met through ARIAS-U . S . have become close friends and allies in the industry . Cindy appreciates that the organization provides consistency for insurance industry relationships as members move to different jobs .
“ When I was getting involved seriously with reinsurance in 2003 , it [ ARIAS ] was a place where I could learn the fundamentals , find resources and get to know the players on all sides ,” said Cindy . “ It was also a place to get to know my peers at other companies and see potential counsel and arbitrators in action in various mock proceedings . ARIAS also was a place where you could get to know your adversary from your last arbitration in an entirely different light .”
This year , after 35 years in private practice and working for large insurance companies , Cindy has transitioned to running her own consulting company as a solo entrepreneur . It is something she has always wanted to do — to get back to her roots and dig into the nitty-gritty details as a lawyer and claims professional . “ I look forward to the opportunity to take assignments because I believe in and support the position and can advocate for it with authentic passion . I also look forward to ( hopefully ) being seen as my own person , not simply as ‘ cedent-oriented ’ or ‘ insurer friendly ’ because it happens to be the role I was paid to play with my prior employers .” And if it doesn ’ t work out ? “ I am fine fading quietly off into the sunset while enjoying some fishing and bad golf .” as a vehicle for bringing much needed — and long overdue — visibility to qualified women mediators and arbitrators .”
Outside of work “ I enjoy spending time with my two sons and their wives , and with my grandson , Rory , who will soon have a little cousin ! My husband John and I enjoy traveling whenever we can , and are hoping to make it to South Africa for a safari later this year . We both love to play golf and fish and take a trip to the Adirondacks every Spring , which I have found to be the ultimate in relaxation .”
On finding balance “ I struggled with balance for most of my career . I wanted to be 24 / 7 responsive and thought that was what I needed to do to climb the corporate ladder . What I learned at the top was that no one will recognize the family time I missed in order to get that report written or claim settled , but my family absolutely remembers ( and still reminds me of the times ) when I wasn ’ t there for them . At AIG and during the pandemic , I came to appreciate that I had a real responsibility for the emotional well-being and mental health of my folks , which meant I needed to start modeling the behavior I was so good at telling others to follow . I needed to let them know it was OK to go on vacation and not look at email for a week , by doing exactly that myself . It was harder than I thought it would be , but actions speak far louder than words .”
NOTABLE WOMEN IN REINSURANCE
A defining career moment “ It would have to be my departure from Liberty Mutual , and the decision to take a business role at XL Catlin . I never thought I would leave Liberty . And I probably would not have , if it were up to me . But I was part of the team that was dealt to Resolute as part of a reinsurance transaction between Liberty and Berkshire Hathaway . Suffice it to say it was a challenging time for me , personally . Ultimately , making the decision to get off of a legal track and take a business role as Global Practice Leader for Casualty Claims at XL Catlin was a complete 180-degree turn . It ended up being exactly the right thing , and at the right time . I had a true global role at XL and spent about 60 % of my time in other countries . I met many incredible people and learned so much about how the rest of the world works when it comes to insurance and reinsurance , trials , mediations and arbitrations .”
Ongoing professional development “ I am working with Founder , Anne Kevlin , and serving on the advisory council for SheResolves , a new organization that I am hoping will be a real game changer for women arbitrators and mediators . SheResolves provides a platform for highly-qualified women mediators and arbitrators to vet their credentials and then promote them across the country , with the goal of achieving gender equity in ADR . While I hope the organization will be officially up-and-running by late December , it is my expectation that SheResolves will be highly-beneficial across the legal industry
Fast facts
Professional Career
· Cindy Koehler Consulting
· AIG – Chief Claims Officer , North America , General Insurance
· XL Catlin – Senior Vice President , Global Practice Leader , Casualty Claims
· Liberty Mutual Group – Vice President , Assistant General Counsel , Complex & Emerging Risks Legal Department
· Eastern Casualty Group – Senior Legal Counsel
· Morrison , Mahoney & Miller – Summer Associate , Associate & Equity Partner
Education
· Georgetown University Law Center , J . D .
· Colby College , B . A ., magna cum laude
Industry Involvement
· AIDA Reinsurance & Insurance Arbitration Society ( ARIAS-US ) – Certified Arbitrator , former Chairperson of the ARIAS-US Board of Directors
· International Association of Defense Counsel ( IADC )
· Claims and Litigation Management Alliance ( CLM ) – Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee ; Claim Management Committee , 2014-2019
* Profiles are of women who are not affiliated with or employed by Porter Wright Morris & Arthur LLP .
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