The Future of Environmental Risk in Today’s Businesses and Communities

Environmental exposures are commonly associated with construction projects, hazardous chemicals and waste in processing and manufacturing, and materials like asbestos. However, environmental liability lurks among all business sectors, from complex to small, and even unsuspecting individuals. Environmental risk management strategy and financial assurance extend beyond insurance professionals and require partnerships that include attorneys, banks, accountants, and environmental engineers. Join us to learn more about the importance of building these teams and the confluence of environmental risk with cyber attacks, natural disasters, storm runoff, and other emerging situations that will impact today's businesses and communities.

Speakers/Presenters:

• Chris Bunbury, President of Environmental Risk Managers, Inc. (ERMI) and Environmental Strategist, Inc. (eSI). 

Upon graduation from Michigan State University with a BS in Natural Resources, Chris entered the insurance industry during the 80’s as the environmental insurance market began to reemerge.  It was a natural fit for Chris to specialize in environmental risk management and insurance as a retail agent and then as founder and President of national environmental insurance wholesaler, Environmental Risk Managers, Inc..

Chris is a nationally recognized speaker of environmental risk management and insurance.  

• Teresa Chan, Director, Master of Professional Studies in Insurance Management (Moderator)

With over 27 years of experience in the insurance industry, Teresa Chan is a recognized leader and innovator in the areas of renewable and alternative energy, niche market development, and policy drafting. Throughout her career, she has tackled emerging issues by building and leading multi-disciplinary teams and delivering client-focused solutions.

Most recently, Chan served as Business Manager for an InsureTech business incubator supported by Willis Towers Watson. Three businesses were launched, leveraging emerging tech capabilities to underwrite specialized markets such as renewable energy and management/cyber liability.

Previously, Chan spent 22 years at AIG, where she served as both Senior Vice President of AIG Energy Warranty and Director of Corporate Product Development. She led the creation of over 100 white papers for new property, casualty, personal, life, accident, and health coverage. She also launched first-in-market personal and corporate theft products.  

Chan also led successful efforts to insure and finance new energy technologies, including solar, wind, waste-to-energy, and biofuel projects that reduce carbon emissions, promote green communities, and generate employment. Her work in the energy sector continued after AIG as an Advisor to New Energy Risk. 

At AIG Chan was also charged with managing a business development initiative that partnered with Native American tribal governments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, and the Department of the Interior to facilitate the expansion of tribal businesses. 

She began her career at AIG as an insurance regulatory attorney providing counsel to domestic and international profit centers, as well as overseeing insurance holding company compliance requirements. 

Chan earned her J.D. from Fordham University and her B.S. in Operations Research from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University. She has been recognized by publications including “25 Women to Watch” in Business Insurance and “Top Insurance Women” in ReActions Magazine. In addition to being a Board member of Insurance Federation of New York, Teresa serves on the Advisory Boards of Business Insurance DEI Institute, NAAIA New York, Asian American Insurance Network, and is a member of the Triple-I non-resident scholar team.

Chan actively serves as a mentor to many professionals in the insurance industry.

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