NAME: Kelly Geary
NEW JOB TITLE: New York-based national practice leader, executive risk and cyber, EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants
PREVIOUS POSITION: New York-based U.S. cyber practice leader, Integro USA
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: The cyber insurance market is booming. Currently, the supply exceeds the demand, which is always good for insurance buyers. Given the continuing escalation in cyber crime and the rapidly evolving privacy regulatory landscape, there is no question the market will continue to grow.
GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: My primary goal is always to provide meaningful and exceptional service to our clients. Cyber risk is dynamic, elusive and complex. And, as such, it can be overwhelming. My goal is to simplify the risk for our clients and provide creative and effective tools for risk transfer and management.
CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: The dynamic and pervasive nature of cyber risk is the biggest challenge for the insurance market.
FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: My first experience in the insurance field was as an insurance defense and coverage attorney for a large law firm in NYC. My first experience in cyber insurance was when the product was truly in its infancy back in 2005. At the time, I was head of claims and underwriting counsel for a large specialty insurer. I was charged with the task of product development and management. I was responsible for drafting a stand-alone cyber policy and cyber endorsements to add to professional liability/E&O and other specialty insurance products. I was also responsible for ensuring the insurer had the ability to respond to cyber claims, which involved establishing vendor panels and creating claims related procedures designed to address cyber incidents.
ADVICE: Pay close attention to the rapidly evolving exposures. The coverage tracks the exposure. Gain as much technical knowledge coverage and risk as possible. Knowledge is power.
OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: I would like to be a college professor. I am intellectually curious by nature, so I would love to be surrounded by people constantly learning.
COLLEGE MAJOR: I was a history major in college those who do fail to learn from the history are condemned to repeat it.
LOOKING FORWARD TO: Learning from all the brilliant professionals I am surrounded by here at EPIC.
FAVOURITE MEAL: Chicken parmigiana
BOOK: The Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. I love all of his books. I just finished reading Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein also a great book.
HOBBIES: I love watching my kids play sports. My 12-year-old son plays hockey and lacrosse. My 15-year-old daughter is a competitive springboard diver.
TV SHOW: I love Criminal Minds, the Blacklist (Netflix) and Jack Ryan (Amazon Prime).
ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Attend a kids sporting event or take a long hike with my dog Ranger (a 2-year-old black lab named after the New York Rangers).
