Councilcast

Every October, millions of Americans flock to haunted house attractions, or "haunts" as they are also called, to be entertained. From theme parks to mom-and-pop operations, over 1,200 haunted attractions open their doors to scare seekers each year, according to the organization America Haunts. The haunted house industry generates $500 million in ticket sales annually, with an average of 8,000 guests per attraction and some locations employing dozens of scare actors. But in this business, the risks—like the devil—are in the details. For the Leader’s Edge podcast, market analyst and podcast producer Zach Ewell spoke with people who love working at scare attractions and people who insure them. They share the risks that put them in danger and the policies that protect them.

In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Curtis Barton, CEO of ALKEME, shares why he chose a career in insurance, what it was like building a business alongside his father, and the most valuable business lesson he’s learned along the way.

Nationwide’s John Anthony, SVP, Contract P&C and Excess, E&S Wholesale, discusses advanced data use in E&S underwriting. In this episode, we dive deep into advancements in data analysis in underwriting in excess and surplus lines. We discuss how the evolution of third-party data and the use of AI have helped turn raw data into usable information, change management and barriers to implementing advanced technology in underwriting, and what’s on the horizon in this changing field.

AXA XL’s Head of Wholesale Solutions in the Americas Tim Whisler discusses growth, goals, and getting there. In our latest conversation with AXA XL, we discuss their focus on building out their wholesale solutions, including the programs segment, excess & surplus (E&S), and the wholesale underwriting unit. Topics include the value of the wholesale broker in complex risk markets, trends in E&S, and the importance of talent in achieving growth goals.

Lisa Hawker, Regional COO of people solutions at Lockton, and the current chair of the Council of Employee Benefits Executives, and Jenn Walsh, Founder and CEO of Genuine Shift, sat down with Leader’s Edge at the 2025 Employee Benefits Leadership Forum. They share stories drawn from over 30 years each of experience, muse on trends, and focus on the future of employee benefits.

Tom O’Neal's career has spanned over half a century. He made an early name for himself during the 1960s and ’70s, with photographs gracing the album covers of rock legends such as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Steppenwolf, B.B. King, John Denver, and many, many more. In addition to photographing the musicians and songwriters who defined a generation, Tom has spent the past two decades photographing events hosted by The Council. After wrapping up a conference, podcast Producer Zach Ewell sat down with Tom to discuss his history with The Council, how he gets his subjects to open up, and how he feels about the ever-changing media landscape.

In this episode of the Personal Lines podcast, Ed Cha shares how his career path led to the insurance industry, says why he finds learning a reward for his job, and dives deep into the problem-solving intricacies of his role.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its third conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Ahmed Marmoush, co-founder and CEO of Handl Health, an AI platform that aggregates and analyzes publicly available healthcare pricing data to aid insurance brokers. A world traveler, Marmoush discusses his life’s journey of immigrating to several countries, how he was inspired to start his business, and the intricacies of AI.

In this episode, FIRST Insurance Funding Vice President of Business Solutions Nolan Steenberg goes deep on agency payment processing system integration. Steenberg dives into detail around the current state of automation and the benefits agencies can reap when investing in integration. Later he shares what options suit different-size agencies. FIRST Insurance Funding is not endorsing any specific payment service provider or making representations about their privacy and data security resources. Any agency, broker, or any other entity that desires to work with a payment service provider should conduct their own due diligence as part of their vendor evaluation process to assess the necessary risks.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts its second conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum, with Jochen Körner, CEO of Ecclesia Group, a Germany-based brokerage. Körner dives into detail about the Krankenhausversorgungsverbesserungsgesetz, which is changing how the German hospital system operates and funds itself. Körner also shares how his family’s history of working at brokerages led to his career in insurance and offers advice for people looking to break into the industry.

“Nobody wins when the insurance company can’t afford to sell insurance and the homeowners can’t afford to buy insurance.” In this episode of the Politics & Risk podcast, House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) discusses the increasing pressure that wildfires are placing on insurance companies and their clients. Westerman for years has been a chief champion of the Fix Our Forests Act, a bipartisan bill that includes a host of measures to transform federal forest management in order to reduce the wildfire threat. The legislation easily passed out of the House in January, and Westerman expressed optimism that the Senate will also approve it and send it on to President Donald Trump for signing.

In this episode, Leader's Edge hosts a conversation at The Council's Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Jonathan Hsieh, CEO of Pacific Prime Americas. Hsieh shares how his background in law helped him break into insurance industry, how medical inflation and tariffs are impacting his clients, and what trends he’s watching in the benefits market.

A conversation onsite at The Council’s Employee Benefits Leadership Forum with Prudential’s John Trevisan, Head of Distribution for Group Insurance, and Mark Devine, Vice President, Head of Life, Absence & Disability Product. Having recently surveyed employers and employees about modern benefits, Prudential gathered data on the disconnects between the two groups. In addition to discussing the survey results, the conversation covers benefits-related technology, opportunities for growth, new product development, better client service, and the 150-year history that provides the foundation for Prudential today.

In this podcast, Scott Goodreau CEO of Brightstone Specialty Group, shares childhood stories of waking up at 3 a.m. to help his dad's canteen truck business, and how that informed his entrepreneurial nature. Goodreau also dives into why higher education changed his life and how he started his company.

In this edition of our AXA XL podcast series, head of large commercial Donna Nadeau sits down with Leader’s Edge to talk about the latest on large-business risk. Nadeau discusses how clients are dealing with the impacts of tariffs, potential supply chain disruptions, AI algorithm bias, and much more.

It’s been nearly five years since Leader's Edge began the Falling Into It podcast. Our purpose is to interview up-and-coming insurance talent to find out why they chose this industry. These professionals have pivoted to insurance from careers on the fields of Major League Baseball and sailing the seas for the U.S. Coast Guard, to name just two. In this episode, we’re going back to school. We meet two former teachers who went from education to employee benefits. First up is Casey Allsbrooks, an elementary school teacher and librarian for 29 years who recently jumped to working as an account manager at the Marsh McLennan Agency. Next, we meet Julia Lacoste, who taught middle school for two years before pivoting to insurance, where she works as an account manager at CBIZ. Both women share why they moved to the industry of risk. Their stories are a part of a larger narrative insurers may want to pay attention to: past educators being a great source of talent for the industry.

In this episode, Kristina Talkowski, head of commercial lines, middle market for Nationwide, shares takeaways from a recent survey of small and medium sized businesses. Among the range of risk management issues covered are economic concerns, supply chain disruptions, cyber threats and regulatory compliance issues. She also discusses gaps in risk preparedness for middle market businesses, industry opportunities, and more.

A conversation with the president of McGohan Brabender. A native of Ashland, Ohio, Beth Ferrin shares how growing up in Amish country shaped her formative years, what it's like being the first female president of her firm, and the importance of advocacy in her role.

In this episode Leader's Edge talks with Matthew Scally and Grier Dienstag from McKinsey. Both authors of “Investing in insurance: The value imperative,” discuss recent private investment trends in insurance. They also evaluate what made 2024 M&A unique, and share why they expect increased deal activity this year.

The BrokerTech Ventures 2025 Accelerator startups are putting artificial intelligence to work in new ways, rethinking back-office processes from telephony support to employee offboarding, says Accelerator Executive Director John Jackovin. Talking to Leader’s Edge on the eve of the multiday, in-person BTV Mania, Jackovin shares insights on new areas of startup focus, investment trends, and what BTV startups and partners have to look forward to when they gather this week.