Jon Ward is assistant vice president of risk services at RLI Corp., a 15-year employee who has risen up the ranks to an executive-level position since joining the company as an intern in 2003. He has been instrumental in driving key strategic initiatives that enable growth and profitability, while expertly managing risk on behalf of the company. His contributions span all product lines and are a key influence on industry practices.
Today, Ward oversees a team of directors, managers and analysts who measure and monitor the company’s exposure to losses from events such as hurricanes, earthquakes and terrorism. He also leads RLI’s corporate insurance procurement and reinsurance purchasing strategies, and is credited with building successful new partnerships and nurturing existing relationships. He was instrumental in bringing RLI’s mortgage reinsurance product offering to market in 2016 and continues to contribute to the ongoing work of its core underwriting team. In 2017, he led RLI’s efforts to become listed as a Lloyd’s of London coverholder.
Passionate about employee education and development, Ward participates in RLI’s Employee Mentor Program and is a sought-after speaker at events for a range of employee groups at RLI. A Certified Catastrophe Risk Analyst (CCRA), he has served on the International Society of Catastrophe Managers Board of Directors since 2015 and is an active leader in bringing the Reinsurance Association of America’s annual conference to life. He has also served as a featured panelist at the Marine Insurance Issues Seminar in New York City.
Outside of the workplace, Ward is president of the Illinois Central College Educational Foundation Board of Directors, having served as past chair of the Finance Committee and as a member of the Governance and Housing committees. As part of his six-year service to ICC, he regularly assists with scholarship selection for deserving students. His lead-by-example approach, passion for service, and focus on empowering and developing employees set him apart as a rising young executive and community leader. iBi
