NetDiligence®, a leading provider of cyber risk readiness and response services, yesterday announced the winners of its 2022 Toby Merrill Awards at the company’s Cyber Risk Summit in Philadelphia. NetDiligence presents these awards each year honoring the late Toby Merrill, an icon in cyber insurance. The Toby Merrill Award for Excellence is given to a seasoned cyber insurance thought leader, the Rising Star Award is given to an emerging insurance professional, and the Community Spirit Award acknowledges an individual who fosters camaraderie and community within the cyber insurance industry.
2022 Award for Excellence – Leigh McMullan, Crum & Forster
Leigh McMullan serves as a Senior Vice President of Crum & Forster (C&F) Executive Risk Division, where she manages the Management, Professional, and Cyber Liability businesses. Leigh is a noted expert on matters in executive risk and professional liability and speaks regularly on topics impacting the insurance marketplace. She is the former President of the Board of the John Street Insurance Association (2017-2018) and previously served on the Professional Liability Underwriting Society’s Eastern Chapter steering committee (2013-2017). Prior to joining Crum & Forster, Leigh worked at Valiant Insurance Company, and began her insurance career at ACE USA. She was named one of the “Elite Woman” in insurance by Insurance Business America in 2019.
2022 Rising Star Award – Michael Phillips, Resilience Cyber Insurance Solutions
Michael Phillips is the Chief Claims Officer of Resilience Cyber Insurance Solutions. He also serves as the Co-Chair of the Ransomware Task Force convened by the Institute for Security & Technology. He previously served as the Head of Cyber, Media, and Technology Claims for North America at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty, and as a cyber claims leader at Beazley. Michael was previously a litigator in private practice at the global law firm of Clyde & Co, representing international insurers in disputes before US federal and state courts and before a diverse array of arbitral institutions. He was twice named a Rising Star by Super Lawyers, and recently concluded his tenth year on the executive board of the New York American Inn of Court.
2022 Community Spirit Award – Jim Leonard, Kroll
Jim Leonard is an associate managing director in the Cyber Risk practice of Kroll, based in Nashville. Jim has more than 20 years of experience helping organizations develop proactive strategies and resolve challenges relating to crisis management, investigations, data breach investigations, response, and cyber liability risk.