Premier Panel: The Future Corporate Risk Manager: Enhance the Value and Visibility of Risk Management Practice

Courtney Davis Curtis is the Executive of Risk Management for the University of Chicago. She provides leadership and direction to senior managers, working to identify, evaluate and plan strategies for the enterprise-wide insurance programs. The enterprise includes the university, medical center, laboratory school, charter school, community hospital and a national laboratory. Her focus is on maximizing protection of assets at the most economical rates and minimizing the effects of fortuitous loss. She also develops and directs risk management strategies and policies which identify, assess and mitigate the impact of risks originating from or impacting the enterprise's portfolio of activities/interests. Previously, Courtney was an Account Executive at Arthur J. Gallagher and Vice President of Educational Placement Specialist at Marsh. Courtney is the President-Elect for the University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA). She holds a B.S. in Marketing from Northern Illinois University in addition to having earned Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Risk Management-ERM (ARM-E) designations.

Barry Dillard is the Director of Risk Strategies, Insurance and Compliance with The Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. With over 29 years of industry experience, he has spent the last 22 years at Walt Disney World. In his role he leads a team of 35 Cast Members with responsibilities including Insurance and Business Continuity Planning, Business Insight, Optimization, System Support, Regulatory & DOT Compliance, and strategic programs concerning construction, property and casualty risks. In his previous role, Barry served as Director of Claims Management, and led a team of over sixty Cast Members who managed all aspects of the Company’s self-administered claims management program, including Workers Compensation and General Liability claims, as well as Compliance and Auditing. Barry proudly serves on the board of directors of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) and the YMCA of Central Florida Teen Achievers Program. He is a graduate of Hampton University and received his Masters in Business Administration from Webster University, George Herbert Walker School of Business & Technology. Barry is a native of New Jersey and when he is not working, enjoys staying fit and traveling.

RPAI is a publicly traded REIT that owns and operates high quality open-air shopping centers, including properties with a mixed-use component. In her role, Mrs. Severson oversees the insurance placement and risk management for both the operations and corporate exposures, claims management and Business Continuity Plan. In addition, she has led the formation of and management of several captive insurance companies. Ms. Severson has been with RPAI since 2008. Prior to joining RPAI, Mrs. Severson worked as an Insurance broker handling real estate owners and developer’s insurance programs.
Mrs. Severson received her B.S. in Economics from Illinois State University and is a certified Management Liability Insurance Specialist.

Over the course of her career, Liz Walker was a litigator representing insurers and commercial organizations, and also worked in-house managing mass litigation claims and coverage communications for a global insurance company. In 2013, she changed roles to join an insured, Chicago tech company, Groupon, Inc., managing Groupon’s interests in various litigation and pre-litigation matters. After 3 ½ years in Groupon’s legal department, Liz reinvented her career by developing her current role managing Groupon’s global insurance and enterprise risk.

Liz currently serves as the President of the Chicago Chapter of the Risk & Insurance Management Society (RIMS). She speaks at various risk, insurance, and legal conferences on subjects including cyber risk coverage, the future of insurance, the future of risk management, and the importance of internal marketing to achieve risk management success. In December 2018, Business Insurance magazine named Liz as an Honoree of the 2018 Women to Watch Award.