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WHO WE ARE –
PRESIDENT: WALLY EMPLEO, FALU, ALMI, ACS (Lincoln Financial Group)
Wally entered the insurance industry in 1990 and started underwriting in 1998. He joined Lincoln Financial Group in 2008 where he currently serves as AVP, Associate Chief Underwriter. Prior to Lincoln, Wally’s experience included roles at North American Company for Life and Health, MTL Insurance and EMSI. He has been involved with the AHOU Education Committee and is looking to contribute toward the continued development of the underwriting profession as a member of the Chicago Underwriting Association.
VICE PRESIDENT: TIM BEAUCHAMP, FALU, FLMI (SCOR Re)
Director, Underwriting Systems for SCOR for the past 8 years. Sr. Underwriting Consultant/Large Case Underwriter for Generali/SCOR for 5 Years. Director of International Team/Sr. Underwriting Consultant for Transamerica for 14 years. Current member of Kansas City Risk Selectors Club. Currently involved with Data Research Projects at SCOR. Manages all underwriting systems including Underwriting Manual, system improvement and troubleshoot system issues. Tim is a strong team player and he is excited about continuing with the association as he feels the work it does for the insurance industry and underwriting profession is valuable. Tim’s continued participation on the CUA Board will benefit the organization.
TREASURER: CONNIE COSTA, ASC, FLMI, FALU (Protective Life)
Connie has been a Senior Underwriter Consultant and Trainer at Protective Life Insurance for the last 6 years. In her current position at Protective Life, she is involved in the training of new Underwriters as well as developing training programs to educate and enhance the current underwriting staff. In addition to training and education, she is also part of the contestable claims team providing underwriting reviews of contestable death claims. She has over 22 years of underwriting experience in the Broker, Captive, and Direct Market areas with all product types including term, universal, whole life, and simplified issue. Throughout her career she has felt that education and keeping current with industry knowledge is key to being a successful underwriter.
SECRETARY: KRISTEN GAYER, ALMI (John Hancock Life)
Kristen Gayer is an Underwriting Consultant at John Hancock. She has been a member of the underwriting team since 2019, initially in the underwriting risk management function prior to becoming an underwriter in 2021. Prior to that, Kristen worked on the internal sales team at John Hancock supporting distribution partners in the sales process. Kristen values the opportunity to engage with the local underwriting community and enable professional growth and development as an underwriter through membership in the Chicago Underwriting Association
MEMBERSHIP: VAL MUNCHEZ-VAN DER WAGT, AALU, CLU (R, JD (VM Ins Consulting)
After 25 years as a Chief Underwriter, Val retired from Allstate Life and started her own insurance consulting firm and a separate law practice. Val is Chief Underwriter for VM Insurance Consulting. Val has been an enthusiastic supporter of local, regional, national and international underwriting associations and especially the Chicago Underwriting Association. She believes that an underwriter’s growth includes being actively involved in increasing one’s knowledge about technical underwriting, innovation, product design, customer needs and expectations. Additionally, personal growth comes from networking, attending meetings, seminars and participating in a local association. Val is a former President of CUA and former VP of AHOU.
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR: RUSSELL SCOTT, FALU (Munich Re)
After graduating from the University of Illinois, Russell started his underwriting career at Allstate Life. After 10 years at Allstate, he joined the staff at Zurich Life. He has been with Munich Re since 2006 where he is currently a Senior Underwriting Consultant. Russell Scott is a FALU and in the past has been a member of the ALU 101 test writing team. Russell has been a longtime member of CUA. In this position Russell will be responsible for posting meeting updates and supporting web exposure on the internet.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: JEANNINE DuPLESSIS (Fidelity Life)
Jeannine is the Director of Underwriting for Fidelity Life Association, responsible for overseeing both internal and external underwriters as well the collaboration of Fidelity’s automated underwriting engine. Jeannine has over 25 years of underwriting experience in both production and management, with all types of products including variable, universal life, term and currently accelerated underwriting. She was on the AHOU Program Committee 2017-2018, and was our Treasurer for 4 years and is a Past President of CUA.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: LISA URBAN, FLMI, FALU (John Hancock Life)
Lisa is the Director of UW Audit at John Hancock. She has been underwriting for over 30 years. Lisa believes that Underwriter education is critical, especially in our current environment of rapid change. Lisa values the educational opportunities that CUA has afforded her through the years and hopes to give back by serving.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: AMY L. SPELLER, ALMI, ACS,PSM 1, Prosci (Guardian)
Amy has been an active CUA member for many years and is currently an underwriting consultant at Guardian. She has over 20 years insurance operations experience in underwriting production, project, and leadership roles at Northwestern Mutual, Thrivent, MassMutual, and Guardian. Amy is especially passionate about complex older age underwriting, process efficiency, change management, and underwriting rules engines. She is a Certified Professional Underwriter and lifelong learner. Amy earned a B.A. in Sociology from University of Wisconsin. ALMI and ACS designations, and PSM 1 and Prosci certifications.
BOARD MEMBER AT LARGE: ANDY ZIMMERMAN, ALMI,ACS (RGA)
Andy is Director and Underwriting Team Manager for RGA. He manages a team of underwriters and serves as a primary underwriting contact for clients, reviewing underwriting requirement requests, exceptions, projects, and serving as a subject matter expert for complex underwriting issues. He started his underwriting career at Illinois Mutual in 2007 and held various underwriting positions at Country Financial from 2013 before joining RGA in 2022. Andy earned a Bach.
THE CHICAGO UNDERWRITING ASSOCIATION 