July 08, 2021

NAME: Daisy Lopez

NEW JOB TITLE: New York-based vice president, production specialist, cyber at Mosaic Insurance

PREVIOUS POSITION: Jersey City, New Jersey-based assistant vice president, professional risk, Crum & Forster

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK: Due to the increased demand for cyber insurance and volumes of loss activity the market has never seen before, our industry struggles with rate adequacy and a shortage of capacity and talent. Companies cannot seem to hire cyber specialists fast enough to keep up with these demands. I believe this hard market is going to be with us for a while and now, more than ever, the market will need to focus on correcting rates and continue to educate the buyers of cyber insurance on how to manage, protect and mitigate their risks.

GOALS FOR NEW POSITION: To provide meaningful solutions to our insureds, lead with compassion and integrity, and remember to have some fun along the way.

CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY: Rate adequacy, risk selection, capacity and keeping up with the ever-changing landscape of emerging cybersecurity risks and increasing regulation is going to be more challenging than ever. It will require a high level of focus, the ability to pivot and adapt quickly, and increased collaboration between the private sector and the government to overcome some of the hurdles ahead.

FIRST EXPERIENCE IN THE INDUSTRY JOB MARKET: I was part of Lockton’s associate account manager training program in 2008. One memory that stands out was when I was working on the placement of a commercial property program and, as part of a learning opportunity, the internal risk manager took me on a site visit. During our walk-through of the buildings, he pointed out certain items that would be going into his risk-assessment report and we talked about his observations and recommendations with the client. We then discussed these with insurers we were marketing the business to, so as to obtain the most favorable results for the client. It was one of the first times I realized that what the insurance industry does (regardless of business lines) really matters, because we help our clients identify vulnerabilities and find ways to protect assets and mitigate their risks.

ADVICE: Be authentic, ask a lot of questions, learn as much as you can, find a mentor, and never be afraid to speak up and share your views and opinions, because the right organization will value you for that.

OUTSIDE THE INDUSTRY, A DREAM JOB: If I could do it all over again, I would go to culinary arts school in Paris and be a chef, with a focus on healthy and sustainable fine dining.

COLLEGE MAJOR: I earned a degree in health promotion and disease prevention, and while I did not go into the medical field, the related coursework has been relevant in many ways.

LOOKING FORWARD TO: I am looking forward to being part of a global and diverse team that will build and grow an organization together with a culture of collaboration.

FAVORITE MEAL: Breakfast. I never miss it.

BOOK: Paulo Coelho’s “The Alchemist”

HOBBIES: Outside of work, I enjoy cooking, traveling, indoor cycling and going on long walks with my husband and our dog, Prince.

TV SHOW: “The Kitchen” on the Food Network.

ON A SATURDAY AFTERNOON: Roam around and explore various neighborhoods in NYC. The energy of the city is incredible (especially now as more businesses reopen) and there is always something interesting and exciting going on.