Meet Our Team

Steve is one of the founding members of Berkley Design Professional. He has more than 30 years of experience in the professional liability segment of the insurance industry in the roles of business leader, manager and underwriter. Steve started and managed successful professional liability businesses for three insurance carriers prior to joining the W. R. Berkley Corporation to form Berkley Alliance Managers in 2013. Throughout his career he has succeeded in hiring and cultivating teams of specialist professional liability executives, underwriters and claims people to build innovative insurance solutions in specialty markets.

Steve holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Industrial Relations from Syracuse University. Steve is based in Albany, New York.

Tom has nearly 30 years of experience in professional liability underwriting and an extensive background in portfolio management. His production-driven approach has enabled him to develop successful professional liability products and build teams from the ground up. In 2020, Tom joined Berkley Alliance Managers to lead Berkley Service Professionals, the company’s miscellaneous professional liability unit. During his time there, he has successfully launched multiple new products, demonstrating his ability to drive business growth and expand the portfolio by building strong relationships with brokers.

Before joining Berkley Alliance Managers, Tom held various roles, including senior vice president, product head, product/portfolio manager and senior underwriter. He has worked in both large and small insurance companies as well as for Managing General Agents, specializing in both admitted and non-admitted professional liability insurance.

Tom is a licensed insurance agent and surplus lines broker in the state of Connecticut. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Western Connecticut State University and is based in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Laila is a licensed attorney and has been a claims professional dedicated to the design industry for more than twenty years. Prior to joining Berkley Alliance Managers, she was the director of design and construction professional liability claims for a leading insurance carrier, where she created, grew and led the claims department. Prior to that position, Laila was the vice president, executive claims counsel and regional claims manager for a leading carrier which provided architects and engineers professional liability insurance. Before entering the insurance industry, Laila practiced law with Booth, Mitchell & Strange, LLP in Orange, California.

Laila earned her Juris Doctorate from Pepperdine University School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and business from Pepperdine University, Seaver College. She is a member of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Risk Management Committee, the ACEC Legal Counsel Forum, International Risk Management Institute (IRMI) and the Claims & Litigation Management Alliance (CLM). Laila is based in Irvine, California.

Andy is an acknowledged design and construction industry leader in the area of risk management and contracts. He joined Berkley Design Professional in 2013 after a 35-year career as a licensed architect and firm principal. Andy directs the company’s client experience (CX) initiatives as well as oversees efforts to provide leading-edge, risk and practice management resources, tools and training.

Andy has a diverse background of practice, project, financial, operations and risk management experience, particularly in the large architects and engineers (A&E) firm environment. He has advanced the development and publishing of industry-standard contracts through the leadership of and engagement with the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Documents Committee and the Large Firm Round Table Legal Committee. He also serves on the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Risk Management Committee and Legal Counsel Forum.

Andy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois and a business management certification from the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University. Andy is based in Chicago, Illinois.

Valerie is senior vice president, chief marketing officer responsible for brand, marketing, social media, digital marketing, media relations and communication strategies. She brings more than 30 years of experience in strategic marketing and communications in the financial services and technology industries, including nearly 20 years in the specialty insurance sector. She has expertise in all facets of business-to-business marketing including brand management, communications, integrated campaigns, thought leadership and digital marketing.

Valerie joined Berkley Alliance Managers in 2017 as vice president, director of marketing. Prior to that, she was the vice president of marketing communications for Berkley Select, a Berkley Company. Her previous experience includes marketing leadership roles at a large national healthcare association and an international financial services company.

Valerie is an active Insurance Marketing Communications Association (IMCA) member. She was the executive chair from 2019 to 2020 and served on the Board of Directors for nine years.

Valerie earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois. Valerie is based in Denver, Colorado.

Chris joined Berkley Service Professionals in 2020 and has been with the Berkley Companies since 2007 in leadership roles in Business Development, Program Management and Underwriting. He has more than 25 years of professional liability insurance experience. Prior to joining Berkley, Chris developed and led several professional liability programs, including managing a program for one of the nation’s leading accountants professional liability insurance providers. In addition to his program management experience, Chris has held various positions within professional liability insurance including sales manager, branch manager, senior underwriter and underwriter.

Chris is a licensed insurance agent and surplus lines broker in the state of California. He is based in San Carlos, California.

Diane has more than 25 years of experience in professional liability insurance, focused on risk management and loss prevention education. Since joining Berkley Design Professional in 2014, Diane has led the development of the award-winning BDP Risk® Learning Management System and the creation of risk management resources, live workshops, on-demand courses and curated learning plans to help architects and engineers improve their business practices and mitigate loss.

In her career, she has led in-depth claim studies to reveal the breakdowns in business practices that can lead to risk exposure, translating that heightened awareness of the risks that design professionals face into meaningful and effective training programs.

Diane is a regular speaker at professional industry and association events. She reviews contracts and is the editor of the BDP Contract Review Guide, as well as the author of numerous articles, guides and courses on topics including communication, documentation, contracts, scope creep and more. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Behavior from the University of San Francisco and is also a certified instructional designer. Diane is based in Monterey, California.