep system knowledge, enabling a compelling case for change. As Claims Product Owner, he led process development, demonstrating significant improvement benefits to leadership.

• Steve Therriault, Product manager - Commercial Lines, Beneva Insurance 
  • Steve successfully integrated commercial lines products into PolicyCenter, delivering project workshops to yield optimal results. He collaborated on change management to help advisors and agents adapt to PolicyCenter, bridging legacy systems and new operations.

• Tammie Kip, Director, Claims Digital Transformation, Allstate Canada 
  • Tammie led the Guidewire Cloud transformation program, marking a significant milestone with the go-live of ClaimCenter on Guidewire Cloud, encompassing half the organization's claim volume. She co-founded a non-profit organization supporting mental health in the industry while relentlessly ensuring the transformation program's alignment with business outcomes.

• Tracey Newman, VP, Prevention and Employer Engagement, Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia 
  • Tracey led a successful swift development of claims processes, aligning with legislative changes, and ensuring organizational readiness. Her data-driven approach transformed payment processing, leading to improved business efficiency and client satisfaction.

• Travis Hill, VP, Operations, American Modern 
  • Travis led the transformation of American Modern’s technology ecosystem by implementing Guidewire InsuranceSuite, improving user experience and operational efficiency for underwriters, customers, and agents. He strategically directed the cloud migration of American Modern’s systems, ensuring scalability and reliability, positioning the company for future opportunities.

• Vincent Keenan, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, USAIG 
  • Vincent spearheaded USAIG's Guidewire platform modernization, demonstrating exceptional strategic acumen for enhanced efficiency. Actively steering the transformation program towards a 2025 completion, his leadership promises substantial performance improvements.

We look forward to recognizing each member of the Guidewire All-Stars Class of 2024 individually over the next several months. Follow us on LinkedIn to help us celebrate them!