Visionary Leadership

Management Team

Dennis N. Richard, Chief Executive Officer
John P. Greene, President and Chief Operating Officer
Barry Bergsman, Executive Vice President – Business Development

Kenneth Simon, Chief Marketing Officer
James P. Mazzarella, Technology Consultant
Gary Nenner, Production Consultant

 
Board of Directors

Upon full funding of the Network, the following people have agreed to join the Company’s Board of Directors:

Robert M. Bennett, Chairman of WRIN.tv
Linda Lamel, Adjunct Associate Professor at Brooklyn Law School
Stuart Subotnick, Chief Operating Officer of Metromedia Company
John P. Greene, President & COO
Robert W. Stein

Kerry Fleming

Dennis N. Richard, CEO

Bios

Dennis N. Richard – Chief Executive Officer

Mr. Richard began his television career as the Producer and Co-Creator of “The Premium Dollar Today,” a television series about the insurance industry that was broadcast on the Financial News Network, The Learning Channel, The Discovery Channel, USA Network and in syndication. He was the creator and executive producer of the television series, “Lawyers and the Law” and “The Banker’s Roundtable.” He is the founder of the Insurance Broadcast System, Inc., which was a satellite television network originally launched in 1996 that consisted of the Property/Casualty Television Network and the Life/Health Television Network. He has been involved in the energy business, Spanish language media and is a member of The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

John P. Greene – President & Chief Operating Officer

John’s professional career spans twenty-five years with several of the world’s largest multiline insurance, reinsurance and broking organizations. He is a creative and successful executive with broad experience in strategic planning, company and product positioning, media planning, market research, and web/technology development. Most recently, John was Managing Director and Head of Global Marketing and Communications for a leading worldwide reinsurance intermediary. He has headed up Corporate Marketing at a major global insurance company. His record of accomplishments includes award-winning advertising and marketing campaigns and social media initiatives. He launched an intellectual capital blog that publishes articles, reports, audio podcasts and video casts on a daily basis. He is also an experienced speaker on a range of topics including New and Social Media and Crisis Communications, and a member of the Marketing Executive Networking Group, American Marketing Association, and Insurance Marketing Communications Association. He is also a member of the Advisory Committee for the YMCA of Long Island, New York. John is a graduate of St. John’s University in New York.

Barry Bergsman - Executive Vice President – Business Development

Mr. Bergsman recently served as Chairman of NTN Buzztime, Inc, (AMEX-NTN) where as a member of the board, he served as a member of the Nominating & Corporate Governance Audit Compensation Committee. He was the founder and President of Intertel Communications, Inc, where he pioneered the use of interactive telephone technology for promotion, entertainment and information purposes developing programs for companies such as CNN, Fox Television, Paramount Television and Warner Brothers. He holds several patents in this field. He is the founder of Baron Enterprises, Inc., and has been involved in the production, syndication and bartering of television programs. He serves as a Director of Photogenesis, Inc., a private medical device and biotechnology company.

Kenneth Simon - Chief Marketing Officer

Ken is an accomplished executive with a record of creating successful business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing programs, including the development of innovative e-commerce and e-service capabilities, online customer acquisition and engagement programs, market and customer analysis, and website development and management. Ken has over 20 years’ experience in insurance and online marketing at some of the industry’s largest international insurers and technology companies, including Microsoft.  His record of accomplishments include: launching an ecommerce department for a major international insurance company, rolling out an enterprise-wide web-based underwriting and marketing system; developing online international programs to penetrate new markets; and redesigning corporate and online banking websites.  Ken is a member of the Marketing Executive Networking Group and is also an experienced speaker.  He earned his MBA from George Washington University in Washington DC and his undergraduate degree from University of Hartford, in West Hartford, CT.

James P. Mazzarella – Technology Consultant

Jim is President of Media Services and Solutions, providing strategic and tactical guidance to organizations. He brings a broad understanding of the evolving role that technology plays within the advertising industry. His clients include McGavren Guild Media and The Television Bureau of Advertising, where Jim was a lead consultant on the industry-recognized ePort project.  He is also a member of the mSnap Advisory Board, a leading mobile marketing company.  Jim was also Chief Information Officer for Interep National Radio Sales where he developed RadioExchange, electronic billing for advertising agencies. Jim also served as Corporate Vice President, Integration & Shared Services and Corporate Vice President, Chief Information Officer at The Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG), a multibillion dollar advertising, media and marketing communications holding company. As a member of IPG's Development Council, he was responsible for establishing the company's shared service technologies. Jim was also Worldwide Director, Information Systems at Ammirati Puris Lintas, chairman of the Technology Committee for the American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA's), and served on the White House General Industry Council on Year 2000 as an advisory member.

Gary Nenner – Production Consultant

As an innovative, multi-talented executive, Gary Nenner brings a distinctive blend of experience to the world of television and the internet. His career has impacted a wide range of what audiences have seen on television and in digital media over the past 25 years.  In his ten years at ABC News and ABC Sports early in his career, Gary personally produced some of the most famous and memorable televised sporting events, i.e. Olympics, Mohammed Ali/Boxing, World Series, US Open, and PGA Golf.  As President of Associated Broadcast Consultants, Inc. since 1992, Gary created the television series INSIDE THE LAW, which first aired in 1993 and can still be seen today on public television and the internet.  Nenner has created original business platforms for top organizations and businesses and has produced content that is at the forefront of business and consumer programming. He most recently produced award- winning videos on racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare for Aetna Insurance Company.  He also introduced a unique health series to public television, HEALTH CHOICES, which featured prominent healthcare professionals Drs. Andrew Weil and Deepak Chopra.  The one-hour special Sickle Cell Anemia… Battling Pain was viewed on the floor of the US Senate and helped to pass a $50 million dollar bill focusing on this debilitating disease.  In recent years, Gary was the creator of a business venture called My Library DV. This downloadable service is a digital video library available to patrons of public libraries all across the country.  Earlier in his career, Gary worked directly with Michael Bloomberg to bring the Bloomberg Business Television Network to the public. In addition, he served as Vice President of Programming for the Financial News Network.

Robert M. Bennett - Chairman of the Board

Mr. Bennett has had a long and distinguished career in broadcasting and today is recognized as one of the leading pioneers of local television and news programming. He began his career in television at KTTV-Los Angeles and then became General Manager of WTTG-TV, Washington, D.C., WNEW-TV, New York and then furthered his distinguished career as GM of WCVB-TV in Boston, where through his efforts, WCVB-TV was recognized by many as the number one television station in the country. He later went on to become President of Metromedia Broadcasting, (now Fox Television). He is the recipient of many awards including the Broadcasting Cable Hall of Fame, National Television Academy Management Hall of Fame, NAPTE President Award, MDA Paragon Award, Peabody Award and the 2005 National Association of Broadcasters Pioneer Award. Mr. Bennett, through WCVB-TV, known for its award-winning newscasts, was the first local broadcast station in the country to broadcast CNN.

Linda Lamel

Ms. Lamel has a diverse and extensive background in insurance. Currently in private practice specializing in regulatory matters and arbitration with the Law Office of Linda H. Lamel, she is a former President of The College of Insurance, and currently serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Brooklyn Law School. Ms. Lamel’s insurance career started in 1977 when she was appointed Deputy Superintendent of the New York State Insurance Department. Her responsibilities included financial regulation of property and casualty companies, regulation of not for profit health insurers and HMOs, and insurance company statutory examinations. She subsequently served as President of the College of Insurance and Vice President of TIAA-CREF where she managed their group insurance lines of business and developed their long term care products. She served as Executive Director of the Risk and Insurance Management Association (RIMS) and CEO of Claims on Line. Ms. Lamel holds a JD from Brooklyn Law School, an MA from New York University and a BA from Queens College Magna Cum Laude. She has served as a director of several insurance companies and is currently a member of the board of Universal American Co. and American Progressive Insurance Company which currently have some run-off lines of business. She is a member of the Association of Professional Insurance Women (and Pro Bono Counsel), American Management Association Council on Risk and Insurance, and several bar associations. She currently is co-chair of the Insurance Law Committee of the NY County Lawyers’ Assoc. and has previously chaired committees for the City Bar and NY State Bar Associations. She also serves as a member of the board of the Boy Scouts of Greater New York and Hour Children. She has spoken and is published widely on insurance issues. In 1988, she was selected as the Insurance Woman of the Year by the Association of Professional Insurance Women and in 2000 was selected by Crain’s Business Insurance as one of the 100 Women Industry Leaders.

Stuart Subotnick

Mr. Subotnick is a general partner and Chief Operating Officer of Metromedia Company, a privately held partnership of John W. Kluge and Stuart Subotnick. In 1967, he joined Metromedia, Inc., as Tax Manager and in 1981 became its Chief Financial Officer. In 1983, he was named Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration. In 1986, after the liquidation of Metromedia, Inc., he was elected Executive Vice President of Metromedia Company. He is a member of the Board of Directors of AboveNet, Inc.; Carnival Corporation (Presiding Director); The Schubert Organization; The Schubert Foundation; Conair Corporation; Metromedia Technologies, Inc., and Metromedia Steakhouses Company, L.P. (Vice Chairman). He also serves as Vice Chairman of Kluge & Company, a division of Metromedia Company engaged in the financing and strategic development of the Company’s operations. He is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Brooklyn Law School where he serves on the finance committee, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Scranton, and Baruch College and has been honored by numerous organizations, including Parkinson’s Disease Foundation, Brooklyn Law School, Park East Synagogue, Jewish Community House of Bensonhurst, Baruch College, Jerusalem Fund, Overcoming Obstacles, and The Back to Brooklyn Foundation. He graduated from City College of New York in 1962 and received his J.D. from Brooklyn Law School in 1968 and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University Law School in 1974. He was admitted to the New York Bar Association in 1969 and was admitted to practice before the Tax Court of the United States that same year.

Kerry M. Fleming

Kerry has over 30 years experience in financial services. He is an entrepreneur who has launched several successful companies that provide real estate, mortgage, insurance and related financial services to customers across the United States. He is Chief Executive Officer and President of KMF Group, Inc., a holding company for a group of companies he founded, including Long Island Title Agency, Inc, America Title Abstractors, Inc., Eagle Research Corp, KMF Associates, Inc., Members Mortgage Corporation and Long Island Settlement Company. He served on the Board of Directors of TRW Title Insurance of New York, and prior to that was Vice President of New York State Operations of operations at US Life Title Insurance of New York. He is active in several charitable organizations and civil service associations. He is a graduate of St. John’s University in New York.

Robert Stein

Bob has over 40 years of experience in advising the insurance industry on financial operating challenges. His emphasis has included designing and implementing solutions to improve the quality and value of management’s financial information, including the use of fair value frameworks for management reporting and decision making, developing risk measurement methods and practices for supporting economic capital, ERM and Solvency II initiatives; analysis of IFRS Phase II alternatives and options; implementing ERM organizations and processes; identifying appropriate candidates, assessing values, and pricing acquisitions; and assisting in audits of major insurer’s financial statements. He retired from Ernst& Young in 2011, where he led E&Y’s Global Actuarial Services Practice. He provided significant support to E&Y’s China financial services practice for over 10 years, spending time in the mainland market. Previously, he was a Director of E & Y’s Global Financial Services Practice. His leadership roles at E & Y have included Managing Partner roles in the following areas: US actuarial practice, US insurance practice, US financial services practice, Global financial services practice and Global actuarial practice. Major clients he has recently advised are ACE, AIG, Assurant, Manulife Financial, Axa, ING, PCC, China Life, ICBC, Prudential Financial, Lincoln Financial, New York Life, Travelers, XL Capital and Wellpoint. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, (FSA). He is a member of the AICPA, Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

Editorial Board

Andrew J. Barile, M.B.A., CPCU
Ken A. Crerar, President of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers
Jim Marks, CAE, CPCU, AIM, Former CEO of the CPCU Society
Simon Marks, Emmy award-winning independent broadcaster
Franklin W. Nutter, President of the Reinsurance Association of America
Stuart Subotnick, Chief Operating Officer of Metromedia Company

Jeff Bronough, Insurance Professional

Gary Curry, Founder and President, ORBA Financial Services