The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers announced expanded leadership roles and significant growth of its Government Affairs team in 2025, reflecting increased legislative and regulatory activity impacting commercial insurance brokers. The expansion positions The Council to more actively engage on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies on issues critical to member firms. The announcement underscores The Council's commitment to advocacy on behalf of the commercial brokerage community.
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THE COUNCIL ANNOUNCES EXPANDED LEADERSHIP ROLES & GROWTH OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAM IN 2025
- Ken Haltenhof promoted to SVP of Membership
- Beth McMahon promoted to SVP of People & Culture
- Expanded roles for tenured staff announced across Market Intelligence, Meetings and Membership teams
- Audra Jackson joins The Council as Director of Government Affairs
- Ken Haltenhof promoted to SVP of Membership
- Beth McMahon promoted to SVP of People & Culture
- Expanded roles for tenured staff announced across Market Intelligence, Meetings and Membership teams
- Audra Jackson joins The Council as Director of Government Affairs
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Council is pleased to announce newly-expanded roles for tenured staff and the continued growth of its Government Affairs team, in support of key objectives for 2025 and beyond. These plans align with President/CEO Joel Wood’s commitment to developing Council talent and expanding on the association’s core membership benefits.
“Delivering on the promises we make to our members requires creativity, curiosity about their business and priorities, and a commitment to upholding the standard of excellence they expect from our team. I’m very pleased to announce expanded roles for several members of our team who demonstrate these qualities, and congratulate them on their achievements.”
- Ken Haltenhof has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Membership. Ken joined The Council in 2019 and has served as Vice President of Membership since 2021. Over this time, he has built and led a high-performing team, responsible for recruitment and retention of the top brokerage firms in the industry. In his new role, Ken will expand on his contributions to the strategic direction of the association, forecasting and responding to the evolving needs of our member firms.
- Beth McMahon has been promoted to Senior Vice President of People & Culture. Since joining The Council in 2023, Beth has played a pivotal role in establishing structures and processes that foster an inclusive and supportive work environment, enabling The Council to attract and retain top talent for the benefit of our member firms. In this expanded role, Beth will continue to lead all aspects of The Council’s People & Culture strategy, ensuring that talent remains at the core of the association.
- Brianne Spellane has been promoted to Vice President of Membership. Brianne has been a valuable member of The Council team for nearly 15 years. Since joining the Membership team in 2023, she has excelled in serving the needs of Council members and communicating the value of the association to prospective firms. In her new role, Brianne will be focused on prospecting efforts and new member onboarding.
- Katie Wyckoff (formerly Katie Lesemann) has been promoted to Vice President of Meetings. In her six years with The Council, Katie has been instrumental in the planning and execution of The Council’s flagship leadership forums and in-house events, including Working Group and Academy programs. She will now lead all in-house events and oversee the newly created Operations & Working Groups Forum.
- Sandy Laycox will now have the dual title of Editor-in-Chief, Leader’s Edge & Vice President, Market Intelligence. Since joining The Council in 2015, Sandy has led the Leader’s Edge team in producing best-in-class industry coverage and extending its reach with topical newsletters, podcasts and digital-first content. In her expanded role, Sandy will draw from her experience overseeing The Council’s longstanding P/C market survey to deliver new data and insights that enhance membership value.
- Ken Haltenhof has been promoted to Senior Vice President of Membership. Ken joined The Council in 2019 and has served as Vice President of Membership since 2021. Over this time, he has built and led a high-performing team, responsible for recruitment and retention of the top brokerage firms in the industry. In his new role, Ken will expand on his contributions to the strategic direction of the association, forecasting and responding to the evolving needs of our member firms.
- Beth McMahon has been promoted to Senior Vice President of People & Culture. Since joining The Council in 2023, Beth has played a pivotal role in establishing structures and processes that foster an inclusive and supportive work environment, enabling The Council to attract and retain top talent for the benefit of our member firms. In this expanded role, Beth will continue to lead all aspects of The Council’s People & Culture strategy, ensuring that talent remains at the core of the association.
- Brianne Spellane has been promoted to Vice President of Membership. Brianne has been a valuable member of The Council team for nearly 15 years. Since joining the Membership team in 2023, she has excelled in serving the needs of Council members and communicating the value of the association to prospective firms. In her new role, Brianne will be focused on prospecting efforts and new member onboarding.
- Katie Wyckoff (formerly Katie Lesemann) has been promoted to Vice President of Meetings. In her six years with The Council, Katie has been instrumental in the planning and execution of The Council’s flagship leadership forums and in-house events, including Working Group and Academy programs. She will now lead all in-house events and oversee the newly created Operations & Working Groups Forum.
- Sandy Laycox will now have the dual title of Editor-in-Chief, Leader’s Edge & Vice President, Market Intelligence. Since joining The Council in 2015, Sandy has led the Leader’s Edge team in producing best-in-class industry coverage and extending its reach with topical newsletters, podcasts and digital-first content. In her expanded role, Sandy will draw from her experience overseeing The Council’s longstanding P/C market survey to deliver new data and insights that enhance membership value.
“I was fortunate to inherit a talented, experienced team when I assumed the CEO role last year. The changes we’ve made to refine roles and elevate tenured staff in 2025 will position us to achieve the near- and long-term objectives we’ve set out for this association.”
Additionally, The Council is pleased to announce that Audra Jackson has joined The Council as Director of Government Affairs. Audra most recently served as Special Assistant to the President and House Legislative Affairs Liaison for the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. Before joining the Biden-Harris Administration, she worked on the House Floor supporting Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Audra will report to Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, Joel Kopperud.
“Audra’s reputation on Capitol Hill and experience managing congressional relationships for the White House and Democratic leadership will be an asset – not just to The Council but to our industry-at-large,” said Kopperud. “We’re proud to welcome Audra to the Government Affairs team, and excited to see our membership community benefit from her insight and expertise.”
Interested in working at The Council? Visit our website to learn more about our people and our core values.
Founded in 1913 and based in Washington, D.C., The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers is the premier association for the top 170 regional, national and international commercial property/casualty insurance and employee benefits intermediaries worldwide. Council members are market leaders who annually place 90 percent of U.S. commercial P/C premiums and 70 percent of all employee benefits business. The Council’s Government Affairs team represents our member firms with a strong, unified voice on Capitol Hill and within the regulatory space. CouncilPAC, The Council’s political action committee, consistently maintains its position as the leading PAC in the insurance industry. In addition to providing best-in-class talent development resources through The Council Academy and publishing Leader’s Edge, an award-winning industry content platform, The Council hosts two marquis events for our membership and their carriers and strategic partners – the Insurance Leadership Forum for the commercial P/C sector and the Employee Benefits Leadership Forum for EB executives.
