Alliant Specialty Podcasts

AI-powered cyber-attacks are reshaping the threat landscape, driving new risks and challenges for organizations worldwide. CJ Dietzman, Alliant Cyber, welcomes Daniel Tobok, CEO of Cypfer, to break down the latest cyber trends from Q1 2025 and predictions for the future. They discuss the rise of generative AI in attacks, the ongoing ransomware threat and the increasing role of third-party vendors in breaches. Daniel also offers practical advice on boosting cyber awareness, protecting critical data and preparing incident response plans to stay ahead in this evolving environment.

With cyber threats growing more sophisticated, NIST has overhauled its incident response guidance to help organizations better prepare, respond and recover. Join Jay Stampfl, David Finz and Grace Michael, Alliant Cyber, as they explore the NIST Special Publication 800-61 Revision 3 and its link to the updated Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0. They explore the expanded role of incident response, the new “govern” function and the shift toward continuous improvement. The team also explains how these changes affect cyber insurance underwriting and how Alliant helps clients stay ahead through planning, tabletop exercises and risk-focused engagement.

With major staff reductions and budget constraints, the SEC is predicted to scale back broad enforcement efforts and prioritize more traditional securities fraud like insider trading, Ponzi schemes and accounting fraud. Mike Radak, Alliant Financial Institutions, and David Finz, Alliant Claims & Legal, explore the shifting regulatory priorities for the SEC under the current U.S. administration and its implications for financial and consumer industries.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Holly Ragsdale as she shares her journey into the insurance industry and the power of networking. They discuss how Holly was drawn to insurance as a way of combining her analytical skills with her passion for building relationships, which now plays a key role in her work with the Conserve-A-Nation program. Holly also shares how co-founding the Young Risk Professionals' (YRP) D.C. chapter has helped her expand her professional network and support the next generation of insurance professionals.

In recognition of Women in Construction Week, this episode features a discussion with Celia Seigerman-Levit and Laura Martino on the evolving landscape of the construction industry. They share their career journeys, the changes they've seen over the years, and the reasons they are passionate about their work. The conversation also explores the challenges and opportunities for women in the field, as well as their advice for the next generation of professionals entering the industry.

Trailblazers like Wendy Conway are paving the way for the next generation of women in the industry. In this episode we sit down with Wendy Conway, Managing Director of Risk Management at Greystar Development & Construction, to discuss her journey in construction, the challenges she's overcome, and the valuable lessons she's learned along the way. Wendy shares insights into risk management, leadership, and the evolving landscape of the construction industry, along with actionable advice for women looking to build their careers in this space.

Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth welcome David Finz, Alliant Cyber, to discuss the recent SEC settlement with Ashford following its 2023 cyber breach. The team examines the backlash of alleged inadequate disclosures to investors about the breach's magnitude. They discuss the insurance implications that cyber incidents can cause beyond cyber, such as triggering various policies like D&O and E&O, and stress the importance of early communication with brokers and a holistic view of coverage to avoid gaps.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Pam Frassineti, Alliant Public Entity, to discuss her career journey and what sets Alliant apart as a leader in insurance. Pam shares how her aspiration to become a high school guidance counselor provided her with the transferable skills needed to succeed in the insurance industry, emphasizing the value in understanding client needs, building trust and providing customized solutions. As a recent addition to the Alliant team, she highlights how the company's relationship-centered approach is essential to building a successful outcome.

Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth welcome CJ Dietzman and David Finz, Alliant Cyber, to discuss recent amendments to the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS) cybersecurity regulations. The team breaks down the regulatory changes, their impact on financial institutions and best practices for compliance. Together, they emphasize how proactive cyber risk management goes beyond insurance, helping organizations strengthen security and enhance their overall insurability—an approach Alliant takes pride in delivering to clients.

The construction industry is evolving, and women are playing a crucial role in shaping its future. In this episode, we sit down with Hillary Neal, Managing Director of Risk Management at Greystar Development & Construction, to explore her career journey, the shifts she's witnessed in the industry, and the invaluable lessons she's learned along the way. Hillary shares her insights on navigating risk management, breaking barriers, and leading with confidence in the construction industry. She also offers practical advice for the next generation of women looking to build successful careers in construction.

CJ Dietzman welcomes Jon Gilbert, Alliant M&A, and Michael White, Alliant Cyber, to discuss the critical role of cybersecurity and technology risk assessments in mergers and acquisitions for private equity firms. The team reviews key insights from 2024, including the growing importance of cyber due diligence and the complexities of managing cyber risk across PE portfolios. As one of the top five risk considerations, they highlight the necessity of integrating cyber risk into M&A strategies to ensure long-term success. They also share how Alliant equips firms with the expertise and solutions needed to navigate these evolving challenges and to better support our clients.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Kenny White, Alliant Healthcare, to discuss his unique career trajectory, transitioning from law to insurance, and highlight Alliant's collaborative company culture with the one P&L model fostering teamwork across the entire organization. Kenny also shares his advice for aspiring insurance professionals, emphasizing the value of expertise and specialization in a chosen field.

The insurance landscape is ever-changing, especially when decisions are made shifting legal standards. Join David Finz, Mike Radak and Peter Kelly as they explore recent legal decisions posing broad implications for the industry. They discuss a favorable appellate court ruling on D&O insurance coverage and indemnification, examine efforts to deem the Corporate Transparency Act unconstitutional and analyze a high-profile cybersecurity enforcement case in New York's financial sector. Executive Liability Newsletter: https://alliant.com/news-resources/newsletter-financial-lines-executive-liability-2024/

Brokers initially feared losing control of the market due to downward pricing trends, increased insurer capacity and a heightened volume of claims. However, 2024 proved to be a year of opportunity for financial institutions. Join Ron Borys, Ryan Farnsworth and Steve Shappell as they reflect on the trends and challenges that shaped the financial institutions marketplace during the past 12 months. Assessing a firm's risk profile, developing tailored solutions, selecting an effective counterparty/insurer and creating manageable insurance programs have established a pattern for success that Alliant expects to continue into 2025.

Karen Caterino, Alliant Public Entity, welcomes Myshell Gresham, Ascot Group, to discuss her unconventional career path and advice essential for career growth in insurance, or any relationship-based industry. Myshell shares the internal and external challenges she has faced that have helped her learn the importance of investing in yourself, constant learning, maintaining curiosity and being an effective communicator. Defining herself as a relationship maverick, Myshell emphasizes the value in developing your personal brand and leveraging social media as a networking tool.

As companies prepare for the unfortunate probability of a cyber attack, many continue to overlook the key role played by cyber crisis communications teams. Brendan Hall, Alliant Cyber, is joined by Dan Wire, Head of Crisis Communications at Mandiant Consulting, to discuss the critical need for proactively managing communications during a cyber event, and pitfalls to avoid in order to best protect the enterprise during crisis.

The public sector has historically grappled with workforce challenges, including employee retention, layoffs, and a shortage of qualified workers—issues further exacerbated by the pandemic. Carleen Patterson welcomes Scott McNea, Alliant Public Entity, to discuss the impact of the workforce crisis on the public sector and five solutions public policy professionals believe will address these challenges. From adjusting job qualification criteria to utilizing AI to streamline the hiring process, there are several strategies organizations can actively implement to minimize the workforce shortage and improve employee retention.

Join Karen Caterino, Alliant Public Entity, as she welcomes Brandon Barnhardt, Safety and Risk Manager for the City of Charlotte, to share how a passion for environmental science sparked his career in safety and risk management. Brandon provides valuable insights into the responsibilities, challenges and rewards of his role and how he navigates regulations and leverages technology to improve outcomes.

How will the outcome of the presidential election affect enforcement actions and litigation? Join Steve Shappell, David Finz and Mike Radak as they discuss their predictions for a possible shift in SEC enforcement priorities, massive deregulation and an increase in civil litigation under the Trump administration. The team also examines the dismissal of a data privacy case by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, a decision that could influence website tracking litigation across the nation.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Rosy Ku, Executive Vice President, Alliant M&A, to discuss her career path in the insurance industry and what led her to Alliant. She highlights the Alliant One P&L model as well as the company culture of unlimited support and resources as the key factors of success.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Steve Pierce, Executive Vice President and Managing Director of Alliant Construction. The two look back on Steve's career and discuss the value of choosing an organization that's right for you as well as advice for the next generation of insurance professionals. Steve highlights how the Alliant company culture empowers brokers, leaders and managers to make decisions.

How can innovative solutions like parametric insurance and water detection systems be leveraged to improve risk management in the construction industry? Join Matt Walsh, Greg Melton and Bill Marutsos, Alliant Construction, as they explore the current challenges and opportunities facing businesses in construction. From navigating large-scale infrastructure projects to mitigating catastrophic events, this podcast offers valuable insights into the strategies and solutions shaping today's builder's risk marketplace.

Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth, Alliant Financial Institutions, speak with Adam Rauf and CJ Dietzman, Alliant Cyber, on their integrated approach to helping clients navigate cyber threats and highlight trends and precautions that businesses should consider to mitigate risks when managing third party service providers.

CJ Dietzman welcomes Tara Albin to the Alliant Cyber team and explores her background in the managed care industry, specifically focusing on how cyber risks have impacted the insurance market. They also discuss her prediction for the future of the cyber market and the current threat actors and key controls organizations can implement such as MFA, EDR solutions, email filtering, employee education and incident response plans.

Navigating the complex insurance landscape can be a daunting task for real estate developers and investment firms, as traditional policies often fail to cover the full spectrum of risks, from managing development to tenant interactions. Join Craig Goesel and Jimmy Farkas as they discuss the intricacies of the real estate market and the insurance needs developers and investors should have in place before any project is initiated. The duo also explore how the REDI program simplifies risk management and enhances protection, ultimately providing better value and security for real estate firms.

Join Tim Crowley, Travis Barnett, Matt Green and Sara Heller, Alliant, as they review key trends and challenges that have surfaced for public and private companies in the first half of 2024. The team provides an analysis of current market conditions, coverage trends and implications for policyholders.

Bledion Dizdari connects with Tim Carlson, Alliant Construction, to discuss his transition to Alliant and the benefits of the one P&L structure. Tim highlights his decision to join Alliant was based on his commitment to taking care of his clients and how the Alliant platform allows him the flexibility to do what's best for the client, every step of the way.

Private equity investors are leveraging AI as an integral part of their business strategy. With this exciting technology comes a growing concern: data privacy. Join Chad Neale, Alliant M&A | Cyber, and Sara Haneef, BluDot Advisors, as they discuss AI due diligence as well as data compliance, cybersecurity and governance frameworks for PE firms to ensure a successful and responsible acquisition.

Bledion Dizdari welcomes Peter Carpenter, Chief Operating Officer, Alliant, to discuss the company culture, employee experience, and commitment to client satisfaction which earned Alliant the highest net inflow of industry-leading broker talent among the nation's leading P&C insurance brokerages in 2024. They also dive into Peter's personal experience in the insurance industry, including the 2008 acquisition of the Seattle-based employee benefits consulting firm that he co-founded and where he started his career in insurance.

How will the SEC's new data privacy rules under Regulation S-P impact financial entities? David Finz and Steve Levine unpack the regulations for enhanced client data protection, quick breach notifications and incident response plans, effective July 15. They discuss the vital role of third-party risk management and explore the insurance implications, highlighting coverage areas in cyber and D&O policies. Alliant offers specialized services to help clients ensure their compliance with these regulations and strengthen their incident response strategies.

The Black Basta ransomware group has become a significant concern, prompting the issuance of a joint Cybersecurity Advisory. Join Steve Shappell and David Finz, Alliant Claims & Legal, as they discuss the escalating concern surrounding the Black Basta ransomware syndicate and its implications for cyber risk management. Originating from Russia, this group has been targeting healthcare and critical infrastructure sectors, prompting a joint cybersecurity advisory from several U.S. agencies. The advisory provides technical details and mitigation strategies to help organizations protect their data and networks. They also explore the importance of precise policy language in D&O insurance, especially in cases involving bankruptcy and prior acts, emphasizing the need for meticulous scrutiny to ensure comprehensive coverage.

What is specialty lending? Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth welcome two new colleagues, Michael R. Smith and Caroline Keener, who are spearheading Alliant's recently announced specialty lending practice. They discuss the goals and focus of the practice and the importance of tailored risk solutions for non-bank lending institutions, along with the market dynamics and strategies for maximizing coverage while minimizing costs.

Chad Neale, Alliant M&A, welcomes Haytham Allos, Chief Technology Officer at Cyberbian.ai, to discuss the evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI), AI systems prevalent today and strategies for evaluating AI enabled applications during due diligence. From dissecting the technology stack to assessing talent shortages and data security challenges, they provide insight for navigating challenges involved with AI-driven businesses.

Product liability continues to be the most common legal and reputational risk for life sciences companies. How prepared are public and private companies when faced with litigation claiming that their product has caused injury to one or more people? Join Rich Leavitt, Rob Lane and Will Eustace as they discuss the best practices to shield your company from product liability claims. Learn how to build a rapid-response team, secure essential insurance coverage and avoid hidden dangers that could derail your defense.

Join CJ Dietzman and Howard Miller, Alliant Cyber, as they welcome Ronald Ross, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to discuss the pivotal role of building cyber resilience within your organization. Learn what the future holds for NIST and the evolving threat landscape, as well as how NIST empowers businesses to strengthen their cyber defenses.

The landscape for student health insurance has undergone major consolidation over the years, making the options for higher education health plans limited. Join Carleen Patterson as she welcomes Kevin McCarroll from Alliant Student Health, to discuss the benefits of student health insurance. The duo discusses the incentives for domestic and international students during the recruitment process, as well as what differentiates Alliant from other student health programs.

Following his participation on the Insurance Committee session panel at Nareit's REITwise 2024: Law, Accounting and Finance Conference, Tim Crowley, Alliant Management & Professional Solutions, provided a recap of the key takeaways from his panel discussion, as well as the conference as a whole. Tim discusses the current D&O insurance market for publicly traded equity REITs, trends and outlooks for securities class action filings and the new SEC disclosure requirements for environmental impact.

The SEC is cracking down on text messages and emails sent between companies and their clients. Join Steve Shappell and David Finz, Alliant Claims & Legal, as they provide an update on critical legal issues. They examine the SEC's increased focus on off-channel and informal communications and the current status of the climate reporting rule. As well as the increasing need to bolster your cybersecurity defenses with the growing threat of denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks on the financial sector.

Live at RISKWORLD 2024. We sit down with Colin Daigle of Imperium Consulting to discuss claims preparation and how clients should not go it alone.

Karen Rivara Joins the podcast during RISKWORLD 2024 to discuss the benefits of the Alliant Data & Analytics Platform.

The Alliant Cyber team (CJ Dietzman, David Finz, and Bobby Horn) lead discussions on "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Cyber Risk Management Outcomes," exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) can be a critical tool for enabling fast and effective cyber incident response and risk management.

Brendan Hall and Brian Kill, Alliant Cyber, welcome Stuart Panensky, Founding Partner at Person Ferdinand, to discuss the current trends in liability cases, the importance of carrier-endorsed providers when it comes to breach incident response and best practices for navigating the claim process properly, particularly concerning cyber insurance.

The cyber-attack against United Healthcare's parent company, Change Healthcare caused massive disruptions for pharmacies and healthcare organizations across the U.S. The resulting outage prevented the flow of information between providers and insurance companies, compromising benefits verification, claims and prior authorization. Join Steve Shappell and David Finz, Alliant Claims, as they share details of the attack and its insurance implications as well as additional claims challenges and litigation for HB473.

Telematics such as safe-driving apps, cameras and electronic logging devices (ELDs) are taking the transportation and trucking industry by storm, but they provide more benefits than just the collection of data, they can reduce premiums and provide cash-back incentives for fleets. Join Mark Epperson, Mark Nunes and Patrick O'Driscoll, Alliant Transportation, as they provide updates on the current state of the transportation market as well as new insurance programs for small and middle market fleets implementing the use of telematics and data collection to improve driver safety.

The continued increase in the frequency and extremity of sexual abuse and molestation claims makes Sexual Abuse and Molestation (SAM) Coverage more necessary than ever, but increasingly more challenging to obtain. Join Kristen Handel as she welcomes Lisa Rodriguez, Brown & Riding, to discuss the key factors contributing to the heightened complexities New York City nonprofits must face when placing SAM Coverage.

Shari Paul, Director of Marketing, Alliant, welcomes Alex Littlejohn, Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Alliant P&C, to the podcast. Alex provides a sneak peek into the new features and functionality of the Alliant Data & Analytics Platform, including the ability to look at all risk exposure versus the catastrophic side of things that traditional modeling provides. Visit the team at RISKWORLD in San Diego, May 5-8th, in the Alliant Arena. Alliant.com/riskworld

What were the main takeaways from the JPM Morgan Healthcare Conference for the Biotech industry? Rich Leavitt and Doug Bixby, Alliant Life Sciences, discuss the recent conference and main insurance considerations for 2024 including AI, M&A and the recent uptick in off-label use of weight loss drugs by the public.

CJ Dietzman, David Finz and Bobby Horn, Alliant Cyber, provide a sneak peek into what they will be discussing during the RISKWORLD Cyber Track Session, "Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Cyber Risk Management Outcomes". The session will take place on Monday, May 6th at 1:30PM-2:30PM PT.

Alliant Financial Institutions has doubled down on our commitment to serving the insurance risk advisory and brokerage needs of the venture capital and private equity industry. Join Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth on the Financial R&R, as they welcome the newest venture capital and private equity brokerage specialists at Alliant, Dan Berry and Maggie Gialessas, to discuss what attracted them to Alliant Financial Institutions, as well as share their goals and objectives towards building and growing an industry leading brokerage platform focused on venture capital and private equity firm level risk exposures.

Peter Johnson and Brian King, Alliant Agribusiness, connect to discuss the role of product recall insurance in safeguarding businesses from the financial impact of product contamination. The duo reviews the FDA's scrutiny of dietary supplements and online grocers, the challenges and concerns for agribusinesses with the addition of sesame as a major allergen and the regulatory updates of 2023.

Ron Borys and Ryan Farnsworth, Alliant Financial Institutions, welcome Jacob Borth, Alliant M&A, to discuss Reps & Warranties Insurance (RWI) in financial services transactions. The team discuss the current state of the RWI market and nuances of transactional risk insurance including ideal consumers, risk exposures, deal size and what buyers can do to differentiate themselves in a soft market.