Millennials4Boards has formed a partnership with Worldwide Broker Network (WBN) to connect emerging insurance professionals with board-level leadership development resources, expanding governance training across WBN's global platform of 150 member firms in more than 100 countries.
The agreement links the Catalyst Academy program with Millennials4Boards' governance network, providing graduates complimentary one-year memberships that offer access to senior board members, governance expertise and a community of emerging leaders.
WBN operates as the largest independent broker network globally, with 80,000 employees and $123 billion in annual premiums placed, network data shows. The organization's member firms generate combined annual revenue exceeding $14 billion.
Catalyst Academy is WBN's leadership and mentorship program designed to advance careers of emerging insurance talent through coaching, technical training and networking. The program provides year-round access to a digital learning hub and board-level mentorship.
The initiative currently engages more than 250 participants across six continents. Worldwide Broker Network has expanded Catalyst into a global program following what it described as a landmark year.
Stephan Hillert, president of Millennials4Boards, said the partnership introduces board readiness concepts at an earlier stage of professional development.
"By welcoming Catalyst graduates into our community, we're giving future leaders early exposure to the tools, perspectives and skills needed to step into governance roles," Hillert said.
Olga Collins, chief executive officer of WBN, said the insurance industry faces ongoing talent and retention challenges. She said supporting Millennials4Boards aligns with the network's objective to advance young professionals' careers and invest in future leaders.
Collins has characterized 2026 as a year requiring strategic clarity as the market enters a softening cycle while confronting intensified risks from economic pressures, geopolitical instability and evolving workplace challenges.
Organizations are demanding more partnership and insight from advisors, and brokers need to elevate their role "as connectors — across markets, across borders and across disciplines," she said.
The talent development focus through programs like Catalyst aligns with Worldwide Broker Network's broader strategy to prepare future leaders for increasingly complex market conditions. In 2026, talent – finding it, keeping it and enabling it – will remain one of the industry's toughest constraints, Collins said.
Economic and geopolitical pressures will elevate cost containment from a reactive measure to a core operational priority across the industry, company analysis shows. Carriers are likely to lean on automation and efficiency measures to maintain profitability, while brokers face pressure to deliver value beyond competitive pricing.
The partnership will be inaugurated at the graduation ceremony for the next Catalyst cohort during WBN's 74th Global Conference in Philadelphia on April 30, 2026.
