Insurance Leader of the Year Dinner Raises $3.6M for GSRM Students

A global gathering of aspiring students, insurance industry executives, and other supporters of the Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science (GSRM)—part of The Peter J. Tobin College of Business at St. John’s University—convened at the New York Marriott Marquis for the Annual Insurance Leader of the Year (ILOTY) Dinner on January 21.

Honoring Chuck Davis, Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer, Stone Point Capital, as the 2025 Insurance Leader of the Year, the 30th Annual Insurance Leader of the Year Award Dinner raised a stunning $3.6 million to support the University’s Greenberg School students and programs.

“We are pleased to partner with the global financial services industry to provide you with well-prepared students—and you will hear from one of them tonight—who stand ready to make an important contribution to the businesses and communities that you serve,” stated Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P., President, St. John’s University, in his opening remarks. 

Addressing the overflow audience of 1,200 guests, Fr. Shanley praised the students and faculty, touting a 10 percent increase in GSRM enrollment and the high career placement rates of graduates. He went on to challenge the audience to cultivate creativity among their employees, encourage the capacity to not be afraid of being wrong, and rediscover the natural childhood confidence to take risks and be open to new perspectives. 

“Give your employees the courage and creativity to take a chance and to manage risk,” he said. “Sometimes you need insurance to do that so that if you make a mistake and are wrong you can start all over again.”

Following Fr. Shanley at the podium was Stephanie Kandasammy, a student in her final semester pursuing a Master of Science degree in Enterprise Risk Management. Stephanie, an ILOTY fellow, works full time as a property reinsurance broker at Guy Carpenter, a global reinsurance and capital strategies firm. 

She described her multiple internship experiences and how they shaped her career path. “Internship opportunities changed everything for me and were made possible because others invested early in me,” she said. “Students are intentionally seeking out opportunities from day one.”

Established in 1995, the Insurance Leader of the Year Award annually recognizes the contributions of outstanding individuals whose leadership in the worldwide insurance and financial services industry sets them apart from their peers. This year’s honoree,  Chuck Davis, an investment and insurance executive, worked for Goldman Sachs for 23 years before founding Stone Point Capital, where he currently leads the group as chairman and co-executive chief officer. Stone Point is an investment firm with 202 employees and more than $65 billion in assets under management across its private equity and credit platforms.

A native of Burlington, Vermont, he and his wife Marna Olsen Davis serve as cochairs of the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation, which they founded together with their son Tucker, who passed away from fibrolamellar cancer at the age of 28. The foundation’s mission is to support research to improve outcomes for patients with this rare, under-researched disease.

As philanthropists, Mr. Davis and his beloved wife run the Chuck & Marna Davis Foundation, where they donate to several community-based organizations, academic institutions, and nonprofits to help improve the quality of life for Vermonters by providing support, resources, and guidance to local organizations and causes.

After being introduced by Jim Carey, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Stone Point Capital, and Vincent J. Dowling, Dowling & Partners Securities, LLC, who served as Honorary Dinner Chairpersons, a tribute video was broadcast that celebrated Mr. Davis’ personal and professional achievements. 

A visibly emotional Mr. Davis thanked the audience for their support. He described the innovations needed for the industry, including the need for more young people to pursue insurance as a career, and called out the people who mentored and guided his succesful career path.

He went on to describe the importance of insurance to the economy, the work of Stone Point, and the irreplaceable value of family and giving back to others. “Learn, earn, and return is a good mantra for life,” evoked Mr. Davis. “Relationships of respect and trust are what really drive this insurance business. Nothing happens without insurance and we need to attract more talent like you, the St. John’s students, as you are our future.”

Breaking into the insurance industry after retiring from investment banking in New York, Mr. Davis described how we can always start over again. Sharing an anecdote of his personal relationship with the legendary Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame, Mr. Davis shared advice that the Colonel gave him: “‘It’s better to burn out than to rust out’— and that motto has served me well ever since!”

Maciek Nowak, Ph.D., Dean, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, and Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair, observed: “Chuck’s words resonated deeply with everyone in the room, especially our students and prospective students who could see, in real time, what a life of purpose, leadership, and service in this industry can look like. His extraordinary career, coupled with his humility and commitment to giving back, offered a powerful reminder that success is not just measured by what you build, but by the people you lift along the way. For our students, it was both an inspiration and an invitation to imagine themselves as the next generation of leaders shaping the future of risk, insurance, and financial services.”

Working the crowded ballroom adorned in red-and-white lighting was Malcolm Whitman of Rutland, VT, making his third consecutive visit to the annual dinner. Now in his second year at the Queens, NY, campus, he recalled that as a senior in high school he first attended the event as a recently accepted student. “Back then it was only my second-ever visit to Manhattan—and here I am now.”

He continued, “It is a lot more fun this year as I get to work a room full of professionals in my field as an aspiring member of the insurance industry. I now have networking experience that St. John’s has given me, and have been to Iowa, Ohio, and Connecticut with St. John’s chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma, the industry’s professional fraternity.” 

Malcolm then sought out Mr. Davis, and the two bonded over their shared roots in the Green Mountain State of Vermont.

Hank Watkins, Executive Director and Associate Dean, Greenberg School, stated: “When Chuck accepted our invitation to be honored as the 30th Insurance Leader of Year, we had a feeling the financial services industry would show up in a big way to celebrate his success. Show up they did, as competitors and partners, to acknowledge Chuck’s impact and influence on their lives and beyond. Funds raised through the efforts of Chuck and his colleagues, our Board of Overseers, and the many other friends of St. John’s will facilitate the success of Greenberg School students for years to come.”