ACORD, the global standards-setting organization for the insurance industry, has appointed four new members to its board of directors: Kasey Connors, Nidhi Howell, Christina Lucas and Spero Zacharias.
Zacharias, Chubb’s senior vice president of global information technology major initiatives, will serve as chairman of the board. At Chubb, he managed a range of cybersecurity programs supporting operations across 54 countries across all commercial and consumer business lines, from pet and crop insurance to life and general insurance.
Zacharias is a senior leader in financial services with more than three decades of experience in insurtech, cybersecurity and related fields. His decades of volunteer service in the ACORD community include serving as Chairman (2017-2019) and Vice Chairman of the ACORD Board of Directors.
All new members bring deep expertise in the insurance and technology sectors and demonstrate ASG’s commitment to advancing the next generation of standardized data exchange and industry connectivity.
Currently, Connors is the Executive Director of the Big “I” Agency Technology Council (ACT), leading industry collaborations focused on advancing technology, improving data quality, and supporting the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in the independent insurance channel.
She has more than 15 years of experience in association leadership and marketing and brings a strong institutional and industry perspective to conversations around data standards, interoperability and emerging technologies. She is actively involved in several national initiatives promoting collaboration, governance, and practical technology adoption.
Howell is chief business technology officer at Lockton Re, a delivery and commercialization-focused technology leader with more than 20 years of experience supporting critical technology and transformation projects for organizations around the world.
At Lockton Re, her responsibilities include developing technology strategy, overseeing major transformation initiatives and ensuring technology delivers sustainable growth, operational excellence and effective risk management. Previously, she held senior technology and change management roles at Marsh and held leadership roles in multiple industry DEI initiatives.
Lucas is the global market leader for insurance at Google Cloud, where he is responsible for leading strategy at the intersection of insurance and technology, driving digital transformation and enterprise optimization in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
Previously, she served as president of Envista Forensics, global head of industry consulting for Guidewire, and held various senior management positions at AIG, including global head of claims business performance. She also serves on several industry committees and advisory committees, including the New York NAAIA and the New York Insurance Brokers Association.
Chris Newman, President and CEO of ACORD Solutions Group, commented: “These accomplished industry leaders each bring a unique perspective and proven track record in driving large-scale digital transformation. Their insights will be invaluable as we continue to serve the global insurance industry with the tools to achieve new levels of efficiency, data quality and connectivity.”
Zacharias added: “Having worked with the ACORD community for many years, I have seen firsthand the power of digital, standardized data exchange. ACORD Solutions Group is driven by the same spirit of industry collaboration, belief in maximizing the value of data, and commitment to solving complex challenges. I look forward to supporting their mission to accelerate digital transformation across the industry.”
