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Lindsay Mayernik

Networking

Save the Date! 2025 Minnesota Insurance Hall of Fame

Save the date! We’re thrilled to announce the second annual Minnesota Insurance Hall of Fame. Please join us to honor the following 8 Minnesota insurance industry legends.

Monica Engel
Retired SVP, President of Government Markets
Blue Cross Blue Shield MN
CEO of Blue Plus

Nyles R Gentz
Gentz Fincial Service

Bill Jeatran
Founder/Former CEO RFJ Agency
Vice Chairman Marsh McLennan Agency

Patrica R Johnson, JD
Former President and CEO
State Fund Mutual Insurance Company

Chris Schneeman CLU,ChFC, RHU
Employee Benefits Risk Advisor
Formerly SevenHill Benefit Partners

Mark Sheehan, CPCU
CEO Twin City Group
Founder of Park Glen National Insurance Company

Paul Steuven
Former CEO/Treasurer
Fairmont Farmers Mutual

Gloria Thompson
Professional Agent -North Risk Partners
Educational Consultant – Big I of MN

Location: Woulfe Alumni Hall, Anderson Student Center, University of St. Thomas

Date: October 9, 2025

Time: Cocktail reception at 5:30, dinner and ceremony at 6:30

Registration can be found here. If you or your company is interested in sponsoring this event, that information can be found here.

August 16, 2025 by Lindsay Mayernik

Academics, Travel

Risk Management & Insurance in London 2025

Tommies Abroad at Lloyd's of London

On January 5, 2025, a group of St. Thomas students and two professors took off from MSP on the start of a three-week adventure in London learning the basics about the global risk management and insurance industry. After 2 days of classes on campus, students enrolled in the J-term Introduction to Risk Management and Insurance course immersed themselves in the sights, sounds, culture and global insurance ecosystem that is London!

The students, representing a diverse group of majors from St. Thomas – Business, Accounting, Economics, Actuarial Science, Management, and more – spent a whirlwind three weeks in a mixture of classroom lectures and site visits to a variety of companies and locales. These site visits included Travelers, an in-depth look at catastrophe modeling and fraud detection at Verisk, a morning at Apollo syndicate (co-founded by Minnesota’s own Jim Hayes, who was inducted in the innaugural class of the Minnesota Insurance Hall of Fame on UST’s campus in the fall of 2024), and time with Holborn Re’s London-partners AHJ. In addition, a London-located alum supplemented the classroom experience with his insider’s view of what reinsurance brokering looks like in the London market. And, of course, the highlight of the site visits was a small-group tour of Lloyds of London, the global heart of the industry!

Outside of the classroom and site visits, students found plenty of ways to immerse themselves in London and beyond with premier league soccer (ok, football) matches, walking tours, museums, and exploring one of the world’s great cities! During their free weekends, various students managed to find their ways to Paris, Berlin, and Dublin. More importantly, they also managed to find their ways back to London by Monday morning class time!

The University of St. Thomas offers this introductory RM&I class on campus each semester and strives to offer it in London every other January. We are always looking for site visit partners and classroom guests, so if you or your company have a London presence and might want to help, please drop Dr. Mike Axtell an email at mike.axtell@stthomas.edu

July 24, 2025 by Lindsay Mayernik

Student Spotlight, Travel

Student Spotlight: Salma Thompson, DFC ’24, Current UST Senior

A group of students at Risk World, 2024. Salma is pictured in the middle of the top row.

Salma Thompson completed two years at UST’s Dougherty Family College (DFC) and graduated in the spring of 2024 with an associates degree in Liberal Studies. She is now attending the University of St. Thomas to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. Salma was a recipient of a travel scholarship to attend RISKWorld 2024 in San Diego in early May. She said it was “Everything I could have imagined – fantastical and exhilarating”. Funded by a grant received from the Spencer Educational Foundation, Salma joined 3 other DFC students and 4 students from the four-year UST to attend industry talks, explore the convention’s Marketplace, meet with various insurance companies and individuals, and soak in the largest gathering of RM&I professionals in the western hemisphere!

Born and raised in St. Paul, Salma choose to start her college career at the DFC because of her older brother’s experience attending. She loved how DFC has created a beautiful community where everyone (faculty and students alike) are looking out for, and supporting, each other. It was at DFC that Salma first became interested in the RM&I industry, and actuarial science in particular. Prof. Mike Axtell (associate director of UST’s RM&I program) spoke to DFC students about the various opportunities in the RM&I industry, and Salma found herself excited to hear about how she could utilize her love of mathematics to have a rewarding career in an industry that strives to help people. She is looking forward to starting her major coursework this summer and learning more about the industry through her involvement with UST’s chapter of GIS.

In Her Own Words

Where are you from? St. Paul born and raised!

How did you get interested in the RM&I world? Dr. Mike came to DFC to play up the industry and careers, I had no firm thoughts prior to that. If the RM&I industry is wanting me, Salma is interested!

How did you enjoy RISKWorld? Everything I could have imagined – fantastical and exhilarating.

How did you select DFC to start you college career? My older brother went and loved it. It felt like a no-brainer due to the support provided (academic and financial). Plus, purple is my favorite color.

What did you enjoy most about your two-years at DFC? I really connected with everyone on a human level – we are all students but humans before that. The community is really beautiful with everyone pulling together to help everyone succeed.

Why RM&I? I really like using data to make everyday life better. I want to make things easier using science and math to implement and improve.

July 24, 2025 by Lindsay Mayernik

Alumni

Alumni Spotlight: McClain Beaudette, ’24

Photo of McClain Beaudette, ’24

McClain Beaudette is a 2024 University of St. Thomas graduate. He majored in Marketing Management, with an RM&I certificate. He joined the St. Thomas chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, and after networking with industry professionals, registered for the RM&I certificate, in order to pursue a career in insurance. During an internship with Farmer’s Insurance, he gained a new appreciation for the fast paced nature and opportunity for lifelong learning within the industry. His coursework continued to expose him to new facets of the insurance industry, and new connections with insurance professionals. He accepted an internship with Munich Re, following a connection made at the 2023 GIS national convention, which he received funding to attend through the Spencer Educational Grant. Following that internship, he was offered a position in their Graduate Trainee Program, which has led to a full-time role as an underwriter. “None of this would be possible though without the support that I have received from the RM&I and Actuarial faculty as they have provided industry insights and support throughout my years here. I cannot wait to see what the program becomes and the opportunity for more and more students to get into insurance.”

July 24, 2025 by Lindsay Mayernik

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