2025 Speakers

CREATER AND BEST-SELLING AUTHOR OF
THE HERO EFFECT®

Kevin Brown’s unconventional journey to success proves that winning in business and life demands thinking outside the box. Growing up in Muskegon, Michigan, his blue-collar roots instilled the value of hard work and determination. With a street-smart mindset and relentless drive, he rose from the front lines to the executive boardroom.

With over 30 years in franchise development, Kevin helped grow a family business into an industry leader with $2 billion in annual revenue. Since 2016, he has traveled the world sharing The HERO Effect®—a philosophy that sets world-class organizations and high performers apart.

As the father of a child with autism, Kevin knows success extends beyond business to real-life challenges. His bestselling books, The Hero Effect® and Unleashing Your Hero, inspire people to serve others and unleash their potential.

A sought-after speaker, Kevin has worked with top organizations like American Express, Delta Airlines, and PayPal. Recognized as one of the best motivational speakers, Kevin inspires audiences to show up and make a positive difference every day.

LIFE STRATEGIST AND INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER, CEO OF THE COACHING AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY (CAPP)

Valorie Burton, life strategist and international speaker, is CEO of the Coaching and Positive Psychology (CaPP) Institute. Her message emphasizes applied positive psychology—the study of what happens when things go right.

Her company provides coaching, coach training, and resilience programs, serving clients in all 50 states and 37 countries. Since 1999, she has authored 14 books, including Let Go of the Guilt, It’s About Time, and Successful Women Think Differently. She has appeared on the TODAY Show, CNN, Dr. Oz, and Essence, and spoken for organizations worldwide. Named a top motivational speaker and thought leader, her work inspires personal and professional growth.

For over 15 years, Valorie’s programs have helped people:

• Make exciting life changes.
• Find happiness and fun in routine life.
• Build leadership skills and achieve professional goals.
• Overcome setbacks and disappointments.
• Speak up with confidence.
• Sleep peacefully with better decisions.
• Tackle procrastination, emotional spending, and self-sabotage.

She and her husband Jeff live on a ranch south of Atlanta with their children.

PRESIDENT, BHSI NORTH AMERICA

Sanjay Godhwani is one of the four original founders brought in to build BHSI. Sanjay is President, BHSI North America, leading all product lines and customer & broker engagement. Sanjay has been in the insurance industry for over 25 years.

Prior to joining BHSI, he was  President of AIG Latin America and Caribbean and Property Product Line Leader, AIG Property Casualty in the U.S. and Canada.

Sanjay holds a Bachelor of Science degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and is a fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

DEPUTY EDITOR OF THE ECONOMIST

Robert Guest is Deputy Editor of The Economist, arguably the most influential news magazine in the world. He travels constantly around the world and speaks regularly to CEOs and entrepreneurs in all industries. He is a witty and entertaining speaker, who simplifies complex subjects and spices up his presentations with jokes and first-hand anecdotes.

He is regularly asked to chair conferences or give keynote speeches. Few other speakers can give such a vivid, up-to-date or global perspective on business and politics. Mr Guest has reported from more than 90 countries and lived in six. He has won numerous awards.

As The Economist's Deputy Editor, Robert helps oversee all the magazine's coverage of current affairs, from geopolitics to global economics. His previous roles include Foreign Editor, United States Editor and Business Editor.

PRESIDENT AND CEO, ASCOT U.S.

Matt Kramer joined Ascot Group in 2021 as President and CEO of Ascot U.S. Insurance. His role includes oversight and influence over underwriting performance, distribution management, product development and operational excellence. Throughout his 25+ year career, Matt has held a diverse range of underwriting and management positions, spanning a variety of specialty property and casualty insurance companies.

HEAD OF U.S. NATIONAL ACCOUNTS, ZURICH NORTH AMERICA

Paul Lavelle is the Head of U.S. National Accounts for Zurich North America and is responsible for the direction, management and performance of all large commercial and specialties business in the U.S.

Lavelle has more than 30 years of insurance experience and has held a number of claims and underwriting senior leadership and management roles. Prior to his appointment to Head of U.S. National Accounts, he served as Chief Claims Officer for Zurich North America. Before joining Zurich, he held several claims and underwriting senior leadership and management roles, first for Allstate and later at American International Group, Inc. (AIG) and Allied World Assurance Company. Lavelle also was President and Founder of LVL Claims Services, LLC, where he created and operated all facets of a professional liability claims adjusting company.

In 2023, Lavelle was named Insurance Executive Diversity Trailblazer of the year by the Water Street Club, a New York nonprofit committed to advancing diversity and inclusion within the insurance industry.

GLOBAL STRATEGIC ACCOUNT DIRECTOR, LINKEDIN

With over 20 years of experience in sales and account management, I am proud to manage LinkedIn’s largest and most strategic global accounts as part of the LinkedIn Sales Solutions team. Over the past decade at LinkedIn, I’ve not only delivered impactful solutions to help businesses thrive but also embraced my role as a Rock Your Profile Ambassador. In this capacity, I’ve had the privilege of coaching and training thousands of executives on how to effectively leverage LinkedIn and their networks to drive professional success. My expertise spans sales strategy, account management, leadership, and executive coaching, with a passion for empowering individuals and organizations to achieve their goals through LinkedIn’s platform.

Prior to my time at LinkedIn, I co-founded Harvest the Wind Network (HTWN) following the devastation of the EF5 tornado in Greensburg, Kansas, in 2007. Partnering with leading John Deere dealers across the U.S. and Canada, HTWN installed over 180 wind turbines in just six years, providing clean energy to hospitals, schools, and rural communities. I became a recognized leader in the Distributed Wind industry, serving on the board of the Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA), lobbying in D.C., meeting with White House officials, and chairing multiple industry events.

When I’m not helping clients unlock their potential, I enjoy spending time with my family in Colorado, skiing in the Rockies, and supporting local community initiatives.