PLUS Announces 2026 Board of Trustees

Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) Announces 2026 Board of Trustees and Executive Committee

The Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) today announced the election of its 2026 Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. The PLUS Board serves on behalf of the Society’s 45,000+ members to advance the mission of PLUS, set the organization’s strategic direction, and champion the growth and development of the professional liability industry. Trustees play an essential role in establishing long-term priorities, electing the Executive Committee, and serving as ambassadors for PLUS programs and initiatives.

Incoming Trustees

PLUS members elected the following individuals to three-year terms on the Board of Trustees:

• Japhet Boutin, Zurich North America
• Brian Braden, Crum & Forster
• Nicole McAuley, Forbes Chochla Leon LLP

Japhet Boutin serves as Senior Vice President and Head of Technical Claims for Zurich North America. She leads Zurich’s Technical Claims Department, overseeing Financial Lines, Surety, Latent & Environmental, and Property Claims. She previously served as Vice President and Director of Financial Lines Claims, guiding a broad portfolio that included D&O, E&O, EPL, fiduciary, cyber, healthcare, and more. With over 25 years of industry experience, Japhet joined Zurich in 2009 after practicing law and holding various claims roles at AIG. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Barnard College, Columbia University, and a Juris Doctor from Temple University. Japhet is a recognized industry leader, serving as co-chair of the PLUS Conference (2023–2025), a Fellow of the Partnership for New York City, and a board member of The Bridge Transcends.

Brian Braden is Vice President of Business Development and Chief Revenue Officer for the Executive Risk Division of Crum & Forster. With 35 years of experience in executive and professional liability—including E&O, D&O, crime, and cyber—he oversees nationwide distribution strategy and has served in underwriting and brokerage roles at Navigators, Zurich, Transatlantic Reinsurance Company, The Home Insurance Company, and Tri City Insurance Brokers. A longtime PLUS volunteer, Brian has served on the Eastern Chapter Steering Committee, PLUS International Conference committees, and the PLUS Foundation Board of Trustees. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has a long history of volunteer leadership in youth sports, church programming, community outreach, and scouting.

Nicole McAuley is a Partner at Forbes Chochla Leon LLP in Toronto, Canada. Her practice focuses on employment litigation, directors’ and officers’ matters, human rights claims, and professional liability. She has represented a wide range of professionals and corporations in complex litigation and advises clients on employment issues related to hiring, human rights, discipline, and termination. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from McMaster University and earned her law degree from the University of Manitoba.

Re-elected Trustees

PLUS also re-elected the following trustees to a second three-year term:

• David Lewison, Amwins
• Alison Martin, Chubb

2026 Executive Committee

The PLUS Board elected the following individuals to serve on the 2026 Executive Committee:

• President: La’Vonda McLean, Marsh
• President Elect: Alison Martin, Chubb
• Secretary/Treasurer: David Garrigus, HUB International
• Vice President: Brian Braden, Crum & Forster
• Immediate Past President: Jacqueline Waters, Aon

Departing Trustees

PLUS extends its sincere gratitude to the following departing trustees for their dedicated service:

• Jay Karp, Travelers
• Kimberly Melvin, Wiley Rein LLP
• Robert Parisi, Munich RE America Inc.

Their leadership, time, and vision played a meaningful role in furthering PLUS’s mission.

For more information about the duties and roles of the PLUS Board, please view our Board of Trustees.

About PLUS
The Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS) has over 45,000 professional industry members from throughout North America and around the world. It is the only association created exclusively by and for the entire professional liability industry. PLUS is recognized as the primary source of professional liability educational programs and seminars, networking events, educational products and information regarding professional liability. Membership consists of individuals in the professional liability industry representing thousands of companies active in many industry fields. Additional information can be found at PLUSweb.org and on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. PLUS’s address is 5353 Wayzata Blvd, Suite 306, Minneapolis MN 55416.

For more information, please visit www.plusweb.org or call 800.845.0778.