Meet Our Leaders:

Sydney Posner

Sydney Posner
Founder & CEO

Sydney Posner is the CEO of ClaimsXchange. She has spent many years in the business building relationships across the spectrum of the most influential professionals in the insurance defense sector, making her uniquely qualified to lead this innovative and collaborative organization. A familiar presence in the business, at the ground-breaking conferences she is organizing, and through the smaller collaborations she is orchestrating, Sydney adds value to the dialogue among industry influencers and then creates and implements programs that address solutions to enhance best practices.

"Sydney is a high-energy, magnetic personality with a natural talent for developing high-yield relationships, both in the personal and professional arena. Sydney is an exceptional business development professional.”  – Rose Hall, Vice President, Head of Construction Innovation

Deborah Saunders 
Vice President

Deborah Saunders is Vice President of ClaimsXchange. She is widely known among industry professionals for her expertise in claims and litigation management, development and implementation of corporate claims programs, vendor management, business communications and leadership. Her most recent role was Executive Director, Claims Management at Comcast NBCUniversal in Philadelphia, PA, where she led the Global Claims Management programs for Comcast Corporation and its subsidiaries for over 24 years, until her retirement in 2023. With her deep understanding of insurance and claims, and a broad network of industry connections and resources, Deborah brings valuable perspective to her role with ClaimsXchange


 

Kay Ferrara 
Manager

Kay Ferrara has built her career on people-focused management, training, and operations, beginning with over 20 years in the hospitality industry. She later earned degrees in Architecture and Construction Management before moving into continuing education and conference management for claims professionals. Since ClaimsXchange launched in 2019, Kay has overseen logistics, managed CE accreditation, and played a vital role growing the organization. 


 

Practice Area Leaders

Our practice leaders are seasoned professionals who bring deep expertise in their respective fields. They guide best practices, share insights, and help drive innovation across the claims industry.

Artificial Intelligence

Christina Rieker, Partner, Winget, Spadafora & Schwartzberg, LLP
Jessica Zimmerman, Senior Claims Examiner, Arch Insurance

Construction

Susan Nathalie Eccles, Partner in Charge of the Baton Rouge Office, Adams and Reese, LLP
Leila Santana, Executive Vice President, Chief Claims Officer, Berkley Alliance Managers

General Liability

Jonathan Gerdes, Director, General Liability Claims, Reserv
Kurtis McManus, Partner, Kaufman, Borgeest & Ryan, LLP

Professional Liability

Kim Noble, Vice President, Applied Financial Lines
Leigh Ann Yates, Claims Manager, CoreSpecialty

Transportation

Jeanne Givner, Senior Manager- Liability Claims, FedEx
James Smock, Vice President Claims Manager, Berkley Environmental
Jeremy Taylor, Shareholder, Carr Allison

Workers' Compensation

Lauren Bauschard, Head of Claims Account Management, Sompo International
Beth Koller, Managing Partner, Gilson Daub