SPECIAL REPORT
RISING STARS CHARLOTTE HARVEY Benefits producer Watson Insurance Agency Age: 31
AINSLEY KEATING Vice president Marsh Age: 29
Ainsley Keating joined Marsh in late 2015 as an associate placement specialist on the Qualified Solutions Group’s umbrella/ excess team. Today, she is a vice president and team lead for the umbrella/excess group, managing her book of business and leading a team of eight brokers. Within her first year at Marsh, Keating was asked by senior management to lead the casualty relationship with Marsh & McLennan Agency (MMA) partners. She traveled to each MMA office, fostering relationships and assisting with difficultto-place risks to eliminate the use of thirdparty wholesalers. In three years, she grew the casualty book by 250% and was recognized with the elite John Doyle CEO Award. “In the last six months, we have been forced to adapt and evolve in order to continue to serve our clients effectively,” Keating says. “It is my hope that our industry continues this evolution through the use of improved technology and emerges on the other side as a current and effective industry.”
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Charlotte Harvey grew up in an insurance family. After college, she worked for her father’s healthcare benefits company to hone her skills before deciding she could best serve clients by becoming a broker. She joined Watson Insurance Agency in 2018 and quickly became the leading producer of new group benefits clients. Harvey employs innovation to design cost-effective health plans for clients while enhancing member experience. Helping clients and members navigate the complex US healthcare system isn’t easy, but Harvey’s team is building a reputation for doing just that, adding new dimensions to the Watson Insurance brand in the form of plan participant advocacy and payments to medical providers based on a function of the Medicare fee schedule. Harvey has served on the board of the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU) for five years. As the chapter’s upcoming president, she looks forward to working through NAHU to bring transparency to medical and prescription drug pricing and metrics for quality healthcare.
KEVIN KUMAR Business and operations analysis manager Crawford & Company Age: 29
Kevin Kumar has been an integral part of Crawford & Company since he joined in 2016. As a member of the global strategy team, Kumar has had a profound impact on the business globally through his projects, which range from strategic planning and industry analysis to financial modeling, market research and more. Prior to joining Crawford & Company, Kumar worked for a number of firms, including a global insurance carrier, an insurance agency, a multinational beverage corporation, a large regional bank and a multinational consulting company. “The world is becoming more complex, and the role insurance plays in our lives is evolving,” he says. “I would like to see the industry develop reimagined business models utilizing state-ofthe-art technology. I also hope the industry is more proactive in attracting young talent, which can be achieved through educating people about the opportunities within the industry and the positive impact insurance brings to society.”
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