Previous Award Recipients
2012 Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
Blake Kuppersmith ('02), Insurance Major, Recipient of The College of Business Early Career Achievement Award in Insurance – 2012.
Kuppersmith joined Swiss Re through the International Graduates Program (IGP) and recently completed the Swiss Re Leadership Development Program (LDP). He currently manages the Business Development department within the America's Facultative Department. Business Development is tasked with implementing company growth initiatives and coordinating with various cross functional teams outside of Facultative.
Kuppersmith is married to Dawn Kuppersmith, also an Illinois State alum ('02). They currently have two kids, Liam (3) and Marlo (1). Kuppersmith continues to stay involved with the College of Business and the Katie School of Insurance, even though they now reside in the Atlanta, Georgia Area.
2011 Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
Aaron Harmon ('02), Insurance and Finance Major
Recipient of The College of Business Early Career Achievement Award in Insurance - 2011
Aaron Harmon is an assistant vice president within ACE USA's management liability division focusing on directors and officers (D & O) liability insurance for publicly traded companies. He manages the publicly traded D&O group for the Midwest and Southwest regions.
Employed by ACE since 2003, Harmon has held leadership assignments in both national and regional account segments, including two years with ACE's Atlanta office as the Southwest Regional Manager for the management liability division. He earned his MBA in finance from DePaul University in 2007.
2010 Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
Rob Parent ('97) - Insurance Major
Recipient of The College of Business Early Career Achievement Award in Insurance - 2010
Robert Parent is a director of planning and analysis at State Farm Insurance, with leadership responsibility for cost-benefit and incentive program analysis. Previously, Parent performed a variety of management roles in the company’s internal audit, expense processing, and general accounting functions. Parent earned the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter; Associate in Insurance Accounting and Finance; and Fellow, Life Management Institute designations.
2009 Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
Dawn Forden ('99) - Insurance & Finance Major
Recipient of The College of Business Early Career Achievement Award in Insurance - 2009
Dawn (Skaggs) Forden is a Vice President at Swiss Reinsurance America Corporation. Since joining the company Forden has had the opportunity to work both in the United States and overseas, including several international projects through the company’s home office in Zurich, Switzerland and in the London insurance marketplace.
Forden earned her Charted Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Reinsurance (ARe) designations. She continues to stay connected to the Katie School of Insurance and College of Business where she also majored in finance. Forden, her husband Patrick ’98 finance/insurance, and their children, Joshua and Alyssa reside in the Chicagoland area.
2008 Early Career Achievement Award Recipient
Alan Kubitz ('94) - Finance/Insurance and Marketing Major
Recipient of The College of Business Early Career Achievement Award in Insurance - 2008
Alan Kubitz is director of risk management at the HAVI Group LP. With more than 7,000 employees in over 40 countries, HAVI specializes in providing comprehensive, customized supply chain solutions and promotional marketing services to its customers. Kubitz's current role encompasses a wide variety of risk categories and involves integrating enterprise risk management practices into the culture.
Kubitz is active in the insurance community and serves as the current president of the Chicago Chapter of the Risk and Insurance Management Society. Alan held risk management positions with increasing responsibility at Abbott Laboratories, General Binding Corporation, and CF Industries. He also has experience in claims management with Specialty Risk Services.