ACORD Announces 2021 Board of Directors 

ACORD Announces 2021 Board of Directors 

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ACORD (Pearl River, N.Y.), the global standards-setting body for the insurance industry, has announced its 2021 Board of Directors. The ACORD Board will be chaired by Kirk A. Behrens, CIO, Aon (Chicago), with Robert Bernard Kelly, Managing Director and CEO, Steadfast Group Ltd. (Sydney) serving as Vice-Chair. The Board consists of 21 members, including five new Directors.  

“After an unprecedented year, now more than ever, ACORD remains committed to supporting our industry through times of profound change,” comments ACORD President and CEO Bill Pieroni. “The expertise and experience possessed by our incoming Board are critical to our core mission–serving our members.

The new Directors as introduced by ACORD: 

Stephen Barnham, CIO, MetLife Asia. Barnham joined MetLife (New York) in June 2017 as CIO of Asia and a member of the global insurer’s Asia Leadership Group. Barnham believes passionately in the power of innovation to disrupt financial services. He is responsible for driving MetLife’s digital strategy and, through the development and implementation of contemporary technology, is reimagining insurance. He is a board member of PNB MetLife, MetLife’s insurance joint venture in India. With decades of experience in global financial services and technology. Barnham joined MetLife from Standard Chartered Bank, where he was Group CIO for Financial Markets. Prior to joining Standard Chartered Bank, he held various senior technical roles at Nomura Securities, Lehman Brothers and Morgan Stanley, and started his career developing software for guided weapons systems at BAE Systems.

Rebecca Bunyan, Chief Information and Change Officer, Lloyd’s (London). Bunyan is currently Chief Information & Change Officer at Lloyd’s, having previously developed her career across senior technology roles in the consulting, insurance and real estate industries, both in the U.K. and the U.S. She enjoys leading transformation and change programs. With a strong focus on delivering results, she holds high standards, both for herself and others, with a “collaborative yet decisive” style. Bunyan is an experienced strategic leader, having developed the Hiscox NA and EMEA strategies as well as building the technology, data and cyber security strategies and functions for Aldermore, where cyber, technology risk management and resilience were a key hallmark of her tenure. 

Julie Dillman, SVP, Global Head of Operations, Chubb Group (Zurich). Dillman is responsible for a range of operational areas across Chubb including information technology, operationalizing digital and e-business, real estate and facilities, contingency planning and business continuity, purchasing, workflow management and general business efficiencies. Dillman joined Chubb in 2016 from Travelers Insurance, where as Executive Vice President, Operations, eBusiness and Analytics, she was responsible for the company’s global operations. She was also a member of Travelers’ Executive Management Committee. During her long career at Travelers, Dillman had numerous significant accomplishments, including leading a multi-year delivery strategy for investments in customer and agent platforms and leading companywide strategies for digital and analytics. Earlier in her Travelers career, she had leadership responsibility for all aspects of the company’s personal insurance operations, including direct accountability for its sales and service employee organization.

Steve Lundin, COO, Sales Operations, M Financial Group (Portland, Ore.). Lundin’s core responsibilities at M Financial Group include Strategy & Innovation, Sales, Underwriting, Technology & Data, Carrier Relations, Strategic Partnerships, and Member Firm Recruitment. Prior to joining M, Lundin was a senior executive at Marsh. From 2014 to 2018, he served as CEO for the Middle East and North Africa region. From 2011 to 2014, he led the business across eight branch offices in mainland China. During Steve’s tenure at Marsh, he also served as the North American Property Practice leader, and started his career as an international property and liability insurance broker on behalf of some of Marsh’s largest U.S. multinational clients. Prior to re-joining Marsh in 2011, Lundin worked for six years at the New York office of Integro Insurance. During his career, Lundin also was employed by Accenture as a Senior Manager within the Financial Services Strategy Consulting Practice.

Vlad Yekelchik, CIO, EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants (San Francisco). Yekelchik joined EPIC as CIO in June of 2019. In his position, he plays a key role in EPIC’s Technology Strategy and Digital Innovation. Prior to joining EPIC, Vlad held various senior leadership positions with leading global banking and insurance organizations.  Vlad brings over 25 years of Information Technology, Security Infrastructure and Application Solutions experience. Most recently, Vlad served as the Chief Technology Officer with AssuredPartners where he was responsible for leading their technology strategy and implementation. Previously, he spent over 10 years at Marsh in their Information Technology organization in various global leadership roles, including serving as CIO of their US/Canada and Latin America divisions. 

Returning members of the ACORD Board of Directors include:  

Kirk A. Behrens, Board Chair, CIO, Aon. 

Robert Kelly, Board Vice-Chair, Managing Director and CEO, Steadfast Group Limited.  

John M. Artesani, SVP, Financial Officer, Lexington Insurance Company.  

Colleen Batman, SVP, Small Commercial and Personal Lines Operations, The Hartford. 

Richard Brame, Senior Director, Willis Towers Watson (WTW).  

Christoph Carus, Head of Central Division, Reinsurance Accounting, Munich Re.  

Bill Devine, SVP, Business Capabilities Office, Travelers.  

John Kellington, SVP, CIO, Cincinnati Financial.  

Mark Knipfer, Chief Operations and Technology Officer, Zurich North America.  

Ian Macartney, SVP, Head of Innovation, Argo Group US.  

Dave Matcham, CEOr International Underwriting Association of London Ltd.  

Patrick Molineux, Managing Director, LIMOSS, London Insurance Market Operations and Strategic Sourcing.  

David O’Leary, President and CEO USLI, Genworth. 

William Pieroni, President and CEO, ACORD. 

Robert Rusbuldt, President and CEO IIABA.  

Dr. Ralf Schneider, Group CIO, Allianz SE. 

ACORD Announces 2020 Board of Directors | Insurance Innovation Reporter (iireporter.com)