Management

Daniel Wichels
Chief Financial Officer

Daniel Wichels, our Chief Financial Officer, has responsibility for the financial operations of Allianz Global Assistance in the Americas region and for the US business unit. In the US, he oversees the accounting and controller functions as well as financial insurance and data analysis and financial planning and analysis.

Daniel joined the Allianz Group in 2001 and became Chief Investment Officer at Allianz Global Assistance Group in Paris in 2008. He was transferred to the U.S. in 2011 to oversee finances in the Americas Zone.

Daniel received a doctorate in political science (dr. rer. pol) from the European Business School in Oestrich-Winkel, Germany.

• AGA - Daniel Wichels - Corporate Biography (137 Kb)

Mike Kunc

Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer

Mike Kunc joined Allianz Global Assistance in 2008. He is responsible for managing all aspects of the company’s human resources department, including recruitment and retention, compensation and benefits, legal and compliance issues, and HR marketing and communication. In addition to managing a diverse workforce, he is responsible for positioning the company as an Employer of Choice and supervises strategic human resources planning for the Allianz Global Assistance companies in North and South America.

Mike has 30 years of experience in personnel management and human resources, with expertise in employee relations, strategic and tactical project management, acquisitions and integration, training and facilitation, and organizational development.

During his almost two decade tenure at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Mike held several senior management positions including Director of Staffing, Director of Employee Relations, and Director of Regional Human Resources.

Born in Raleigh, North Carolina, Mike attended the University of North Carolina and received a Bachelor of Science in industrial relations in 1979.

He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and a member of the Association for Corporate Growth. Mike is the former chairman of the Richmond Private Industry Council, and has served on many community boards including those of Richmond Workforce Investment, Leadership Council/Workforce One, and Challenge Discovery.

• AGA - Mike Kunc (425 Kb)

Fred Faett
Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary

Fred Faett oversees all legal affairs including contracts, litigation, and regulatory matters. He joined the company in 2000, after working for seven years in a wide variety of corporate legal positions at PHICO Insurance Company, a medical malpractice insurer headquartered in Pennsylvania.

He also gained valuable experience in writing appellate opinions while working as a Law Clerk for Judge Madaline Palladino on the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Pennsylvania State University, and his law degree from the Duquesne University School of Law in Pittsburgh. Fred is a licensed P&C and L&H agent in the state of Virginia, and is a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and Virginia. He sits on the board of Jefferson Insurance Company, and also serves as Secretary and General Counsel. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Association of Corporate Counsel, the U.S. Travel Insurance Association, and the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Fred is also active in his community, and serves on the board of his neighborhood homeowners’ association.

• AGA - Fred Faett (447 Kb)

Pam Dufour
Senior Vice President, Chief Operations Officer

As the head of Operations since 2006, Pam Dufour is responsible for all aspects of front-line service delivery including international assistance, customer service, claims management, and related back-office support services. Pam also has responsibility for operations strategy for Allianz Global Assistance companies in North and South America.

She joined the company in 1992 as the Director of Marketing, and has held several senior management positions over the years in customer service, sales, and operations. Prior to taking over Operations, she was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales and Marketing.

Pam’s extensive experience in corporate project management, product development, and quality management with Sun Trust Bank, along with her passion for a strong customer focus and service excellence, have been instrumental in the company’s receipt of several important quality awards during her tenure. Allianz Global Assistance received the ICMI’s Global Call Center of the Year Award for outstanding customer service, and also the prestigious SPQA Medallion of Excellence.

She has a master’s degree in business from Virginia Commonwealth University and a bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from James Madison University.

Pam serves on the Board of Directors of Jefferson Insurance Company.

• AGA - Pam Dufour (512 Kb)

Laura B. White

Chief Risk and Compliance Officer

Laura White joined Allianz Global Assistance in 2008. She is responsible for risk management and compliance, including operational risk, internal controls, business continuity and regulatory compliance. Laura also oversees risk management for Allianz Global Assistance companies in North and South America.

Laura has over 20 years of business experience in a variety of roles, including oversight of the strategic planning and budgeting functions for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. In addition, she led the team that developed the Bank’s risk management program and valuation model, which was featured in a national trade publication. Laura was also an examiner for the Federal Reserve System and achieved commissioned status. Prior to this position, she was a senior financial analyst for Capital One Financial Corporation.

She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting for Virginia Commonwealth University and is a certified meeting facilitator.

Laura is active in her community, volunteering for several charities including CARITAS and The Special Olympics.

• AGA - Laura White (141 Kb)

Ricky Horwitz
Chief Sales Officer

Ricky Horwitz has been with Allianz Global Assistance since 1999. Largely responsible for the growth of the online travel distribution and global accounts areas, he has played a significant role in the company’s success over the past decade.

Prior to being named chief sales officer, he served in a number of key management roles with the company, including director of client services and vice president of strategic partnerships. In the latter position, Ricky acquired the first airline partner to offer Allianz Travel Insurance in its global booking path. His expertise in strategic sales planning, new business development and relationship management has made him a strong leader for his sales team.

Ricky began building his relationship management skills as director of family and camping services with the Richmond Jewish Community Center. Serving in this role for four years, he worked with 800 children from kindergarten-age through high school.

Ricky has a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a member of the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), Computerized Airline Sales and Marketing Association (CASMA) and National Business Travel Association (NBTA).

• AGA Ricky Horwitz (464 Kb)

John Culbertson
Chief Underwriting Officer

John Culbertson is responsible for the company’s insurance, underwriting, pricing, reserving and reinsurance management functions. He joined Allianz Global Assistance in 2011.

John has more than 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to joining Allianz Global Assistance he served in senior leadership positions with Genworth Financial, Aon Corporation, and CNA Insurance. He has also served as a management consultant with McKinsey & Co. where he served as an expert on insurance risk and underwriting topics.

John holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He has been a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) since 1998.

• John Culbertson Bio (161 Kb)

Alan Josephs

Chief Marketing Officer

Alan Josephs is responsible for developing our market strategy. He also leads the development and management of our products.  Alan and his team identify new opportunities in the marketplace and design the products and services that help us capitalize on those opportunities.

Alan has nearly 20 years of experience in the travel industry, with a focus on ecommerce and product development. Prior to joining Allianz Global Assistance in 2012, he served as CEO of Perfect Escapes and held leadership roles at ebookers, Orbitz, CheapTickets, Travelocity and Global Vacation Group.

Alan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

• Alan Josephs Bio - AGA (134 Kb)

Jay Levine
Chief Information Officer

Jay Levine is the Chief Information Officer, for the Allianz Global Assistance Americas region, which includes operations in Brazil, Canada, Mexico and the US. He has responsibility for developing IT strategy for the region and for overseeing the development of solutions for our customers to leverage our global IT resources, knowledge and skills.

Jay has more than 30 years of experience building and leading high-performing software development groups and information technology organizations. He has served as senior vice president and CIO at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, where he was responsible for the company’s overall technology strategy, IT operations and the delivery of all enterprise information systems.

Prior to joining Blue Cross, Jay served as executive vice president of product development and chief technology officer for Minneapolis-based Wolters Kluwer Financial Services, working on compliance and analytic solutions for the banking, mortgage, insurance and securities markets. He also served as vice president of software development for the Thomson Corporation, where he oversaw the development of award-winning and market-leading training and knowledge management solutions for the legal marketplace.

Prior to the Thomson Corporation, Levine spent 15 years designing and delivering systems to various US government intelligence and defense department agencies.

Jay has a bachelor of science in computer and information sciences from the University of Maryland, a master’s of science in information systems from George Mason University and a master’s of science in the management of technology from the University of Minnesota.

• AGA - Jay Levine - Corporate Biography (236 Kb)