About Us

Teresa is the Director of the Master's in Insurance Management program at Columbia University. She launched the program in 2019 after 27 years of insurance industry experience in legal, product and business development. The Master’s program is an epicenter for innovation, mentorship and thought leadership, and helps accelerate career advancement for risk and insurance professionals. Through its faculty, the program provides students access to insight, experience and connections that are not readily available in the workplace.

Prior to joining Columbia, Teresa spent much of her career working on product and business innovations that served specialized markets. She has led the creation of new commercial property and casualty, and personal lines coverages, and engaged with niche markets, notably Native American tribes and renewable and alternative energy developers. She worked for a variety of companies within the insurance ecosystem, including AIG, Guy Carpenter, Willis Towers Watson, and NER.

Since joining Columbia, Teresa has been giving back to the insurance industry through the Master’s program, providing not only technical expertise but mentorship to students and alumni, and ensuring that the industry is a supportive community built around the program. She is actively involved as an Advisory Board member of the Business Insurance DEI Institute, as well as a contributor to CAIA, NAAIA NY and AAIN in support of advancing underrepresented professionals. She has also been working with high school students through Boys Hope Girls Hope to introduce them to the insurance industry.

Teresa has a J.D. from Fordham University and B.S. in Operations Research from the School of Engineering and Applied Science at Columbia University. She has been recognized by Business Insurance as one of “25 Women to Watch” and ReActions Magazine as one of the “Top Insurance Women”.