Leadership

Chief Executive Officer

John joined Risk Strategies as President in 2017 and was promoted to CEO in 2019. He is an energetic and hands-on leader that places a high focus on execution, candor, and client relationships.

As Chief Executive Officer of Accession Risk Management Group and its specialty operating companies, Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, John has responsibility for the mission, vision, strategy, and overall day-to-day operations of the company, focused on revenue growth, organic and M&A, as well as client retention. His deep industry experience and energetic leadership are fueled by over 27 years at Willis Towers Watson and Marsh.

He received a Bachelor of Business Administration and Management degree from Dowling College.

As part of his commitment to community involvement, John holds board positions with Conservation Nation and the Maguire Academy of Risk & Insurance Management at Gallaudet University.

Chief Financial Officer

With over 30 years of strategic leadership experience in the insurance brokerage industry, Sharon serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Accession Risk Management Group and its specialty operating companies, Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, where she is responsible for the firm's finance, treasury, real estate, and enterprise risk management activities.

Sharon joined Risk Strategies as Chief Operating Officer in 2019 to help scale the company for tremendous growth. In 2021, she assumed the role of CFO. Previously Sharon was the CFO of Willis Towers Watson's Corporate Risk and Broking segment, as well as for their North America geography. Sharon also held senior roles spanning controllership, shared services, sales and service operations, M&A integration, system implementations, and finance. She also served as Co-Chair of Women at Willis, a Diversity & Inclusion group. Before Willis Towers Watson, Sharon worked for Arthur Andersen & Co. focusing on the Health Care, Senior Living, and Financial Services industries.

A University of Tennessee graduate, Sharon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration - Accounting and professional designations as a CPA and CGMA. Sharon is a past recipient of the Business Insurance Women to Watch award. 

Chief Legal Officer

Natalie is an accomplished legal and risk advisor and executive-level leader with over 10 years of experience in corporate law and a successful track record as a trusted advisor to senior management teams and boards of directors of companies across multiple industries on a variety of complex business, strategic, transactional, risk and legal issues.  Natalie thrives on collaborating with passionate, driven leaders who excel at their work and know how to play in the big picture space and collaborate to create next-level growth.

As Chief Legal Officer of Accession Risk Management Group and its specialty operating companies, Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, Natalie serves as a member of the Executive Committee and is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s legal and compliance functions, including M&A, securities, litigation, regulatory, governance, intellectual property, employment & benefits, and other corporate matters. Natalie also serves as an executive sponsor to the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Council and is deeply committed to the company’s ESG initiatives.  

Prior to joining the company, Natalie was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, specializing in advising private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a wide range of corporate, M&A, and securities matters.  

A summa cum laude graduate of the University of Oregon and cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Law, Natalie holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science, and a juris doctorate in law.

Chief Human Resources Officer

As Chief Human Resources Officer of Accession Risk Management Group and its specialty operating companies, Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, Amanda oversees the company's human resources function including talent and organizational development, total rewards, talent acquisition, and overall total employee engagement.

Previously, she served as senior vice president and chief human resources officer at New Jersey Resources (NJR) and as director and senior vice president of human resources in North America for Willis Group Holdings. She has also held senior HR leadership roles at Dun & Bradstreet, Anywhere Integrated Services (formerly Title Resource Group), and Prudential.

Amanda earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware and a Master of Business Administration from Rider University. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and holds a Society of Human Resources Management - Senior Certified Professional (SCP) designation.

Active in her community, Amanda serves as a member of the 180 Turning Lives Around, Inc. Board of Trustees, and is the chairperson of their personnel committee. In addition, Amanda is an executive fellow for Rider University's Center for the Development of Leadership Skills and serves on the University's Women's Leadership Council.

Chief Mergers & Acquisitions Officer

As Chief Mergers & Acquisitions Officer of Accession Risk Management Group and its specialty operating companies, Risk Strategies and One80 Intermediaries, John focuses on all M&A activities, including debt financing, investor relations, and the company's overall capital structure. He has over 30 years of experience in corporate finance, accounting, and operations, with both public and private companies. His background is in insurance and high-tech medical device manufacturing specializing in operational assimilation, accounting, finance, M&A and private equity/venture capital financing.

John has been with the company for over 18 years serving in a variety of roles including CFO. Previously, he was responsible for HR, IT, and Administration.

Prior to joining Risk Strategies, John held positions of increasing responsibility at Endius Incorporated, Benchmark Assisted Living, and Haemonetics Corporation.

John holds both a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Accounting and an MBA from Bentley University.