Insurance Business America (IBA) has identified 73 women insurance professionals across the US for its 11th annual Elite Women list, highlighting leaders whose work over the past year has shaped operations, client service, and talent development across the sector. The 2026 group includes senior professionals from carriers, brokerages, managing general agents, specialty intermediaries, and advisory firms.
IBA opened a nationwide call for nominations to insurance professionals across the market, asking companies and individuals to put forward women whose achievements during the past 12 months demonstrated measurable business impact and industry involvement. Nominators were required to outline specific initiatives led or influenced by the candidate, including examples such as portfolio growth, new product or segment development, operational improvements, DEI or talent programs, and contributions to the wider insurance ecosystem through professional associations and community work. To limit conflicts of interest, self-nominations and nominations of family members were not permitted. Nominations were then reviewed jointly by IBA’s editorial team and an external panel.
An independent judging panel supported IBA in reviewing submissions and narrowing the field to the 73 executives on the 2026 Elite Women list. Panel members were:
Judges evaluated how each nominee’s recent work advanced her organization’s goals and contributed to broader market development, using both quantitative performance indicators and narrative descriptions of leadership and influence.
The 2026 Elite Women cohort reflects a cross-section of US insurance operations, from global carriers to regional specialists and niche intermediaries. Among this year’s recognized executives are:
The list covers leaders with responsibilities across commercial and specialty lines, retail and wholesale distribution, underwriting, placement, and executive management.
Insurance professionals can access the complete roster of 73 honorees, along with individual profiles and additional detail on the review process, in the IBA Elite Women 2026 special report.
