Executive Leadership

Marc Schmittlein serves as President and CEO of CopperPoint Insurance Companies. He joined the company in 2016, bringing more than 30 years of commercial insurance experience.

Under his leadership, CopperPoint has been on a journey of transformation to realize its vision of becoming the leading regional commercial insurance company for the western United States.

Prior to joining CopperPoint, Schmittlein spent 12 years at The Travelers Company. His most recent position was President of cyber business and Co-President of business insurance. He also served as President and CEO of the small commercial division known as Select Accounts, a $2.7 billion division of Travelers' Business Insurance that included workers’ compensation, business owner's policy, umbrella coverage and commercial auto.

Schmittlein also held leadership roles in the commercial divisions of St. Paul Companies and Aetna.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Allegheny College. He currently holds the designations of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and Accredited Advisor in Insurance.

Schmittlein serves on the board of directors for Banner Health, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the advisory board of the Arizona Chapter Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Sara Begley is Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of CopperPoint Insurance Companies. She joined CopperPoint in 2008 and became General Counsel in 2014.

In her role, she oversees all legal functions and regulatory affairs for the company.

Prior to joining CopperPoint, she served as the Deputy Director of the Arizona Department of Insurance.

Begley holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Arizona State University, earned her law degree from the University of Arizona and achieved a designation as a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU).

Begley is an active community leader. In 2018, she was named General Counsel of the Year by the Phoenix Business Journal and received the Ronald McDonald “Heart of the House” Award. In 2019, she was named one of Arizona’s Most Influential Women in Business. She serves on the board of directors of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Arizona, the 2020 Women on Boards and the Arizona Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Fund.

Ginny Caro is Senior Vice President, Chief Claims Officer. She joined CopperPoint Insurance Companies in 2000 and has more than 30 years of experience in medical case management and the insurance industry.

In 2008, Caro became Director of Claims Management and led the move to centralize claims management into CopperPoint's home office. In 2010, she was promoted to Vice President, Claims Services and was named Senior Vice President, Claims Services in 2017.

She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Missouri and a master's degree in human resource development and management from Webster University in St. Louis. She holds a designation of Associate in Claims and General Insurance.

Caro is active in community service programs. From 2008 to 2014, she served on the Valley Leadership Board of Directors.  She currently serves on the board of directors for Positive Paths, the East Valley Partnership and the Kids Chance of America Advisory Board.

Tom Collins serves as Senior Vice President & Chief Underwriting Officer for CopperPoint Insurance Companies.

In his role, he is responsible for leading the organization's team of underwriters to work with select agents and brokers to realize CopperPoint's business and operating strategies. He joined CopperPoint in 2017, bringing more than 30 years of insurance experience.

Collins spent his early career rooted in California workers' compensation. Throughout his career, he has held positions of increasing responsibility at Safeco Insurance Company, Georgia Casualty and Surety, Holman & Company, CNA and Westfield Group.

Prior to joining CopperPoint, he served as Assistant Vice President of Commercial Lines Underwriting at Grange Mutual Casualty. There, he was responsible for a team of approximately 90 underwriting associates and field personnel and charged with bringing in $230 million of standard and specialty lines premium.

Collins earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics at California State University in Fullerton. He holds designations as a Charted Property Casualty Underwriter, an Associate in Commercial Underwriting, a Certified Risk Manager and an Associate in Commercial Underwriting, Management. He is also a Certified Insurance Counselor.

He serves on the board of directors for the Brain Injury Alliance of Arizona.

Rachel Davis-Schultz is Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer.

She joined CopperPoint in 2019 as Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer and was promoted to Executive Vice President the following year. She is responsible for leading all aspects of human resources across the CopperPoint Family of Insurance Companies.

She brings over 21 years of experience in human resources management, benefits, talent management, employee engagement, culture transformation and more. Throughout her career, Schultz has been involved in several major acquisitions and successful integrations and has led teams that have experienced significant organic and inorganic growth.

Most recently, Schultz served as a Senior Human Resources Director for Express Scripts, a pharmacy benefit manager and a Fortune 20 organization with $100B+ in annual revenue.

Schultz earned a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Purdue University and a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Lindenwood University. She attained the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification from the Society of Human Resources Management.

She serves on the board of directors for UMOM New Day Centers of Phoenix.

Dana Ferestien is Regional President, Alaska & the Pacific Northwest. 

He joined the company in 2015 and most recently served as Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Liability Claims.

Prior to joining Alaska National, Ferestien practiced law for over 15 years.

Ferestien earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Vanderbilt University Law School.

He is a board member for both the American Bar Association and the Washington State Bar Association.

Michael Goldman serves as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development.

His responsibilities include the oversight and execution of the inorganic strategy of the CopperPoint Family of Companies. The strategy includes acquisitions, mutual affiliations, strategic partnerships, assumed reinsurance and other vehicles.

He joined CopperPoint in 2013 as Director of Business Development. Throughout the following years, Goldman held various positions of increasing responsibility.

Prior to joining CopperPoint, Goldman held roles with Zurich and Liberty Mutual.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a Master of Business Administration from St. John’s University.

Goldman is a board member of the Arizona Business and Education Coalition, the Anti-Defamation League – Arizona region. He’s also a member of the Arizona State University W.P. Carey School of Business Dean’s Council.

Dave Kuhn is Regional President, PacificComp, and Executive Vice President, Enterprise Distribution for CopperPoint.

He joined the company in 2018, bringing more than 30 years of experience in the property casualty industry.

In his role as Regional President for PacificComp, Kuhn is responsible for profit and loss in the California region. In his role as Executive Vice President of Enterprise Distribution, he is responsible for setting the overall distribution strategy and approach for the enterprise.

Most recently, Kuhn served as Regional Executive for QBE Insurance, where he was responsible for launching their Western region. Previously, he served as Regional President for Hanover Insurance Group, where he oversaw the company's Pacific region. Past positions included roles at Bank of America Insurance Group, The St. Paul Companies and Hartford Specialty Company.

Kuhn earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Le Moyne College. He holds Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate Risk Management (ARM) designations.

Brad Lontz is Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer.

He joined the company in 2019, bringing with him more than 25 years of leadership experience.

Most recently, he served as Chief Information Officer for the California Dental Association. Prior to that, he was the Chief Information Officer for Nautilus Insurance Group (a Berkley Company). He also spent eight years at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company in several IT management and development roles of increasing responsibility.

Lontz received his Bachelor of Science in Computer and Electrical Engineering from Purdue University and his Master of Business Administration from the Indiana University Kelley School of Business.

He is a member of the AZ CIO Group and serves on the board of directors of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Arizona Chapter. Previously, he served as the Vice President of the Arizona chapter of the Society of Information Management.

Thomas Pytel, Jr. is Vice President, Chief Marketing and Corporate Communications Officer.

He joined the company in 2020, bringing more than 18 years of experience, 14 within the property and casualty insurance industry. Pytel is responsible for brand strategy, advertising, corporate communications, digital marketing, consumer research and creative services. He also oversees enterprise and regional community giving to support brand awareness through the company’s community giving partnerships.

Most recently, Pytel served as Vice President, Marketing & Corporate Communications for Mutual Insurance Company of Arizona. Prior to MICA, he was Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications for Nautilus Insurance Group (a Berkley Company). His career also includes time as Vice President, Marketing & Communications for CAMICO Mutual Insurance Company, and as the Global Head of Creative Services for Allied World Assurance Company.

Pytel received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island.

He currently serves on the board of directors for the Greater Phoenix Division of the American Heart Association. Previously, he served on the Board of Directors for the Insurance Marketing and Communications Association (IMCA).

Bob Roland is Executive Vice President, Chief of Staff and Chief Administrative Officer for CopperPoint.

He joined the company in 2017 with more than 30 years of experience in the property and casualty industry. His responsibilities include claims and related processes, corporate development, internal audit and the integration of alternative growth and acquisitions.

With deep knowledge of property and casualty insurance, he is a respected expert in data management. He has significant experience in merger integrations, having led more than 15 financial integrations, as well as in strategic systems development in which he has led more than 20 large-scale systems development projects.

Previously, Roland served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Financial and Actuarial Operations at The Travelers Company. During that time, he also supported business insurance, effectively managing the flow of data throughout the enterprise and to many external reporting functions. While at Travelers, Roland served on the Business Insurance Strategic Leadership group, the CFO Counsel and numerous steering groups.

He holds a Bachelor of Science in Management with a Human Resources Concentration from the University of Connecticut.

Scott Shader is Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

He joined the company in 2017, bringing more than 30 years of experience in commercial lines insurance, including expertise in analysis, building and running businesses with property and liability responsibility, product underwriting and technology oversight. In his role at CopperPoint, he is responsible for core business operations in support of strategic initiatives and corporate growth plans.

Previously, Shader was Executive Vice President at Endurance Express and oversaw contract binding at Endurance Insurance. He also held roles as Executive Vice President at Axis Express Solutions, as well as Axis Capital, and had other leadership positions at The Hanover Insurance Group and The Willis Group.

Shader graduated summa cum laude from State University New York (SUNY) in Oswego, N.Y. and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration.

He serves on the board of directors of Southwest Human Development.

Ken Kirk was appointed to the CopperPoint Board of Directors in 2013. He now serves as CopperPoint's chairman of the board, chair of the Finance and Investment Committee and member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Prior to serving as chair, Kirk served as vice chairman.

Kirk has extensive experience in the insurance industry. He currently serves as president of BroadStreet Partners, an investor in insurance brokerages. He has strong expertise in sourcing and developing insurance agency partnerships, extensive knowledge in agency operations, and mergers and acquisitions.

In 1989 Kirk acquired Insurance West in Scottsdale, AZ., and served as its chief executive officer. In 1995 Insurance West merged with Brown & Brown Insurance where Kirk was regional president until 2010. Earlier in his career, Kirk was with Arthur Andersen & Co

Kirk is founding chairman of the Arizona chapter of Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), a nonprofit organization. He also is a member of the Paradise Valley (Ariz.) Country Club finance committee. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Arizona State University.

LoriAnn Lowery-Biggers joined the CopperPoint Board of Directors in 2015. She currently serves as Chair of the People and Performance Committee and serves on the Finance and Investment Committee.

Lowery-Biggers has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. She has held executive leadership positions at The Navigators Group Inc. Wells Fargo, Marsh & McLennan and Sedgwick Inc.

Lowery-Biggers is currently CEO of BellaVaughan, Inc. and serves as a non-executive director at Protective Insurance, Co., Brown and Riding, and BMS Group. She is also a board member of several non-profit organizations, including A21, an anti-human trafficking group, A21 is a recipient of the Mother Teresa Harmony Award.

Judith Patrick was appointed to the CopperPoint Board of Directors in 1992 and served as Chair from 2009 to 2014. She currently serves on the Audit and Compliance Committee and the People and Performance Committee. 

She is a principal of R.G. Patrick Land planning and Development in Tucson. Previously, Patrick owned companies in the Tucson area, including R.G. Patrick Ltd, HP Tradition Homes, JR Development, Catalina Sail & Marine, and Las Brisas Cable. From 1973 through 2000 she held a variety of positions in Pima County government including the Board of Supervisors, Central Permits, and Building Codes. She served as the director of Land Planning and Development Services for Pima County from 1991-2000.

In addition to Board positions with CopperPoint, Patrick serves on the Southwestern Fair Commission, and is a member of the Tucson Airport Authority. She also served on the Pima County Self Insurance Trust Fund and the City of Tucson's Public Safety Retirement Board.

Patrick is a longtime volunteer and activist on behalf of the Tucson Boys Chorus and the Pima Council on Aging. She is an active member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC). Patrick earned a Certification of Public Management from the University of Arizona and an Associate Degree of Public Management at Pima Community College. In 2019 she earned a Certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from NACD.

Marc Schmittlein joined the CopperPoint Board of Directors in 2017. He joined CopperPoint in 2016 as President and CEO, bringing more than 30 years of commercial insurance experience.

Under his leadership, CopperPoint has been on a journey of transformation to realize its vision of becoming the leading regional commercial insurance company for the western United States.

Prior to joining CopperPoint, Schmittlein spent 12 years at The Travelers Company. His most recent position was President of cyber business and Co-President of business insurance. He also served as President and CEO of the small commercial division known as Select Accounts, a $2.7 billion division of Travelers' Business Insurance that included workers’ compensation, business owner's policy, umbrella coverage and commercial auto.

Schmittlein also held leadership roles in the commercial divisions of St. Paul Companies and Aetna.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in English from Allegheny College. He currently holds the designations of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and Accredited Advisor in Insurance.

Schmittlein serves on the board of directors for Banner Health, the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association and the advisory board of the Arizona Chapter Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

Mike Tully joined the CopperPoint Board of Directors in 2019. Mike is the Managing Partner of Horizon Strategic Advisors, a strategy advisory firm. He is the former President and CEO of AAA Arizona where he led the transformation of the organization into one of the most dynamic and fastest growing AAA organizations in the US. During his 18-year tenure with AAA Arizona, he also held COO and CFO positions. Tully currently serves as chair of CopperPoint’s Audit and Compliance Committee and is a member of the People and Performance Committee. 

Tully is recognized as one of the first 100 Certified Directors in the U.S.  for the National Association of Corporate Directors and serves on the board for Pacific Southwest Chapter. He also serves on the Advisory Board for Gainey Business Bancorp and OralKleen and serves on several community boards including United Way and McDowell Sonoran Conservancy and is a mentor for the Arizona Commerce Authority Venture Ready Program.