ASRA Board Members
Meet Your Board of Directors
Jim Villa
President
Jim Villa is Global Head of Accident and Health, Specialty at Zurich. He joined Zurich from Arch Accident & Health, where he served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Distribution. Prior to that, he was Head of A&H at The Hartford, where he led the company's resurgence into the Specialty A&H market. Earlier in his career, Jim led the global A&H operation at Chubb and spent three years with Aon's National A&H Special Risk Practice. He began his A&H career at AIG, where he held a number of positions of increasing responsibility.
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Jamie Landsman
Treasurer
Owner of Landsman Insurance Services. Formerly, VP of Product Strategy & Innovation for ARCH & Senior Vice President & Head of Chubb Affinity Markets. Jamie started his A&H career at AIG in 2002 and moved to Chubb in 2004 where he was for over 17 years before joining ARCH in 2021. Specialties include Digital Insurance project management, Underwriting Management, Travel Insurance, Supplemental Health, Insurance Product Development, AD&D, Credit Card Enhancement (NAC) Insurance, & Insurance programs for Associations and other Affinity Groups.
Holly Zachary
Secretary
Holly Zachary is a seasoned Accident & Health (A&H) underwriting professional with over two decades of experience in the insurance industry. She has held senior underwriting roles at leading companies, including AIG, Zurich North America, and Chubb, where she served as AVP A&H Underwriting. Holly has a strong background in underwriting management, risk assessment, and strategic program development. A Purdue University graduate, she has consistently contributed to the growth and success of A&H portfolios across various organizations.
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Nicole Pitney
Board Member
Nicole is Senior Managing Director of Accident, Health & Life at Aon. She joined Aon from AIG, where she served as Head of Specialty for U.S. Accident & Health. With over 17 years in the insurance industry, she has held a range of A&H leadership roles, including Vice President of U.S. Accident & Health at Aspen Insurance, Head of U.S. Special Risk and Scholastic Travel at Chubb, and several underwriting positions at AIG. Her expertise spans marketing, product development, strategic planning, and pricing across a broad range of accident and health products, including special risk, scholastic travel, AD&D, short-term medical, occupational accident, and business travel accident coverage.
Dave Sefcik
Board Member
Dave currently is Business Development & Program Manager at AXIS Capital. Product focus includes K-12 student accident, amateur sports, intercollegiate sports, as well as participant accident. Lines of coverage include blanket special risk and accident medical, such as base and catastrophic medical, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and weekly accident indemnity. Dave has over twenty years of insurance experience, with more than fifteen on the carrier side, and eight on the wholesaler side.
Jason Adamiec
Board Member
Jason began his insurance career at Aon WorldAware in 2011, holding various roles in the 24/7 Operations Center, eventually becoming Director of Operations, leading a team of 30 analysts. In 2016, he transitioned to Aon’s Special Risk Practice, focusing on accident insurance. Since joining Mercer’s Special Risk group as a Principal in 2022, he has specialized in Business Travel Accident insurance, Emergency Travel Assistance, and International Travel Medical solutions. A former U.S. Marine Corps Infantry Sergeant, Jason’s leadership and expertise are rooted in his military service.
Larry Gonnello
Board Member
Larry is an accomplished insurance professional with over 20 years of experience in Accident & Health underwriting. Currently serving as Regional Underwriting Manager for AIG's Northeast Region, Larry has been leading underwriting strategies and portfolio management since 2021.
He has held key underwriting roles at AXA XL, Chubb, and Zurich North America, developing expertise in risk assessment, program development, and market expansion. Larry holds an MBA and a BS in Economics from Saint Peter’s University, bringing a strong analytical and strategic approach to the insurance industry.
Katie Thornton
Board Member
Katie is a seasoned Treaty Placement Broker specializing in Accident, Health, and Life Reinsurance. Currently a Senior Account Representative at Aon, Katie manages reinsurance transactions for Employer Stop-Loss, Medical, and Accident business, leveraging expertise in Managed Care and broader reinsurance solutions.
With nearly four years at Aon, she has progressed through key roles, starting as a Reinsurance Intern in 2020 before transitioning into brokerage. Experience spans treaty placements, risk assessment, and strategic client solutions. A demonstrated leader in the field.
Jennifer Pedersen
Board Member
Jennifer Pedersen serves as Assistant Vice President of Business Development at Crum & Forster, where she supports strategic growth initiatives and fosters key business relationships. A seasoned insurance professional with more than 17 years of experience, she has held progressive leadership roles spanning business development, marketing, events, and compliance. Her broad professional background reflects deep expertise in relationship management, strategic marketing, and cross-functional collaboration. Ms. Pedersen is passionate about the insurance industry and committed to advancing organizational goals through strong partnerships, thoughtful strategy, and a client-focused approach.
Chloe Zheng
Board Member
Chloe is currently VP of Underwriting at Convex US A&H, a specialty MGU focused on introducing niche special risk products to brokers and clients. She began her A&H career with AIG in 2008 and has held various underwriting management roles at AIG and Chubb. She has spent couple of years working at AXIS as program manager before joining Convex. Underwriter at heart with an entrepreneur mindset while putting customer experience first. Her expertise include underwriting analysis, marketing, product development and strategic planning. Chloe is located on the West Coast. She is dedicated to bring ASRA to the West Coast through various channels and events. Please feel free to reach out to learn more!" Discover more