PLUS Foundation Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee

Meet the DEIA Advisory Committee –

In an effort to better support tomorrow’s diverse professional liability workforce, the PLUS Foundation has established a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Committee to guide the PLUS Foundation board about diversity and equity programming to and to provide feedback and make recommendations about the Leadership & Mentoring Program (LAMP).

We are pleased to introduce the 2023 DEI Advisory Committee:

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	Deshay Caines, VP-Colleague Engagement at Marsh McLennan, Bermuda
	Aneisha Goldsmith, RPLU began her insurance career nearly 25 years ago. Her experience includes roles in underwriting, claims, sales, marketing, and account management. She currently serves as Assistant Vice-President with Chubb in the Cyber/E&O space. Aneisha currently serves as the Chapter Chair of the Southwest PLUS Chapter and she received her Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation in 2015. Aneisha is Director on the PLUS Foundation Board and a co-chair of this DEIA Advisory Committee, is a member of the National African American Insurance Association, the Greater Phoenix Urban League, and the Project Management Institute. Aneisha participated in LAMP in 2019.
	Sarah Goldstein, is the Managing Partner of the Orange County office of O’Hagan Meyer, practicing employment law representing organizations of all sizes and advising companies on proactive compliance with employment and wage and hour laws. She received her B.A from Tulane University, a juris doctor from The University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a certificate in mediation from Pepperdine University and has been practicing law since 1998. Sarah first joined PLUS in 2002 and has participated on the Northern California and Southern California Chapter Steering Committees, chairing the Southern California Chapter from 2009 to 2011, instrumental in planning some of the earliest Women’s Leadership Network events. Sarah has worked on many PLUS committees, served on the PLUS Board of Trustees for six years, is currently a Director on the PLUS Foundation Board, and chairs this DEIA Advisory Committee. Sarah expresses a deep commitment to both Women’s Leadership and Diversity and Inclusion. She is a member of the Executive Committee at O’Hagan Meyer and is spearheading the organization’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
	Abbas Hassan is Core Specialty’s Director of Program Management. Abbas joined StarStone, Core Specialty’s predecessor company, in 2016 serving as an Underwriter for the Healthcare Professional Liability Division with a short stint at Nationwide in 2021 as a Program Underwriting Consultant. Prior to joining StarStone, Abbas started his career in 2012 as a Research Analyst with CNA Insurance and eventually joined the Underwriting Trainee program at CNA. Abbas has served as a Healthcare/MedPL Trend Advisor for PLUS, offering topic ideas and insights for PLUS publications and education seminars. Abbas graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Mathematics and an M.B.A. in Finance from William Paterson University.
	Courtney I. Maugé, Esq. is a licensed insurance broker specializing in the advisory and placement of Cyber Liability, Technology Errors & Omissions, Miscellaneous Professional Liability and Media Liability Insurance. She is a member of the Northeast Zone for Marsh’s National Errors and Omissions/Cyber Center of Excellence and serves as the primary liaison between Cyber Insurers and large U.S. commercial clients across the country. Outside of brokering, Courtney dedicates much of her time to Inclusion and Diversity efforts within the insurance community. Most notably, Courtney is known for her efforts in bridging the gap between the insurance community and Atlanta’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
	Wilma Merced, VP at Guy Carpenter began in an Executive Assistant position supporting a Managing Director who worked exclusively on Latin American business, became a professional standards officer and travelled across the US and Latin America assisting the compliance department, and was then promoted to a Technical Assistant position, supporting Managing Directors writing both Treaty and FAC Latin American business, finally moving into theNorth America Broking Team as a Vice President working on Property and Casualty business. Wilma championed an LGBTQ employee resource group, driving diversity initiatives within the company.
	Bhuma Patel is Head of Financial Institutions Underwriting for Vantage’s Insurance division and brings almost 20 years of Financial Institutions Professional Liability Underwriting experience at CNA, Axis, and ACE. Bhuma earned a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from New York University in 2002 and a Master’s in Business Administration from New York University in 2007. She currently serves on the PLUS Foundation Board and is co-chair of this DEIA Advisory Committee.
	Gloria Nava, RPLU+ is a solution focused leader with over 15 years of experience in the Insurance industry. She is deeply committed to her family, friends, colleagues, and community. Gloria is an Account Executive Officer for Travelers Companies, Inc. in the Southwest Region and specializes in Private and Non-Profit Management Liability Underwriting. She is enthusiastic about the PLUS Foundation’s Women’s Leadership Network (WLN) and Diversity Leadership & Mentoring Program (LAMP). Gloria completed the LAMP Program in 2018 and has served on the Southern California PLUS Chapter Steering Committee.
	Chris Nwabueze has spent his legal career practicing insurance coverage litigation and advice, currently at Cox PLLC where he advises insurers in complex coverage matters arising out of directors and officers liability, professional liability, cyber liability, commercial general liability, and excess insurance policies. Chris was selected by the Professional Liability Underwriting Society for its 2020 Cohort of the Diversity Leadership & Mentoring Program (“LAMP”). While in law school, Chris was named the Harold Sullivan Scholar by the Illinois Judges Association for academic achievement. He was an Editor on the Loyola University Chicago Consumer Law Journal and was a contributing author of Commercial and Professional Liability Insurance (Illinois) 2012 edition.