Building Resilient Businesses and Communities in the Time of COVID-19 Webinar

Participants’ Bios

Michel Léonard, PhD, CBE (michell@iii.org)

Vice President & Senior Economist, The Insurance Information Institute

Dr. Léonard is an economist and data scientist with 20 years of experience in insurance and finance and his expertise is translating between technology and business to deliver applied risk and investment solutions. He is currently Vice President & Senior Economist at the Insurance Information Institute. He started his career with Richard Medley, George Soros’ former macro head strategist. He was Senior Vice President & Chief Economist at Aon and Jardine Lloyd Thompson, and Chief Economist & Chief Data Scientist at Alliant, the insurance broker owned by Blackstone and KKR, where he worked with both parents and their portfolio companies. He then joined MaKro LLC, a private equity-funded Fintech and Insurtech risk advisor as Partner & Chief Data Scientist. Throughout his career, Dr. Léonard has worked closely with underwriters, brokers, and the C-Suite to develop transaction and company specific risk analytics that combine economics and machine learning to better align insurance coverage with risk exposures, enable coverage placement, and unleash growth. A thought leader in applied risk quantification, he is a frequent media commentator, speaker at industry events, and has published widely. He was a Civil-Military Fellow at West Point and advised U.S. government agencies on risk quantification. He is Adjunct Faculty in NYU’s Economics Department and in Columbia University’s Department of Statistics and Data Science Institute, where he focuses on Applied Economics, Fintech, and Insurtech. Dr. Léonard holds a BA from McGill, an MTS from Harvard, and an MA and PHD in Political Economy from the University of Virginia focusing on qualitative and quantitative risk modeling.

Richard Seline (rseline@resilientH2Opartners.com)

Managing Director, ResilientH2O Partners

Mr. Seline is currently the Managing Partner of ResilientH2O Partners, and the Executive Director and Senior Advisor for AccelerateH2O - a 501(c)(3) organization focused on addressing barriers to innovating in water across the Southwest and Gulf Coast US. Prior to launching AccelerateH2O, Mr. Seline possesses more than 30 years of management consulting services, advising a variety of business sectors across energy, water, biosciences, digital media, and from industrial production companies to emerging technology firms. He is a skilled business strategy expert helping companies optimize processes, innovate core drivers, and grow intelligently. In the course of his career, Mr. Seline has formed over 30 international, federal, state, and regional innovation-technology initiatives across sectors such as energy, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure through senior executive roles at the White House, US Commerce Department, EPA, State of Texas, and with nationally recognized consultancy firms. His work in public-private partnerships includes the formation of several unique alternative financing and investment models, such as the CIA’s InQTel Fund, The State of Utah USTAR Fund, The Indiana Innovation Fund, the State of Texas Technology and Product Development Funds, among other regional initiatives. He holds a B.S. in Urban Government and Public Policy from the University of Texas at Austin.

Chris Tomlinson (Chris.Tomlinson@chron.com)

Business Columnist, the Houston Chronicle

Chris Tomlinson has written commentary on business, energy and economics for the Houston Chronicle since 2014. Before joining the Chronicle, he spent 20 years with The Associated Press reporting on politics, conflicts and economics from more than 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. He’s also the author of the New York Times bestseller Tomlinson Hill, and he produced the award-winning documentary film by the same name. Both examine the history and consequences of race, politics and economics in Texas. Chris has been awarded multiple awards including the Fellow in Journalism, Robert Strauss Center for International Security and Law, 2008 to present, the International Reporting Award, New York Association of Black Journalists, 2008, and the Military Reporters and Editor’s Award for Distinguished Reporting, 2004.

Jeff Moseley (jmoseley@txbiz.org)

President and CEO, the Texas Association of Business

Jeff Moseley has four decades of public and private sector experience, particularly in the transportation industry and economic development. Currently, he serves as the CEO of the Texas Association of Business, the largest business association in Texas, representing over 2, 800 businesses. Before that, Moseley was appointed by former Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) to the five-member Texas Transportation Commission. Previously, he was President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership (GHP), the primary business organization for the 11-county Houston region. Prior to GHP, he was CEO of the Office for Economic Development and Tourism for the state of Texas and served as the Executive Director of the Texas Department of Economic Development (formerly the Texas Department of Commerce). Moseley was elected to county office and served as Denton County Judge and Justice of the Peace before joining the Governor’s office. He served on several boards throughout his career, including the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Center for Houston’s Future, the United Way of Houston, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, U.S. Chamber of Commerce Committee of 100 and the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Moseley is a sixth generation Texan and graduate and Outstanding Alumnus of Southern Nazarene University in Oklahoma.

Daniel Kaniewski, PhD (Daniel.Kaniewski@mmc.com)

Managing Director, Public Sector Innovation, Marsh & McLennan and former FEMA Deputy Administrator

Daniel Kaniewski is Managing Director, Public Sector Innovation at Marsh & McLennan Companies. Prior to joining the firm in February 2020, Dr. Kaniewski was Deputy Administrator for Resilience at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In this role he was FEMA’s second ranking official and led the agency's pre-disaster programs. He was unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 14, 2017. He was also Chair of the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) High Level Risk Forum, comprised of risk managers from the 36 OECD member nations. Before FEMA, he led the Global Resilience practice at AIR Worldwide, a catastrophe risk modeling firm. He was also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Cyber & Homeland Security. Earlier he was Assistant Vice President and Deputy Director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute at George Washington University. Dr. Kaniewski was Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Response Policy in the George W. Bush Administration, where he managed over 200 Presidential disaster declarations. Prior to his White House service he co-founded the Homeland Security Policy Institute. He earlier held positions at FEMA, the Congressional Fire Services Institute, and on Capitol Hill. Dan began his career in homeland security as a firefighter/paramedic. Dr. Kaniewski has served on the adjunct faculty of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, on the District of Columbia Homeland Security Commission, and as a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from George Washington University, an M.A. in National Security Studies from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and a B.S. magna cum laude in Emergency Medical Services from George Washington University. 

Katie Sabo (katie.sabo@aon.com)

State and Local Leader, Managing Director, Public Sector Partnership, Aon

Katie Sabo is a Managing Director with Aon and leads the State and Local efforts for Aon’s Public Sector Partnership Group. Aon’s Public Sector Partnership (PSP), focuses on developing innovative solutions in partnership with governments and other public institutions. The PSP is a global team of experts who have deep experience serving in government, insurance, reinsurance, and the capital markets. Prior to her role with PSP, Katie worked in Aon’s Credit & Guaranty and Government Practice Group which led the development of innovative (re)insurance solutions for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to reduce exposure in future housing downturns, FEMA / NFIP to reduce exposure to catastrophic flood loss, and the EXIM Bank of the US to reduce exposure to export finance volatility. Before joining Aon, Katie spent 12 years working in different financial roles including directly in local government using legislative and financial solutions to reduce fiscal risks to taxpayers on issues such a pensions, housing, healthcare and natural disasters. Katie graduated from the University of Dayton and has an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.