Page 25 - 2025 Mid-Year Program Book

PRESENT A TIONS

Brian Espie, Kettle
Brian has spent over 15 years in the reinsurance industry focused on understanding
and managing catastrophic risks. In his current role as Chief Underwriting Officer for
Kettle, Brian is responsible for pricing and portfolio management of Kettle’s insurance
and reinsurance products. Prior to joining Kettle, Brian was the Head of North
American Reinsurance at Fidelis where he led a global team specializing in bespoke
client solutions. Brian previously served in various underwriting and analytical
roles within the Tokio Marine Group, including Tokio Millennium Re in Bermuda.
Brian holds a B.A in Economics from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, as well as
Chartered Property Casualty Underwriting (CPCU) and Associate in Reinsurance (ARe)
designations from The Institutes.

Abigayle Claflin, Palms Insurance
Abigayle Claflin is the VP of Business Development and Strategic Alliances for
Palms Insurance and has been with the company since 2022. As the VP of Business
Development, she has a critical role in developing and executing Palms’ strategic
expansion and profitable growth with brokers, program administrators, and carrier
partners. Additionally, she manages Palms’ Corporate Member and engagement
through Lloyd’s.
Prior to that, her career centered around the Alternative Risk Transfer space,
working for Willis Towers Watson and later Swiss Re. She focused on structuring
and broking parametric, fronted, integrated risk and structured programs.
She received her Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from St. John’s University’s
Greenberg School of Risk Management.

Alex Kaplan, Amwins
Alex Kaplan leads strategy around the development of parametric solutions and
other bespoke coverages, on both a stand-alone basis and in conjunction with
other traditional and non-traditional solutions for client risk transfer. He is also
responsible for developing new products and capital sources for Amwins, its retail
customers and their clients.
Prior to joining Amwins, Kaplan spent 12 years at Swiss Re, where he most recently
served as Head of North America for the company’s Public Sector Solutions unit.
In this role, he supported the needs of governments and international financial
institutions in managing their financial risks to help society create effective
responses to major challenges, including natural catastrophes and climate change,
permanently transforming the industry's approach to these complex and growing risks. These initiatives
ranged from helping to establish the US National Flood Insurance Program’s first engagements with the (re)
insurance industry to assisting in the creation of the first parametric insurance policy on a natural asset, the
Meso-American reef in Mexico. Kaplan co-developed a patented parametric windstorm insurance mechanism.

Kaplan has deep expertise in government and public finance. He began his career by serving on the staff of
the Committee on Ways and Means in the U.S. House of Representatives working on tax and economic policy.
From 2006 to 2008, he served as the Deputy to the Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs for the United
States Department of the Treasury under Secretary Henry M. Paulson.
Kaplan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Hobart College.

2025 Mid-Year Meeting 23