The Voices of Risk Management

Hosted by Katie Crowe and Hunter Fausnacht

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Voices of Risk Management is the premier podcast that gives listeners a 30 minute peek into the minds of Risk and Insurance leaders. Every episode, a new guest will be telling their stories of heroics, hard conversations, and just dumb luck. Join us as we take a deep dive into the world of risk management!

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August 27, 202635 min

Risk Awareness: The Fight Against Fentanyl with Charles Noonan

Charles Noonan is an International Specialized Law Enforcement Contract Trainer and Instructor and the Head of Narcotics Training at The SoRite Company. On this episode of The Voices of Risk Management podcast, he highlights SoRite's fentanyl neutralizing drugs and shares insights into fatal fentanyl exposure, emerging needs for increased awareness and training to protect the public at large and mitigate exposure whenever possible. Key Takeaways: Charles's role at SoRite Company. Utilizing fentanyl neutralizing drugs. Inadvertent exposures to fentanyl. Key points in Charles's career journey. What does a drug lab look like? Insights into the only safe way to take drugs. Collecting evidence and cleaning up the aftermath. Emerging needs for awareness and training. Liability and exposure considerations. Managing drug suppliers at the US borders. Mentioned in This Episode: Charles Noonan Tweetables: "There are good things being done right now to bring drug overdoses and deaths down." "A fatal dose of fentanyl can fit on the tip of a pencil." "Anywhere that there is potential exposure, there could be potential liability."

July 15, 202623 min

Upscaling Talent in Risk Management with Nikki Jackson

Nikki Jackson is the North American Head of Learning Strategy and Emerging Talent at Gallagher Bassett. She works with workers compensation teams, for onboarding seasoned talent as well as new talent, and working to upscale talent as products and innovations emerge. From Delta Airlines and Walmart, Liberty Mutual to Gallagher Bassett, Nikki has a vast range of experience that make her an expert in the field. Today she highlights the lessons she has learned along the way, strategic use of tools for today's talent pool, and the value of network and certifications in crafting a successful risk management career. Key Takeaways: Nikki's focus as Gallagher Bassett's North American Head of LSET. Early career Nikki's focus was in medicine. Lessons learned from Nikki's first job as an adjuster. Insights into her work with Liberty Mutual, Delta Airlines, and Walmart. Elevate the Narrative aims to help adjusters level up. Strategic initiatives for today's talent pool. Utilizing AI to maximize resolution manager lessons. 'Edutainment' provides both education and entertainment value. Advice for women and parents in various career seasons. The value of continuous career growth. AI strategies for scaling education. Nikki's imaginary alternative career path and vacation goals. Advice for a successful risk management career. Mentioned in This Episode: Nikki Jackson Tweetables: "We are at a critical point in risk management where we need to bring more people in." "We deliver content in a form that's easy to understand and has a lot of reach to it." "If you can couple entertainment value with your curriculum, your employees are going to watch it and retain it." "Risk management is all about innovation, it's people, and it's helping people."

July 15, 202621 min

Becoming a Strategic Powerhouse in Risk Management with Courtney Davis

Courtney Davis is the Executive Vice President and Global Education Practice Leader at HUB International. She is back on the Voices of Risk Management podcast for a third time to report on RIMS 2026. She shares some of the i nternal lessons learned from her first year at HUB International, strategies for incorporating emerging technologies into her work, and what ambition mixed with disruption looks like in today's risk management world. Key Takeaways: ● Courtney's lessons learned from her first year at HUB. ● Roles for former risk managers at HUB. ● Evolving risk management viewpoints from a university standpoint. ● Incorporating AI into curriculum. ● Navigating the NIL athletic recruiting tool. ● The role of a broker or risk consultant for young athletes. ● Courtney's focus in the next stages of her career. ● Diversity in the risk management industry. ● Balancing ambition with disruption. ● RIMS from a broker's perspective. ● Courtney's advice for effective networking and powerful speaking. Mentioned in This Episode: Courtney Davis Tweetables: "Any opportunity that I have to give back is always going to be important to me." "At the end of the day, a career is a network of businesses and relationships with people." "AI is here and we should optimize it, but it's not going to replace people or talent." "You can accomplish a lot at RIMS because a lot of folks from the industry are here to do the same thing."

July 15, 20269 min

The Future of Earthquake Detection and Mitigation with Evan Reis

Evan Reis is the Executive Vice President and Director of Science and Analytics at Safehub, as well as the Executive Director and Co-Founder at US Resiliency Council. Live from RISKWORLD, he highlights the future-oriented earthquake r esiliency tool offered by Safehub, which uses sensors and advanced analytics to provide data to clients and help them manage risks more effectively. He offers insights Safehub's sensor technology, who can benefit from it now, and what the future of earthquake mitigation could look like. Key Takeaways: ● Evan's role as Executive VP at Safehub. ● The importance of immediate earthquake alert data. ● Building specifications and estimates for damage. ● Resiliency tools paired with risk transfer mechanisms. ● Safehub's parametric insurance partnering with Liberty Mutual. ● Evan's engineering and insurance career journey. ● Safehub is currently serving 23 countries. ● The future of Safehub's sensor technology. ● Parametric insurance coverage programs. ● A look at what's coming up next for Safehub. Mentioned in This Episode: Evan Reis Tweetables: "We can estimate, very quickly, whether there is damage in a building, and how much." "This is a great way to supplement traditional insurance with quick cash." "I see a world where everyone has a smoke detector, everyone has a carbon monoxide detector, and everyone has an earthquake detector." "The ability to know if your business needs quick attention is only going to grow."

November 3, 202535 min

Risk Financing in the Public and Private Sector with Randy Jouben

Randy Jouben is the Chief of Risk Management in Fairfax County, one of the largest counties in the United States. He shares the lessons he has learned from his varied experiences from non-profit and for-profit to the public sector. He underscores the importance of embracing technology and training employees in AI engagement in order to manage risks instead of being blind to them, shares the benefits of his CPCU designation, and highlights the importance of continued learning at every stage of a successful career. Key Takeaways: ● Randy's work with Fairfax County from criminal and fire to helping the homeless. ● Randy's literal fall into an insurance career. ● Lessons learned from the non-profit sector. ● Five Guys from the kitchen to the EBITDA bottom line. ● The value of partnering together during the bad years. ● Insights into insurance in municipalities. ● Risk financing in the public sector. ● Legal system abuse and the need to reform. ● Ensuring proper education about utilizing AI. ● Randy's flexible advice to his early career self. Mentioned in This Episode: Randy Jouben Tweetables: "When you realize how much you can help an organization help their mission, it's more fulfilling than a paycheck." "If you can partner together in the bad times, it makes the good times so much better for everyone else." "In municipalities, your neighbor is your boss in one sense or another." "Just because you've had your job in the industry for 30 years, doesn't mean you stop learning." "You need to embrace technology and help employees learn it and engage with it so you can manage the risk instead of being blind to the risk. You don't work in risk management and not take risks."

September 30, 202521 min

Becoming a Change Agent in the Insurance Industry with Courtney Davis

Courtney Davis is the Executive Vice President and Global Education Practice Leader at HUB International. Courtney was a guest on the podcast back in 2022 and has returned for a follow-up interview at the RIMS 2025 Conference in Chicago. She reflects on changes in her career, what it means to effectively educate and engage across a network, and how she is working to be an agent for change and greater diversity at every level in the insurance industry. Key Takeaways: ● Courtney's journey from the University of Chicago to HUB International. ● The conversations and possibilities that attracted Courtney to her present role. ● HUB's growing footprint in the insurance industry. ● The biggest surprises in Courtney's shift from risk management to brokerage. ● Educating and engaging an entire network. ● Supporting greater diversity at every level in the insurance industry. ● Effective strategies for attracting new talent. ● What it takes to become a change agent. Mentioned in This Episode: Courtney C. Davis HUB International Tweetables: "As much as an opportunity may be great, it's who you work with that will make you successful." "Sometimes you have to be the change agent yourself." "Don't stop until you see the change that you want." "Being truly intentional to support the next level of talent is what we have to commit to."

September 30, 202533 min

Pivoting From Pro Golf to Pro Insurance Broker with Kyle Thompson

Kyle Thompson is the Senior Vice President in Risk Management at Arthur J. Gallagher, where he leads large teams on complex risk. He played pro golf for 17 years before pivoting to risk management in 2019. In this live from RIMS 2025 episode, Kyle reflects on the ways that his golf career prepared him for risk management. He highlights the similarities between the two careers, reflects on some of his biggest wins, and details the athletic characteristics that have helped him excel in his new career. Key Takeaways: ● Kyle's experience with golf was a family affair that is in his DNA. ● Advancing through the PGA was a multi-year-long effort. ● Kyle's pivot from pro golf to risk management. ● Risk and insurance knowledge started with earning accreditations. ● Kyle has zero regrets about his career in risk management. ● Reflections on Kyle's biggest wins and AJG's growing success. ● Addressing the male-dominated insurance landscape. ● Surprising discoveries that Kyle made once he joined the traditional workforce. ● Characteristics of ex-athletes who thrive in risk management. Mentioned in This Episode: Kyle Thompson Arthur J. Gallagher Tweetables: "I had a few offers to go into real estate, but it just didn't speak to me the way insurance did." "I was a pro at golf; now I'm an aspiring professional insurance broker." "I know what I know, and I know what I don't know." "Golf itself is really nothing but risk management."

September 30, 202530 min

Insurance for Every Sector, Including Nuclear Energy with Kate Fowler

Kate Fowler is the Global Head of Nuclear at WTW and a certified fire protection specialist. She previously contributed to Marsh's Global Specialty Energy & Power team, where she worked to advance nuclear energy initiatives. In this live from RIMS 2025 Chicago episode, Kate offers an insight into this highly specialized sector of risk management, including a look at the future of nuclear energy, the benefits of earning her ARM and CPCU advancing nuclear energy initiatives designations, and what she wishes she had known at the onset of her insurance career. Key Takeaways: ● Kate's role with WTW aims to support the global construction practice with nuclear plant contractors and potential operators. ● Originally an architectural engineer, nuclear engineering wasn't in Kate's initial career plan. ● The technical ins and outs of fire protection. ● Transitioning from loss control to underwriting to the broker side. ● Nuclear energy is ramping up again for the first time in a decade. ● Energy independence is becoming a greater focus than ever before. ● Clean energy technologies will be part of future solutions. ● Kate's perspective and expectation shift from an underwriter to a broker. ● The benefits of ARM and CPCU designations in Kate's career. ● Considerations when moving from one established broker to another. ● Types of nuclear energy, including advanced reactors, fission, and fusion. ● Kate's experience as a woman in a male-dominated field. ● Kate still doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up — and that's okay. ● Don't worry about a career plan, just follow the breadcrumbs. ● Recruiting talent in the nuclear insurance industry means building a talent pool. Mentioned in This Episode: Kate Fowler WTW Tweetables: "Originally, I didn't even know nuclear insurance was a thing." "I want to do more for the nuclear industry and support more people in the nuclear industry." "For all of the new nuclear assets that are coming online, the first thing you've got to do is construct them." "My career has absolutely not gone the way I expected it to, and it has been amazing."

September 30, 202519 min

Outsourcing Risk Management with John Kempton

John Kempton is a Senior Consultant at FHS and is responsible for advising clients on program design and implementation, negotiating contracts, and implementing overall risk management strategy. Before joining FHS, John was the Southeast Zone Real Estate Leader and Senior Vice President for Marsh in Washington, DC. John entered the insurance industry in 2012. In this live from RIMS 2025 Chicago episode, John highlights industries that commonly outsource risk management, including real estate and hospitality, details the unique skillset of being a broker-turned-consultant, and offers encouragement to anyone who is wondering whether returning to the office is really worth the effort (it is). Key Takeaways: ● John's role at FHS focuses on real estate and construction space. ● Industries that commonly outsource risk management. ● From history major to insurance industry — John's unexpected career path. ● Acquiring insurance clients in the real estate industry. ● The benefits of offering a flat monthly retainer. ● Brokers turned consultants offer a unique skillset to clients. ● John's engagement preferences in the real estate and hospitality industry. ● Growth in this industry is not slowing down anytime soon. ● In another life, John is managing a safari lodge in South America. ● John's networking advice to his early career self. Mentioned in This Episode: John Kempton FHS Risk Management Tweetables: "Our job is to come in and manage the process rather than hijack the process." "Many of our clients don't even know that this outsourcing model exists." "The earlier we're involved with our clients, the better the outcome typically is." "Embrace being in the office and making connections."

September 5, 202529 min

Tackling Career Opportunities Head On with Scott Smidlein

Scott Smidlein is the Head of the Energy Practice at HSB (Hartford Steam Boiler), where his experience in both the insurance and energy industries has helped push HSB into a major insurer in the space. Previously Scott worked for Marsh as a Client Executive and Property Specialist for Marsh's Energy and Power Practice, where he worked with clients on tailoring their insurance programs to best fit their risk management needs. In this final live from RIMS 2024 episode, Scott details the intersection of insurance and energy, shares how curiosity and a willingness to try new things have benefitted his career, and underscores the importance of maintaining relationships throughout your career. Key Takeaways: ● Scott's role with HSB focuses on growing and running their cyber and energy practices. ● Risk management and insurance weren't Scott's initial career plan. ● The leap from Marsh to Lockton (and back again) gave Scott an opportunity to take on a new challenge. ● Scott is working to help HSB realize its full potential in the insurance and brokerage side. ● Transitioning from the brokerage side to the client side. ● Talent and willingness to try new things always equals opportunity in this industry. ● Scott's average day is chaotic and unpredictable – for now. ● Success, to Scott, means taking HSB to the next level in the insurance industry. ● Saving relationships in the face of a mistake means admitting your error as soon as possible. ● Scott's dream job includes a lot of chaos, a lot of success, and a lot of fun. ● Defining energy as it relates to the future. ● Scott's advice to his early career self is simple — be curious and ask questions. Mentioned in This Episode: Scott Smidlein HSB Tweetables: "To be a specialist in the energy sector you really have to know the technology." "The benefit of not burning any bridges when you leave a place is that you maintain those connections and the opportunities keep opening up." "If you're always the guy who raises your hand when people ask if you're looking for a new opportunity, you'll find yourself doing a lot of different things." "We're a very unique industry that has a ton of opportunity in place. Whatever you're passionate about, there's probably a job for it in the insurance industry."