OLGA COLLINS

Chief Executive Officer

Olga joined WBN as Chief Executive Officer in April 2021. She has been a member of the WBN board of directors since 2019 and was head of WBN’s Young Professionals Academy. She joins WBN from Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, a specialized large account division of Brown & Brown, Inc., where she has led the multinational practice for the last seven years. Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Olga worked for UPS for 15 years where among other roles, she served as the risk manager responsible for global risks in more than 200 countries. Born and raised in Poland, Olga is multilingual and has a passion for global business. She was named a 2019 Business Insurance Women to Watch, Hot 100 by Insurance Business America, 2020 Power Broker in the International category, and 2020 Elite Women. She received her undergraduate degree in Finance from Syracuse University and her MBA from LeMoyne College. Olga is also an Associate in Risk Management.

FRANCIE STARNES

Chief Executive Officer - Emeritus

Francie brings over 40 years of experience in insurance covering both Property & Casualty and Employee Benefits.

She joined WBN—the largest independent broker network, with US $6.2 billion in global revenue—as President & COO July 2015, CEO in July 2016 and CEO Emeritus April 2021. She sits on the Board and Finance Committee of WBN.

Prior to joining WBN Francie had an extensive 23-year career at AIG starting in 1992 that included working in the International Employee Benefits Division (ALICO) and International Property & Casualty Division (AIU) focusing on sales, marketing, and distribution. She was the Top Sales Producer for ALICO from 1998 - 2003.

Her last five years at AIG were spent developing and implementing the global independent broker network strategy focused on alternative middle market distribution of P&C and Products and services. Key partnerships she was responsible for included Assurex Global, BrokersLink and WBN.

BRUCE BASSO

Chairman Emeritus

Bruce has over 40 years of insurance industry services experience that combines extensive business and operational expertise with demonstrated leadership and Board level responsibility in both the national and international insurance communities. He co-founded and built ABD Insurance and Financial Services (ABD), a $186M insurance brokerage, into one of the top 14 insurance brokers in the United States, then acquired by Greater Bay Bancorp in 2002, and later by Wells Fargo as part of its acquisition of Greater Bay Bancorp. In 1995, Bruce established the U.S. arm of WBN and subsequently served as CEO, Member of the Global Executive Committee, and Member of the Global Board of Directors.

TONI GAMBONINI

Global Property & Casualty Consultant

Based in London, Toni works with all Property & Casualty members and premier sponsors on cross-border training, new business opportunities and strategic engagement.

Toni also spearheads the WBN European and US Canadian Steering Committees, focusing on priority topics in the regions.

Toni [formal name "Antoinette"] runs Gambonini Consulting Ltd, started with the express purpose of teaching insurance brokers and agents how to do international business on behalf of their clients, spent 4 years with Assurex Global as Director of its Europe, Middle East and Africa Region, where she was responsible for facilitating relationships between members and carriers, wholesalers and brokers outside the network, as well as for global relationships with AIG and Chubb. Before that, she was Director of Operations, Commercial & International for Barney & Barney in San Diego from 1985 to 2008 and built their International desk.

ALAN FERGUSSON

Employee Benefits

Alan Fergusson joined WBN at Employee Benefits Director in 2019.

Alan served on the WBN board until 2018, while he was a managing director of Mattioli Woods, and he played an important part in setting the strategic direction of WBN’s Employee Benefits function.

He came to Mattioli Woods after selling to them the business he built, Kudos Financial Services, in the United Kingdom. With decades of global industry contacts, and deep understanding of the challenges facing both companies and their advisors in the international benefits market, he is well-suited to leading the growth of EB at WBN.

ROBERT STERNGOLD

Technology

Robert has been WBN’s Technology Director since 2013, maintaining the WBN website and WBNet, our online insurance collaboration software, for which he also provides demonstrations at the request of WBN members. Additionally, he developed and maintains WBN’s 360 Peer Review Surveys, WBN Conference Satisfaction Surveys, and sets up and manages the software application that is used at the semi-annual WBN Member Conferences, as well as providing IT support for the WBN main office administration.

SCHYLER TOLLMANN

Administration/Office Management

Schyler joined WBN In 2012. In addition to managing the Central Office and providing administrative support to the Management Staff, she coordinates the extensive activities involved with WBN’s primary meetings, including the semiannual Global Conferences and the midyear Board Meeting, as well as most of the communications with members, insurers and other stakeholders.