2023 Distinguished Speakers

Eric Arnum

Eric Arnum is the editor of Warranty Week, an online publication written for the warranty industry professional. Based in New York and launched in late 2002 as both a free weekly email broadcast and a website at www.warrantyweek.com, the newsletter has quickly gained a following among manufacturers, retailers, servicers, and insurance professionals. Subscriptions to the free weekly email edition have now surpassed 7,000 people, while Web traffic is typically around 12,000 to 15,000 page views per week.

Weekly topics have included specific market close-ups on product warranties, extended warranties, claims rates in industries such as air conditioning, automotive, PCs, disk drives, printers, consumer electronics, solar panels, construction, mining, telecommunications equipment, plasma TVs, jetliners, sports stadiums, new homes, skateparks, and farm equipment. On a quarterly basis, trends in warranty claims and accruals by more than 800 manufacturers are detailed in depth. Also featured are periodic articles about industry conferences and warranty claim processing and analysis software providers.

Before launching Warranty Week, Arnum edited two different newsletters about the data communications industry -- Messaging Online, and Electronic Mail & Micro Systems (EMMS) -- while also engaging in custom research projects tracking the growth of the World Wide Web in Europe and the market for Internet services in South America. He also has worked as a reporter and freelance photographer for various online music publications. Eric Arnum is a graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in economics.

Drew Arnum

Drew Arnum is the editor-in-chief of Warranty Week, the premier online publication for warranty professionals. Launched in late 2002, the weekly publication reaches thousands of manufacturers, retailers, servicers, consultants, and other warranty professionals, either as an email newsletter, or as a webpage, at www.warrantyweek.com. Topics discussed in Warranty Week include extended warranties and service contracts, laws and regulations, insurtech and warranty analysis software, and quarterly product warranty expenses for over 1,000 manufacturers in industries including appliances, automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, new homes, wind turbines, solar panels, heavy equipment, and semiconductors.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Drew grew up in this industry, and first joined the staff of Warranty Week in 2009 doing data entry and graphic design. Drew became the editor-in-chief of the publication at the beginning of 2023. Drew is also an avid world traveler. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a BA in Geography and International Relations.

Eric Becker

Eric is responsible for the team that manages the extended service plans programs as well as the registration process for Whirlpool Corporation as part of the Independent Business Units. Eric is leading the shift of how Whirlpools executes ESPs to position the business to be a key contributor to the bottom line. Currently his team is focused on shifting from a term-based product offering to a self-underwritten product. He's been a Whirlpool lifer having just completed his 14th year (not including an early-days internship). In his time at Whirlpool, Eric has covered areas from Indirect Procurement, to manufacturing, distribution, service engineering, and many years in CI, OpEx, and analytics, and finally ESPs. Prior to Whirlpool, Eric attended Ohio State University where he studied Logistics Management and Marketing. Eric lives in SW Michigan with his wife and daughter and outside of work, thoroughly enjoys all of the outdoor opportunities Michigan holds for fishing and hunting.

Doug Bell

Mr. Bell, has over 35 years of experience in the aftermarket and OEM automobile industry including aftersales, warranty, extended warranty, certified pre-owned, and prepaid maintenance, as well as operations, sales & marketing, product development, pricing, policy administration, risk management, reinsurance, affinity insurance and direct sales programs.

Innovation, leadership and technology drives business transformation. Creating a competitive edge: the value of cross‐industry knowledge is a critical criteria for success as organizations become more global in their reach.

Doug’s vision and tenacity helped to transform Nissan Extended Services into a full service provider including advanced F&I technology with SaaS, e-Contracting, e-Menu, e-Signature and a Tableau reporting solution.

Doug holds an BS degree in Marketing & Economics and a MBA from Babson College, Wellesley Massachusetts.

Clayton Bodnarek

Clay leads bolt’s US/Canada distribution for our growing Telecom vertical and has 35 years of experience in the space. Additionally, Clay manages our delivery of embedded protection products for our P&C, Home Warranty, Employee Benefits, Travel and Specialty Devices market segments. Prior to joining bolt, Clay was the Global Head of Business Development and Commercial Operations at Brightstar. Outside of work, Clay and his wife enjoy practicing and competing in ballroom dance competitions across the US.

Angie Breedlove

Angie Breedlove is a 30+ year veteran in the warranty industry with a knack for getting things done, sometimes by sheer force of will, and sometimes with the help of a double shot venti latte.

With a career that's taken her from processing warranty claims to starting a company, she has led warranty strategy and development for Maytag, Lowe’s Home Improvement, Assurant and is now CoFounder and Chief Revenue Officer for Xcelerator Group. She likes to say if there is a job in the warranty and services industry that she hasn’t done, it was probably in Accounting.

When she isn’t working with the team at Xcelerator Group, you can find her leading Women of Warranty as their Executive Director. Women of Warranty was founded in 2023 as a way to foster more female leaders, business owners, entrepreneurs and trades people in the warranty industry.

Brian T. Casey, Esq.

As Co-Leader of Locke Lord's Regulatory and Transactional Insurance practice group, and a member of the Firm's Corporate, Capital Markets and Health Care practice groups, Brian focuses on corporate, merger and acquisition, corporate and structured finance and other transactional, and regulatory matters for corporate clients in the insurance, financial services and health care industries. One significant facet to Brian's practice is a focus on insurance-linked securities and related insurance capital markets transactions. His clients include insurance companies, insurance holding companies, managing general agents and insurance agencies, third party and claims administrators, banks and other financial institutions, investment banks and reinsurance companies.

Benjamin Cohen

Christopher Costin

Christopher Costin is the Senior Director of Global Business Development for AIG’s Warranty & Service Programs division. In 5 years at AIG, Christopher has been responsible for new business strategy and product development initiatives for Global and U.S. OEM, Retail and Financial Services partners in addition to management of existing global OEM accounts.

Prior to joining AIG, Christopher spent 11 years in finance and accounting as a licensed CPA. Christopher graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S in Accounting in 2006 and a M.S. in Accounting in 2007.

Todd Cote

David Froning

David Froning directs a Product Management team that focuses on Quality & Service Solutions. Mr. Froning works in partnership with manufacturers, suppliers, and industry organizations to develop solutions for manufacturing industry issues such as early warning, accelerated problem solving, predictive maintenance, and fraud detection.

Before SAS, Mr. Froning worked for General Motors. He managed the development, operation, and continual improvement of quality and warranty information systems across GM’s North American operations and supplier community. His experience also includes work with leading automotive market research firms. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State University and a Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin.

Sanja H.Abdic

Sanja H.Abdic is the Vice President of Client Management for Marsh’s Warranty Practice. During her tenure with Marsh, Sanja has been responsible for managing all aspects of client management for the practice’s major clients. Additionally, Sanja serves as a leader for any Automotive Initiatives for the practice. Sanja’s unique experience in product development and client management meld together to make her an extremely valuable client advocate in designing new and relevant products that meet client demands, while ensuring relevant details are provided and verified prior to engaging with underwriters and insurer partners.

Prior to joining Marsh, Sanja spent 11 years with a leading underwriter and administrator of extended warranty products. In this role, she was in charge of product development and lifecycle management for major clients. She has been regularly called upon to champion client and product development initiatives with global range and impact, including launching a complete suite of ancillary products, streamlining fulfillment process for high impact clients, and developing and piloting a proactive product development process in the United States, then successfully modifying this process as geographically necessary and implementing in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Mexico, and Puerto Rico.

Sanja holds a BS degree in Psychology from University of South Florida, and an MBA from Webster University.

Mark R. Hatch

Dr. Mark R. Hatch is an award-winning CEO, “godfather” of the maker movement, author of two books, and sought-after speaker, advisor, and consultant on organizational purpose and strategy, radical innovation, digital transformation, exponential organizations, advanced manufacturing, and leadership. He is faculty at Singularity University and Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School, where he teaches digital transformation and innovation strategy to the next generation of values-based leaders. He is also currently a fractional CEO of two startups, a next-generation Nanoparticle lithium-ion battery material company and a fintech, recurring-revenue health insurance audit platform.

He has spoken at the White House, the UN, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Council on Foreign Relations, and many others; he has spoken to corporate groups from GE, Ford, P&G, ExxonMobil, Kraft, Autodesk, SABIC, and many others. Mark has appeared on most major US television news channels and is quoted in numerous prominent magazines and newspapers.

Michael Huff

Michael Huff has over thirty years of Sales, Operations, Finance and Insurance leadership experience in the Automotive OEM sector. He has lived / worked in various countries (US, Canada, Germany, Bermuda) and regional / head-quarter offices globally. He is currently head-quartered out of Bermuda with subsidiary offices in the US, Canada and Malta. Michael has global responsibility for all consumer insurance/service contract products and corporate reinsurance programs at Nissan. Today, he oversees insurance/reinsurance/service contract products in 34 countries.

Eric Johnson

GE Appliances is committed to bring happiness and well-being to every home. This mission has taken on new meaning in the Internet of Things era. With over 20 years of experience leading New Product Introductions across multiple product lines, Eric and his teams have helped to build the necessary product infrastructure needed to support this new wave in diagnostics technology. In his current role, Eric has created the service strategy for North America’s leading manufacturer of connected appliances.

Jeremy Kuchenbecker

Jeremy has a 14-year track record in the retail automotive, aftermarket F&I, and TPA industries where he has successfully managed F&I departments and spearheaded strategic initiatives in sales and IT.
Currently at APCO Holdings, Jeremy leads the Enterprise Digital Strategy where he is responsible for aligning data and technology with the company's overarching sales and technology strategy. Over his seven-year tenure with APCO, Jeremy has been the architect of numerous projects, ranging from enterprise level CRM buildouts and complex sales migrations to the development of e-commerce solutions and the creation of transformative data products.
With unique expertise spanning sales, strategy, and IT, Jeremy's focus has been on the enhancement of the customer experience and the creation of sustainable competitive advantages for APCO within the marketplace. Beyond his corporate roles, Jeremy is also the founder of an innovative automotive SaaS company focused on enabling dealers to offer a fully digital sales and delivery experience.
Jeremy earned his B.S. in Marketing from the University of Central Florida and extends his influence by sitting on the Board of the University of South Florida's Executive Digital Marketing program.

Aleem Lakhani

Aleem Lakhani is CEO of VectorSolv Inc., a datatech enterprise focused on next-generation solutions for the warranty industry.

Aleem has 30 years of wide-ranging warranty industry experience, including domestic and international. Aleem’s academic training includes quantitative methods (McGill), operational research (MIT), behavioral sciences (Yale), and law (Toronto).

Rodney Martin

Rodney was born in Roanoke, VA and spent his early years in Lynchburg, VA then high school and college in Asheville, NC. This is where he met and married his high school sweetheart, Cheli. Rodney graduated from the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA) majoring in Chemistry. He also holds an MBA from Indiana Tech. Rodney spent 25 years in the hazardous waste industry working for the following companies; GSX, Laidlaw Environmental Services, Safety-Kleen and Clean Harbors. Over that time, Rodney and Cheli have lived in Asheville, NC; Greensboro, NC; Vancouver, BC; Bellingham, WA; Rockford, IL; Lansing, MI; Columbia, SC; Indianapolis, IN and they now reside in Atlanta, GA. During his career Rodney has held senior-level positions in operations, sales, human resources and executive leadership. Rodney has been CEO of America’s Preferred Home Warranty since 2013.

Rodney is an active member of the National Home Service Contract Association (NHSCA), National Association of REALTORS (NAR), REALTORS Political Action Committee (RPAC), Real Estate Services Providers Council (RESPRO®,) the Service Contract Industry Council (SCIC) and the Jackson Area Association of REALTORS (JAAR.) Rodney and Cheli have 3 grown children; Courteney, Tiffany and Daniel. During their free time you can find them boating, hiking, walking their dogs or touring on their Harley Davidson motorcycle.

Tim Meenan

Tim Meenan is the Managing Partner of Meenan PA, an insurance and service contract regulatory law Firm. Tim was the founding General Counsel and Executive Director of the Service Contract Industry Council, the Guaranteed Asset Protection Alliance, and the Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association, and has presided over state law changes in all 50 state for almost 30 years which have created a stable regulatory environment for service contracts, GAP, and other protection products. Tim’s practice focuses on helping insurers, providers, administrators and others gain National compliance in this evolving area.

Taj Mian

Travis Moore

Travis Moore is General Counsel for the Service Contract Industry Council, Motor Vehicle Protection Products Association, and the GAP Alliance. Travis engages with regulators and legislators across the country to advocate for the home, auto, and consumer goods service contract industries. In addition to being an expert in the service contract regulatory world, Travis is an entrepreneur and business owner in Kansas City.

Travis received a B.A. from North Park University in Philosophy with a certificate in non-profit business administration from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. He received his J.D. from the John Marshall Law School (now UIC Chicago School of Law) and is the recipient of the Chicago Bar Liberty Bell Award.

Jim Mostofi

Career Summary

Education and Credentials

Kippy MacNulty

With an impressive tenure of more than 25 years in leadership roles, Kippy MacNulty brings deep experience in account management, marketing, strategy and operations to her role. Currently serving as the VP of Business Development at Marcone, the leading parts distributor in North America for industries ranging from appliance repair, HVAC and plumbing to commercial kitchen setups and pool and spa maintenance. At the core of her professional journey is a passion for creating tangible value. Whether it's for clients, partners or the consumer, Kippy’s initiatives have always focused on driving growth and spurring innovation for the industry.

Taking the helm of business development at North America's pre-eminent parts distributor, Kippy has been instrumental in furthering Marcone's mission. Her leadership is evident in the company’s continued expansion and its stronghold in multiple industrial sectors. She is deeply committed to her industry, always looking for ways to drive innovation and growth. But it's not just about the numbers for her; she takes pride in forging genuine, lasting relationships and ensuring that she creates value for everyone she works with.

Mark Nagelvoort

Mark Nagelvoort is widely recognized as pioneering software administration systems within the Extended Warranty and F&I Product industry. He is a seasoned executive who has dedicated 30+ years to creating platforms that help the world’s TPAs, OEMs, and Insurers automate administration processes effortlessly. Mark specializes in using his expansive knowledge to help customers establish all phases of their extended warranty programs including sales, policy and claim administration, risk management, and offshore reinsurance within our PCRS software.

Matt Parsons

As Chief Revenue Offices, Matt’s primary focus is client success and satisfaction while expanding Registria’s client portfolio.  With more than 20 years of client services and operations experience, Matt joined Registria in March 2017 and manages Client Success, Sales and implementation. Prior to Registria, Matt was an early executive at PowerReviews, acquired by Bazaarvoice in 2012 and re-started as an independent company in 2014. Before joining PowerReviews, he held client services and operations roles at Qwest Communications, BearingPoint and Fogdog.com.  Matt has also served on various non-profit boards and is a graduate of Stanford University.

Kolby Rath

Kolby is the Aftermarket Services Portfolio Manager for Deere & Company In this role Kolby is responsible for the Extended Warranty business for both Ag & Turf and Construction & Forestry Divisions and sits on the Board of Directors for John Deere’s Captive Insurance Company. In addition, Kolby oversees Expert ServicesTM and John Deere ProtectTM which serve to expand John Deere’s global customers capability to manage their cost of operation across the John Deere Enterprise.

Kolby has spent 13 years with John Deere in various field, factory, and corporate roles within Customer & Product Support and Product Marketing. Prior to John Deere, Kolby gained valuable experience as a technician and Service Manager & Warranty at an Ag Equipment Dealership as well as a Harley Davidson Dealership.

Kolby grew up on a small Iowa farm balancing livestock and row crop with working in his father’s auto salvage business and grandfathers electrical and plumbing business. Kolby is a graduate of Iowa State University and enjoys spending time outdoors with his wife and three sons.

Kevin Roney

Kevin Roney currently leads Business and Strategy Development for Whirlpool's Extended Service Plan program. Prior to this role, Kevin's career has touched on virtually every functional area of both manufacturing and service oriented companies, with a strong emphasis on Finance and P&L management. His passion for consumer focused loyalty initiatives has allowed him to develop multiple innovative business models, including several new consumer benefits for large OEM brands.

Kevin welcomes inquiries and benchmarking opportunities for all facets of the ESP Value Chain, where it does not introduce direct conflicts of interest with Whirlpool's proprietary business model.

Scott Sherrod

Scott founded Warranty Design in 2015 following protection product roles at both Bankers Financial and AIG. In the past eight years his firm has consulted with hundreds clients seeking to create or improve their protection product offerings – from global brands to startups. Solutions include all aspects of product creation, including conceptualization, process design, actuarial support, compliance, and administrator/insurer selection. His firm partners with nearly all administrators and insurers in the industry to bring these programs to life. His relationships with both clients and industry partners give Scott a broad view of the industry.

Dan Tafel

Dan helped start Ironwood Warranty Group, part of a well-established Life Insurance company founded in 1906. Ironwood, the parent company of Hornbeam Insurance and National Service Alliance, are focused exclusively on the warranty market. As a member of the Executive Team, Dan leads Ironwood Warranty Group’s sales and marketing initiatives.

Prior to joining Ironwood Warranty Group, Dan was Vice President of AIG’s global sales and management team for multinational warranty clients. He initiated client relationships and managed a team to launch AIG’s first two global warranty client with both Apple and Dell. He was responsible for organizing AIG’s regional offices to support multinational clients operating in over 70 countries spanning Europe, Middle East, Asia Pacific, and Latin America Regions.

Dan started his career in marketing with Philip Morris leading to Southeast Asia in 1993 where he founded a trade distribution company. In 1994, Dan established a licensed representative office in Vietnam, which managed marketing and distribution for consumer product companies such as L’Oréal and Keebler foods.

Dan returned from Asia in 1997 to join Appriss, a technology start-up specializing notification services. After leading government sales, he launched a commercial division for Appriss in 1999. Dan proposed and implemented the travel industry’s first flight status notification system with American Airlines in 2000.

In 2002, Dan joined Service Net leading business development. As a principal and member of the leadership team, Dan contributed to the growth of Service Net with the development of new clients including Philips, LG, and Apple. In 2010, AIG acquired Service Net to leverage both global and administrative opportunities.

Brian S. Tretter

Brian Tretter is the General Counsel of Rely Home, Inc., one of the largest home warranty service contract providers in the United States. Rely Home owns the Choice Home Warranty and Home Warranty of America brands. As General Counsel, Brian is responsible for all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters at Rely Home and its family of brands.

Brian received a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. form St. John’s University School of Law.

Matthew Weil

Executive Vice President of American Guardian Warranty Services, Inc. joined as Legal Counsel in 2006. He served as Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary until 2022 when he was promoted to Executive Vice President. He has experience in managing litigation, contracts, compliance, state filings, acquisitions, intellectual property, and other legal matters. His experience includes advising business leaders on the operational and business impacts of specific legal issues.