

Monday, May 19, 2025

Agenda for 2025 Program*
Monday, May 19, 2025
8:30 am - Golf Tournament
The 2025 WRCIC golf tournament will be held at Old Mill Golf Course, 6080 South Wasatch Blvd, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121
Old Mill Golf Course is the pinnacle of the public golf experience. With unmatched service, a first-rate restaurant, and the most spectacular panoramic views of the Wasatch Valley, Old Mill has no equal.
Old Mill is one of the newest courses in the Salt Lake area. The new clubhouse/banquet facilities are surrounded by a lavish fully developed course with a spectacular view of the valley. Conveniently located just off I-215, Old Mill is a short drive from all major areas of the valley as well as the airport. This championship golf course is a great place for your corporate outing. Old Mill golf course provides a fully stocked pro shop for the serious shopper as well as those last-minute balls and gloves.
CITY WEEKLY 2012 & 2013 Best Golf Course Award-Readers Winner
CITY WEEKLY 2009-2018 Rated Top Three Best Golf Course Awards by Readers
Association Meetings (members only)
2:00 - 2:45 pm Utah Captive Insurance Association - Business Meeting
2:50 - 3:35 pm Missouri Captive Insurance Association - Business Meeting
3:40 - 4:25 pm Oklahoma Captive Insurance Association - Business Meeting
4:30 - 5:15 pm Nevada Captive Insurance Association - Business Meeting
3:00 - 4:30 pm - Captives 101: New to captive insurance or looking for a refresher? This foundational session provides a comprehensive overview of captive structures, benefits, regulatory considerations, and formation strategies. Learn how captives work, why organizations use them, and what you need to know to assess if a captive is right for your risk management goals.
6:00 - 7:30 pm - Opening Reception
Join us for a lovely evening where you will meet your friends, old and new, as we celebrate the opening of the Western Region Captive Insurance Conference!
Tuesday, May 20, 2025
EXHIBIT HALL 7:30 - 5:00 pm Exhibit Booths Open
EXHIBIT HALL 7:30 - 8:15 am Registration and Networking Breakfast
Sponsored by: Diamond Sponsors
General Session 8:15 - 8:30 am - Welcome & Opening Remarks: Renea Louie, CEO, Sotera Global Management and Western Region Captive Insurance Conference Chairperson
8:30 - 9:15 am Keynote Address: Introduction by Kenneth Avery, Utah Risk Management Consulting, President
Jeff Griffin
Sierra Summit Room - 9:20 - 10:10 am Public Entity Captives: Unique Challenges and Opportunities.
Interactive session with senior captive executives to explore the unique challenges posed by operating a captive in the public sector. Presentation will cover the benefits of a captive for public entities, working with governmental and quasi-governmental bodies and navigating public procurement requirements and tax considerations unique to captives in this sector.
Speakers:
Melissa Hollingsworth, LA Unified School District
Claire Richardson, Hylant
Eryn Brasovan, Womble, Bond, Dickinson LLP
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 9:20 - 10:10 am Amplify Women:
Presentation will feature a panel of women who are deeply involved in the captive industry as risk managers, captive owners or industry veterans. They will share their career path histories and provide guidance based on their experiences for others. The session will also have the panelists providing their insights into the direction of the industry, the future of captives and opportunities to shape that future
Speakers:
Renea Louie, Sotera GM
Heather McClure, HelioRisk
Exhibit Hall 10:15 - 10:45 am Networking Break
Sierra Summit Room - 10:45 - 11:30 am Parametric Insurance: A More Common Occurrence:
Parametric insurance is no longer niche or exotic. It is increasingly utilized as a vital financial risk management tool embedded within the captive due to climate-related losses, supply chain disruptions, economic uncertainty, budget constraints, and tightening insurance markets. This session will provide an overview of parametric insurance, how it works, key misunderstandings, primary market drivers, design considerations, and recent trends. Attendees will gain further insight into practical applications for captives by reviewing concrete examples across perils, regions, and industries. It’s gonna’ be a slice!
Speakers:
Gregory Cobb, Sage Advisory
Alex Korb, Alternative Risk Transfer
Steven M. McElhiney, Augment Risk
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 10:45 - 11:30 am Captive Investment Programs Matter – Investing For Today's and Tomorrow's Risks:
The new administration introduced goals and regulatory rules that will impact the captive insurance landscape. This session takes a practical look at what has changed, what it means for a captive portfolio, and how to respond. Industry experts will break down emerging risks and opportunities to navigate the evolving environment, protect assets, and optimize performance. Come ready for a candid, practical discussion on staying agile and strategic in a shifting climate.
Speakers:
Jack Meskunas, Oppenheimer & Co.
Dylan Feringa, PNC
Brandon Beall, Clearwater Advisors
Sierra Summit Room - 11:30 - 12:15 pm Captives and Legacy: Securing the Future:
Presentation will demonstrate how captives preserve organizational values while adapting to evolving risk. It will explore how captives ensure continuity, provide resilience and promote innovation.
Speakers:
Caroline Fahey, AIRRIOC
Jose Martinez, Augment Risk
James Mills, Enstar
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 11:30 - 12:15 pm Top Gun: Using Your Captive’s Information to Take Control of Risk Management:
Are you flying blind when it comes to your organization’s risk? It's time to take the pilot's seat. This high-energy session will explore how to harness the power of your captive’s data to elevate your risk management strategy. Learn how to analyze and apply captive-generated insights to identify trends, influence decision-making, and drive measurable results. Whether you're navigating turbulent markets or fine-tuning your risk appetite, this session will give you the tools to operate with precision and confidence. Join us and learn how to go from co-pilot to captain in your captive strategy.
Speakers:
Ben Whitehouse, Butler Snow
Leon Rivas, RH CPAs
Renea Louie, Sotera GM
FEATURED General Session 12:15 - 1:30 pm Lunch - including Fireside Chat
12:45 - 1:30 pm Fireside Chat with Insurance Commissioners
Sierra Summit Room - 1:30 - 2:20 pm Mentoring Next Generation Leaders:
Session will focus on strategies for industry veterans to identify, mentor and promote the next generation of talent for perpetuation of the captive industry.
Speakers:
Sonja Berquist, Taylor Walker
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 1:30 - 2:20 pm Captive Tail and Closure Management:
Session will explore the reasons captives opt to cease/move operations or take steps to manage their risk profile through transfer of tail exposures. The topic will address the strategies from the perspective of regulatory requirements, captive management, captive ownership and specialty third party facilitators.
Speakers:
James LeRoy, JKL Enterprises LLC
John Capasso, Captive Planning
Sierra Summit Room - 2:30 - 3:20 pm Stop Loss Captives: Essential Tools for Self-Insured Employers.
The session will present the role of stop loss captives in mitigating risk and controlling health care costs.
Speakers:
Nikita Chaudhry, Windsor Strategy Partners
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 2:30 - 3:20 pm Understanding Property Insurance in Captives:
Inception to Implementation: Panel will present information on how and when to write property exposures in captives, various structures and pricing.
Speakers:
Luke Renz, ACI
Aaron Lubbers, OneDigital
BREAK 3:20 - 3:50 pm Break with Exhibitors
General Session 4:00 - 4:50 pm Captive Tax update:
Update on tax issues impacting captive insurance companies. The session will review existing and new tax issues impacting captive operations. Session will include the special considerations involving non-profits.
Speakers:
Blake Kerr, Helio Risk
Jeff Simpson, Womble Bond Dickinson
Kristen Sorbera, Crowe
John Talley, Tal Consulting,
Evening Event - Salt Lake Bees Baseball Game! 6:00 PM Pick up at hotel
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
EXHIBIT HALL 7:30 - 12:00pm Exhibitor Booths Open
7:30 - 8:15 am Networking Breakfast
General Session 8:15 - 8:30 am Opening Remarks: Recap of Day 1 and What to Expect Today
8:30 - 9:10 am Keynote Speaker - Tony Child
FEATURED General Session 9:15 - 10:15 am Regulator Roundup
Sierra Summit Room - 10:15 - 11:00 am Claims and Risk Management:
Session will cover the subject of the importance of underwriter reviews with claim handling entities - both commercial carriers and third party administrators.
Speakers:
Brian Dunn, Davidson Risk
Elisa Ramos, Morse Operations
Pioneer Perspectives Room - 10:15 - 11:00 am Misunderstandings about Risk Distribution:
Session will review the current approaches taken by tax courts looking at risk distribution and the errors in those approaches.
Speakers:
Hale Stewart, Higginbotham Insurance,
Melissa Wiley, Kostelanetz LLP
Gordon Thompson, AmeRisk
EXHIBIT HALL11:00 - 11:20 am Break with Exhibitors
General Session11:20 - 12:20 pm Hot Topics:
Expert opinions and analysis on issues impacting the captive industry.
12:20 - 12:30 pm Closing Remarks & Announce 2026 Dates
*All information is subject to change