KAMP Leadership Award winners
This special peer-nominated award is given annually to Zurich team members who demonstrate the leadership qualities, spirit and dedication of John Keohane, Peggy Alario, Kathy Moran and Lud Picarro – our four Zurich North America colleagues who lost their lives in the World Trade Center collapse on September 11, 2001.
KAMP, an acronym made from the first letter of our four colleagues’ last names, also serves as a reminder about Keeping A Meaningful Perspective. KAMP Leadership Award recipients are honored by members of Zurich’s senior management team during the KAMP Leadership Award experience in New York City.
Meet our 2019 class of KAMP Leadership Award honorees:
Don Duffey
Enterprise Services, Schaumburg, Illinois
“I’ve been blessed and fortunate to have had strong, caring leaders and mentors. I’ll continue to pay it forward as a mentor and coach to family, friends and colleagues.”
As Assistant Vice President of IT Project Execution, Don impacts the entire organization. His passion to help his team members develop makes him stand out as a leader. “Don is clearly not out to build an empire on the back of others’ successes,” says one of his nominators. “He is genuinely happy when people he works with succeed.”
Don was an integral part of the Contingent Workforce Management project, which changed how host managers engage and track contingent workers. He established a PM Community of Practice to enhance project execution through collaboration, sharing best practices and mentoring. Don is actively involved with professional organizations and events in and outside of Zurich, participating in several Employee Resource Groups and encouraging his team to volunteer with organizations that include Habitat for Humanity and Feed My Starving Children.
Joe Garnett
Technical Underwriting, Schaumburg, Illinois
“I didn’t know John, Peggy, Kathy or Lud, but what I know of them is they were ordinary people quietly and daily doing extraordinary things … To be thought of in that regard is a wonderful feeling.”
Joe’s dedication to helping those around him improve propels others to achieve their full potential. One of his nominators likens Joe to “the teacher who puts in the extra hours to ensure that every student is capable of taking the information and using it to improve their performance.”
Joe’s mentorship extends beyond his professional expertise. He works with his church to help couples foster a healthy and communicative partnership. He had been Board President of Habitat for Humanity Lake County affiliate for five years, until stepping down to become a board member of United Way. Joe is also involved with three of Zurich North America’s Employee Resource Groups: Zurich African Ancestry Alliance (ZAAA), Women’s Innovation Network (WIN) and Good NewZ.
Maureen Jordan
Claims, Center Valley, Pennsylvania
“It is wonderful inspiration to continue to strive to give excellent service to our customers as well as to give back to my community.”
As a senior trial attorney for Claims Staff Legal, Maureen is a passionate and driven advocate for Zurich and our customers. She helps customers better understand the sometimes complex and confusing litigation process. Maureen takes the time to mentor her team, including having colleagues assist her in trying major trials. One of her nominators says, “Maureen is a terrific mentor. The practical, hands-on learning I received from these trials was invaluable to my personal growth and development.”
Maureen is also focused on doing the right thing for the communities where we live and work. She leads engagement efforts for her office, leading and participating in Community Investment and Employee Engagement initiatives such as Ronald McDonald House Charities, food drives for United Way, International Women's Day and Zurich Classic Team Spirit Day.
Lauren Ribando
Office of the Chief Operating Officer, Schaumburg, Illinois
"I have been given a lot of opportunities at Zurich and I’ve had a lot of colleagues invest in helping me grow. I hope to do the same for other colleagues.”
As a Customer Experience Manager, Lauren brings colleagues together to innovate, solve and execute. According to one of her nominators, “She can hear something in an unrelated forum, make a connection with the work she is doing, and connect the two initiatives.” Lauren is committed to enhancing programs and improving the experience of Zurich employees. She expresses the “why” behind projects as she describes the benefits of a change or development.
Lauren also values giving back to our communities by playing an active role in nonprofits. As a founding member of Shelter, Inc.’s Associates Board, Lauren helped design the purpose and goals of the group and recruit new members. Although Lauren is no longer a member of the board, she continues to support Shelter through charity events, marketing, sharing ideas and creating awareness for the organization.
Catherine Richeal
Claims, Parsippany, New York
"I will continue to support and lead my team in delivering excellent technical results and ensuring we are also delivering compassion and understanding to the injured worker and response service to our customers.”
As a Workers’ Compensation Major Case Unit (MCU) team manager, Cathy recognizes every interaction is attuned to the value of claims and understands the impact major case claims have on our customers and Zurich. One of her nominators explains, “It is with this tangible knowledge that she leads, so all who interact with her choose to perform at their best.”
Cathy encourages colleagues to join her in community volunteer efforts and opportunities to lead these efforts. In 2016, she received Zurich’s Community Investment Volunteer of the Year Award for driving charity efforts in her office for organizations such as The Rose House, Parsippany Emergency Food Pantry and Special Olympics. Cathy is also deeply involved in the needs of military service people and has children serving our country.