Head of Airbnb insurance to lead RIMS in 2020

Laura Langone, head of insurance operations at online rental marketplace Airbnb since April 2019, is now president of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS).

The organization announced Thursday her 12-month appointment, effective immediately. She succeeds Gloria Brosius.

Daring to be different is key for risk professionals, the San Francisco-based Langone said in a statement from RIMS. Complacency isn’t something the industry can afford, she said. The time has come to embrace new technologies, different perspectives and different strategies.

“Stepping outside of our comfort zone can be intimidating, but those who are ready for the challenge will find greater opportunities to strengthen their risk programs and elevate their careers,” she said. “I am beyond excited to serve as RIMS 2020 president and to help ensure this global risk management community offers the tools, resources, and support that allows us all to dream bigger, aim higher and be different.”

Langone’s long career in risk management spans more than two decades. She has been a member of RIMS for 22 years and been on its board of directors since 2016. She has held a number of positions within the RIMS Silicon Valley Chapter, including serving as its president for four years. She has volunteered on several RIMS committees and chaired the group’s Enterprise Risk Management Committee in 2015.

Before joining Airbnb, she led insurance and risk management both at PayPal, an online payments company, and Juniper Networks, an international tech company that develops networking and cybersecurity products. She was a senior vice president at Marsh, according to her LinkedIn bio, and holds an MBA and a Juris Doctor legal degree.

Joining Langone as officers on the RIMS board are:

• RIMS vice president Ellen R. Dunkin, a senior vice president, general counsel and chief risk officer at Amalgamated Life Insurance Company
• RIMS treasurer Patrick Sterling, a senior director of legendary people and risk at Texas Roadhouse; and
• RIMS secretary Jennifer Santiago, assistant vice president and university risk officer at Penn State University.

Two new members joining the board are Tina Gardiner, who serves as manager of risk management services for York Region in Ontario, and Twane Duckworth, chief of risk management for the City of Jacksonville.

Brosius, who is director of risk management and insurance at Pinnacle Agriculture Distributions, will remain on the board as ex-officio.

Rounding out the returning board members are:

• David E. Arick, assistant treasurer, global risk management at International Paper Company
• Barry Dillard, director of risk strategies, insurance and compliance at Walt Disney World Resorts
• Gary A. Nesbit, senior director of risk management at Young Life
• Soubhagya Parija, senior vice president and chief risk officer at New York Power Authority
• Kristen Peed, director of corporate risk management, CBIZ
• Robert Zhang, business risk and compliance manager, INGKA China.