GENERAL SESSION: 2025 Insurance Outlook - Trends, Challenges, and Market Drivers (CPE 1.2)
As the insurance market evolves, factors like loss data and reinsurance trends are shaping coverage, pricing, and availability. This session explores the key drivers influencing the 2025 insurance landscape and provides insights on how servicers, lenders, and asset managers can adapt to the changing market.
Speakers
Moderator
Michael is one-part insurance nerd, one-part red bull. After his work at Countrywide/Bank of America, he decided the insurance industry was a thrilling challenge, understanding his body would soon give out from playing hockey. His passion is pioneering insurance capital solutions for lenders while providing banks & non-banks a comprehensive loan-level to enterprise risk analysis. He enjoys bridging the communication gap between lenders, secondary markets, & insurance markets, with an occasional dad joke for flare. As an EVP within Alliant’s Financial Institutions Group, Michael leads the national Specialty Lending brokerage practice. His coverage expertise includes: Traditional Insurance Placements, Specialty Lending Insurance, & Lender/Investor Sponsored Master Insurance Programs.
Speakers
Laura Bushey is responsible for managing Berkadia’s global insurance servicing operations, including compliance monitoring and claims processing. Laura previously held asset management, client relations, and project management positions at Berkadia. Laura has a diverse knowledge of the various types of loans and servicing requirements across life companies, CMBS, commercial banks, private lenders, and agencies. Laura joined Berkadia and its predecessor companies in 2000 and have over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry.
Gretchan Francis is a respected leader in the forced-placed insurance industry, with over 20 years of banking and insurance experience and deep expertise in creating specialized insurance solutions for financial institutions. As the founder and managing director of InsureMAC, she spearheads efforts to deliver top-tier lender-placed insurance solutions for mortgage servicers, banks, specialty lenders and credit unions. Her career began with pivotal roles at premier banks and insurance brokerages, where she specialized in lender-placed, mortgage impairment, and blanket hazard insurance. Ms. Francis holds a BA from the University of Mount Union and an MBA from Youngstown State University. She is actively involved in key industry associations, championing initiatives that advance our field
JulieAnne Lally serves as the Real Estate Practice Leader at Brown and Riding and is a seasoned property broker with deep expertise in complex and hard-to-place risks. With over a decade of experience in the wholesale insurance industry, she has consistently focused on the property sector, specializing in real estate, public entity, construction, and manufacturing exposures. In 2025, she was selected as a winner of Business Insurance's Break Out Awards, a program that recognizes emerging leaders in the U.S. commercial insurance and risk management industry who have demonstrated excellence in client service, expertise in their field, and effective leadership. JulieAnne joined Brown and Riding in 2021 as a Senior Vice President and Property Broker and was named a Principal of the firm in 2022. She holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation and is committed to professional development and knowledge sharing within the industry. In 2023, she was a featured panelist at a major retail insurance conference, where she spoke on optimizing retailerwholesaler partnerships. She also contributed to a key panel discussion at the 2022 WSIA Marketplace. offering insights on emerging industry trends and developments.
With over two decades of experience in commercial real estate loan servicing and insurance, Nicole is a seasoned expert in market trends, compliance, regulatory considerations, and risk remediation. In her current role, she serves as the Executive Director of the Flood and Insurance Center of Excellence at JPMorgan Chase, a position she has held since January 2025. In this role, Nicole partners with internal stakeholders, focusing on flood and insurance compliance across all business lines. Leading a strong team, Nicole’s responsibilities include providing guidance on best practices, offering insights during deal consultations, assisting with vendor management, and ensuring all internal procedures meet regulatory and industry standards. Before joining JPMorgan Chase, Nicole held roles at Lument, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and Northmarq, where she strengthened her industry knowledge and honed her skills in insurance risk management and loan servicing. Nicole consistently focuses on optimizing the balance between customer service and operational efficiency. Throughout her career, she consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, fostering growth and innovation within her teams and the broader industry, including previous leadership roles on the MBA’s Insurance and Risk Management Committee. Nicole is a frequent speaker and thought leader, contributing valuable insights to industry panels and webinars. She recently earned her Executive MBA from the University of St. Thomas and is dedicated to ongoing education and professional growth to navigate the evolving industry landscape.
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