Highlighting excellence in North American insurance asset, capital, and investment operations management


AWARDS INFORMATION


The Insurance Investor | North American Awards brings together the North American community of insurance investment, asset allocation, capital, risk, and operations management professionals, to recognize those organisations and individuals who have driven positive developments for the industry.


  Click here to view the 2025 winners.



 

THE JUDGES

 

  • More Judges will be announced soon.
Benjamin Pittsley, Amica Mutual Insurance
Benjamin Pittsley
Director of Alternatives
Amica Mutual Insurance
Cameron Allan, Lloyd's
Cameron Allan
Senior Manager- ALM and Investment Solutions
Lloyd's
Henry Mo, Corebridge Financial
Henry Mo
Chief Economist and Head of Market Strategy
Corebridge Financial

Dr. Henry Mo is Chief Economist and Head of Market Strategy at Corebridge Financial and previously served as AIG’s Chief Economist from 2016 to 2022. He was Director and Senior Economist at Credit Suisse and a Research Assistant at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). Dr. Mo holds an M.Phil. and Ph.D. in Economics from the City University of New York and a B.S. in Electronics and Information Systems from Zhongshan University, with additional study at NYU and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He is a CFA charterholder and a board member of Chinese American Insurance of Association.

Isaac Lowenbraun, Guardian Life
Isaac Lowenbraun
Senior Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income
Guardian Life
John Robison, American Fidelity
John Robison
Chief Investment Officer
American Fidelity
Kam Moud, Fortitude Re
Kam Moud
SVP Head of Market, Liquidity and Portfolio Risk
Fortitude Re

Kam is Head of Market Risk at Fortitude Re Group and Chief Risk Officer for Fortitude Life Insurance & Annuity Company (“FLIAC”). He is responsible for overseeing market, liquidity, and portfolio risk across the Fortitude Re Group, ensuring alignment with the organization's risk appetite, business objectives, and regulatory requirements. Kam also oversees the risk management responsibilities for FLIAC with full accountability for its risk management framework and oversight. Kam is a seasoned risk leader with over two decades of experience in Investment Analytics, ALM and Hedging, Derivatives Trading, Asset Allocation, Risk Management, and Quantitative Modeling across large financial in

Kerry O’Brien, MetLife Investment Management
Kerry O’Brien
Head of Multi-Asset Solutions
MetLife Investment Management

Kerry O’Brien is head of Multi-Asset Solutions with responsibility for leading multi-asset strategies as well as liability solutions teams for insurance and pension clients. Previously Kerry led Insurance Asset Management and Liability Solutions at MetLife Investment Management (MIM) where she oversaw the execution of investment strategies for MetLife’s general account and supported the growth in MIM's third-party insurance client channel. With over 35 years of experience, she previously led the Insurance division at Insight Investments and held senior roles at AIG, SwissRe, Munich Re Capital Management, and Dreyfus.

Lou Mortillaro, Dealer Owned Warranty Company (DOWC)
Lou Mortillaro
Chief Financial Officer
Dealer Owned Warranty Company (DOWC)
Michael Meng, Equitable Financial Bermuda Re
Michael Meng
Head of Investment Strategy, Equitable, and CIO
Equitable Financial Bermuda Re
Nico Santini, Coverys
Nico Santini
Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer
Coverys

Nico leads Coverys’ investment policy, strategic asset allocation, portfolio management, and risk oversight, as well as the investment accounting group. He partners with enterprise leadership on strategic planning and capital-aware investment decision-making in support of Coverys’ insurance operating objectives. With more than 25 years of experience in insurance asset management, Nico previously served as Chief Investment Officer of publicly traded ProSight Specialty Insurance before being bought by private equity and renamed Coaction Global. Earlier in his career, he spent over two decades at New England Asset Management (a Berkshire Hathaway company), with experience spanning quantitative analysis, fixed income trading, and portfolio management. Nico holds a B.S. from Bryant University, an MBA from the University of Connecticut, and is a CFA charterholder.

Rohit Sood, Arch Capital Services
Rohit Sood
SVP—Head of Investment Accounting & Regulatory Compliance
Arch Capital Services

Rohit is SVP, Global Head of Investment Accounting & Regulatory Compliance at Arch Capital Services Inc. He is currently responsible for investment accounting, regulatory and compliance functions related to Investment at Arch. Rohit has over 25 years of experience, mostly in senior leadership positions, in improving the finance function for industry leaders in insurance and asset management, including UBS, GE Asset Management, Swiss Re life &Health, W.R.Berkley Corp and AmTrust. Rohit has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of New Delhi, a master’s in finance from University of Bridgeport. He also has a Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) from the CFA institute.

Ruth Farrugia, Resolution Life
Ruth Farrugia
Group CIO
Resolution Life

Ruth joined Resolution Life as Chief Investment Officer in September 2024. Previously, Ruth worked at MetLife for 13 years where she held a variety of Investment roles, most recently as Global Head of Insurance Asset Management. In this role, Ruth was responsible for the execution of investment strategies for the MetLife general account and development of strategic solutions for insurance company third party clients. This included management of multi-strategy portfolios across public and private assets, market strategy as well as insurance advisory services. Prior to this, Ruth held a variety of roles within the Investments division including Head of EMEA Portfolio Management and Head of Investments for Western and Central Europe. Before joining MetLife, Ruth spent ten years at Gordian Knot Limited, a London-based fixed income asset manager specializing in investment grade credit. At Gordian Knot Ruth held several roles from structured finance credit analyst to senior portfolio manager. Ruth holds an LL.D. (Doctor of Laws) from the University of Malta, a Masters in International Commercial and Shipping Law from the International Maritime Law Institute (United Nations) and a Master of Philosophy focused on Banking, Corporate Finance and Securities Law from the University of Oxford (Pembroke College).

Sean Hughes, CFA, Conning
Sean Hughes, CFA
Managing Director
Conning

Sean M. Hughes, CFA, FLMI, is a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, responsible for managing insurance company portfolios. Mr. Hughes is also a member of the Conning Corporate Strategy Team. Prior to joining Conning in 2001, he was an ALM analyst at Swiss Re, and previously was an account manager with Corporate Healthcare Financing and worked in underwriting with Fortis. Mr. Hughes earned a degree in psychology from Franciscan University and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Siddharth Chakravarty, Coaction Global
Siddharth Chakravarty
VP of Investments
Coaction Global

Siddharth Chakravarty, CFA, is Director of Investments at Coaction Global Specialty Insurance Group, where he oversees investments across public and private markets. He leads investment strategy, portfolio construction, and manager oversight within a regulated insurance framework, with expertise spanning public and private credit, structured products, asset backed financing, and real assets. A frequent speaker and panelist at industry conferences, he shares insights on insurance portfolio construction, markets, and asset allocation trends. Previously, he held investment roles at Enstar Group and AIG Asset Management

Zheng Zhou, Northwestern Mutual
Zheng Zhou
Director - Investment Risk Management
Northwestern Mutual

Experienced investment risk manager with deep expertise in economic capital and surplus stress‑test modeling techniques, strategic asset allocation, and derivatives leadership. Designed and validated models to quantify insurance company surplus risk across multi‑asset portfolios, and translate results into actionable capital and portfolio strategies. Led cross‑functional derivative initiatives—covering valuation, collateral management, and liquidity risk management integration—and drive technology solutions to automate risk surveillance. Skilled at aligning risk analytics with enterprise objectives, and support senior stakeholders on capital budgeting, quantitative investment risk assessment, and general account investment decision. Known for clear communication, collaborative leadership, and delivering robust, fit‑for‑purpose risk frameworks.

Alton Cogert, Strategic Asset Alliance, Inc.
Alton Cogert
President and Chief Executive Officer
Strategic Asset Alliance, Inc.

Currently, Alton is an Independent Member of American Fidelity Assurance Company's Investment Committee of the Board. Previously, he has served as a technical advisor to the NAIC Invested Assets Working Group. He is a former member of the Board of Directors and former chairman of the Investment Committee of the National Alliance of Life Companies. Alton holds a BS from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

John Patin, Somers Group
John Patin
Chief Investment Officer
Somers Group

John joined Somers in September 2023 as Chief Investment Officer (CIO). Prior to joining Somers, John was CIO at C.V. Starr & Co., reporting to the Chairman and CEO. As such, he oversaw the firm’s $15 billion investment portfolios. Prior to joining Starr, John served as CIO at Allied World Assurance Company, and was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and Enterprise Risk Committee. John started his investment career at Moore Capital Management, a leading Global Macro hedge fund. John graduated with a B.S. in Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kevin Antaya, Nassau Financial Group
Kevin Antaya
Managing Director, Head of Portfolio Management
Nassau Financial Group

I am a capital markets–driven investment executive with over 25 years of experience overseeing multi-billion-dollar insurance balance sheets across multiple rate, credit, and liquidity cycles. My background spans enterprise portfolio leadership, strategic asset allocation, ALM, liquidity oversight, and structured credit across both public and private markets. Currently, I lead enterprise-level portfolio oversight for a ~$20B general account, translating capital-markets views on rates, credit spreads, and liquidity into disciplined, executable portfolio construction within regulatory, liquidity, and risk constraints across life and annuity legal entities. I partner closely with Risk, Actuarial, Treasury, Finance, and Legal to ensure portfolio decisions align with earnings stability, capital efficiency, and long-term enterprise objectives. Previously, I spent over a decade advising CFOs, CIOs, and Investment Committees as a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager, overseeing ~$25B across institutional insurance clients. I have extensive experience navigating market stress and dislocation, leading board-facing investment discussions, designing governance frameworks, and producing capital markets research to support informed decision-making.

Leah Mannarino, Prosperity Asset Management
Leah Mannarino
Chief Operating Officer
Prosperity Asset Management
Liz Gorgoglione, Banner Life Group of Companies
Liz Gorgoglione
Director, Credit Risk - Pension Risk Transfer Solutions
Banner Life Group of Companies
Martha Leiper, Nuveen
Martha Leiper
Head of Insurance Advisory
Nuveen

Martha Leiper joined Nuveen's Insurance Team in a consultative capacity, leveraging her expertise to bridge investment opportunities and insurance regulatory complexities. Her role combines industry representation, strategic investment advisory, and thought leadership to enhance Nuveen's insurance investment landscape position while formalizing initiatives to unlock insurance capital for positive social and environmental change. In April 2025, Martha retired as executive vice president and chief investment officer of Unum Group, where she led investment and asset management strategies. She previously held leadership roles at both Unum and USAA, including chief investment officer positions. Martha serves on the boards of National Life Group, River City Company, Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, and University of Chattanooga Foundation Board. She holds an MBA and Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst® and Certified Public Accountant.

Ned Gaffney, Sagicor North America
Ned Gaffney
SVP, Chief Investment Officer
Sagicor North America
Rohit Sood, Arch Capital Services
Rohit Sood
SVP—Head of Investment Accounting & Regulatory Compliance
Arch Capital Services

Rohit is SVP, Global Head of Investment Accounting & Regulatory Compliance at Arch Capital Services Inc. He is currently responsible for investment accounting, regulatory and compliance functions related to Investment at Arch. Rohit has over 25 years of experience, mostly in senior leadership positions, in improving the finance function for industry leaders in insurance and asset management, including UBS, GE Asset Management, Swiss Re life &Health, W.R.Berkley Corp and AmTrust. Rohit has a Bachelor of Commerce from University of New Delhi, a master’s in finance from University of Bridgeport. He also has a Certificate in Investment Performance Measurement (CIPM) from the CFA institute.

Xiaowei Han, TIAA
Xiaowei Han
VP, Head of ALM
TIAA

Xiaowei Han joined TIAA as the Head of ALM in February 2019, where she leads the asset liability management function. Her team focuses on liability-driven investment strategies, interest rate risk management, economic capital framework, dividend optimization, stress testing, asset and derivatives modeling, economic scenario generation, and supporting various corporate initiatives. Before joining TIAA, Xiaowei worked for Transamerica since 2008, gaining deep experience in variable and fixed annuities, universal life, retirement & pension, and institutional businesses. She led the universal life valuation and modeling functions and also headed the Enterprise ALM function, which focused on holistic hedging, ALM analytics and strategies, capital management, asset and derivatives modeling, and ALM reporting across all lines of business. Prior to this, she worked as a Financial Risk Manager responsible for identifying financial risk in ALM/hedging strategies, modeling, and pricing related to annuities, retirement, and institutional businesses. Her other responsibilities at Transamerica included managing general account investments and hedging programs, liquidity management, designing and implementing variable annuity hedging strategies, reinsurance, capital initiatives, as well as statutory reporting for variable and fixed annuities. Xiaowei holds a Master of Science degree in actuarial science from the University of Iowa, a Master of Science degree in physical chemistry from Nanjing University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from Nanjing University. Additionally, she attained the following designations: Fellow of the Society of Actuaries (FSA), Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®) charter holder, and Member of American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA).

Yoshiko Inoue, American Family Insurance
Yoshiko Inoue
Managing Director, Asset Allocation
American Family Insurance

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