Regional Member Briefing - New York - March 19, 2019

Michael Taylor
Sr. Vice President, Chief Claims Officer at PURE Insurance

Mike joined PURE in June 2016 following 16 years at AIG. Beginning his insurance career in 1983, Mike has worked for a number of major carriers including Allstate, Hanover, CNA, and AIG handling and managing both casualty and property claims for Personal and Commercial lines of business. In 2000, Mike was a founding member of AIG Private Client Group beginning his introduction to the high net worth personal insurance segment. After serving as Claims Officer for that group until 2006, Mike took on the role as Eastern Zone Executive responsible for all functions of Private Client Groups business in the Northeast, and growing that territory by over 40% through 2012. Before leaving AIG, Mike was the Global Claim Officer for Accident & Health Claims, overseeing a staff of over 1,200 claims professionals in more than 20 countries. 

A lifelong resident of Monmouth County, NJ, Mike has a B.A. from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada. He now makes his home in Colts Neck, NJ along with his wife and two children. Mike is a member of the Colts Neck Board of Education and a Trustee of The First Tee of the Jersey Shore.

Dennis Wade
Founding Partner of Wade Clark Mulcahy

Dennis conducts a diverse defense practice that calls upon his trial and advocacy skills in courts across the country and in international arbitral forums.  Dennis focuses his practice on complex commercial and insurance law defense.  Dennis tries high exposure casualty cases, complex insurance, errors and omissions, and professional indemnity matters.  

Dennis enjoys the highest legal rating, "AV Preeminent," reflecting confidential opinions solicited from the Bar and Judiciary. Dennis was also elected to membership in the Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel (FDCC). FDCC is composed of leaders in the legal community who have achieved professional distinction as recognized by peers and clients in a highly selective nomination process.

For more than 20 years Dennis has handled fine art and specie matters for domestic and international insurers.  His cases have taken him across the United States and to many parts of the world.  Recently, for example, Dennis successfully defended a major art insurer against a 42 million dollar claim.  That defense took Dennis from a New York Trial Court, to the Appellate Division, to the Court of Appeals (New York’s top Court), and ultimately, to the United States Supreme Court.  Beside defense and coverage work in these areas, Dennis has recovered stolen art and diamonds throughout the United States and has collaborated with counsel to achieve recoveries in Europe and elsewhere in the world.

Because of his specialized expertise and professional background, Dennis is also frequently called upon to investigate and advise clients in matters in which fraudulent activity is suspected.

Before entering private practice, Dennis devoted his energies to the investigation and prosecution of organized crime cases as the Deputy Chief of the Rackets Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.  During his six years as an ADA, Dennis prosecuted high-level members of the Gambino and Bonnano crime families, violent felons from gangs such as The Ghost Shadows and Flying Dragons and corrupt public officials.

Mark Galante
President, Field Operations, PURE Insurance

Now in his eighth year with PURE, Mr. Mark Galante has more than two decades of experience in the property & casualty insurance industry, the majority of which has been spent in the high net worth niche.  A member of PURE’s Executive Committee, Mr. Galante has served in a variety of leadership roles at PURE and has been an influential voice on the strategy of the company.   In his current role, Mr. Galante leads PURE’s underwriting and business development teams across the U.S.  Is his prior role as Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Galante’s team helped contribute to a seven-fold increase in premium revenues by supporting PURE’s launch in dozens of new states with various advertising and public relations campaigns, rebranding the company, spearheading a variety of digital marketing and social media campaigns, introducing various tools to help PURE’s broker partners acquire new clients, and forming an innovative member engagement practice. 

Mr. Galante began his career at Chubb & Son as a “trainee” and progressed into a variety of management roles in strategic marketing and field operations within the personal insurance business unit.  He later served as Vice President for Personal Lines Marketing & Distribution at The Hanover Insurance Group prior to joining PURE. While working at The Hanover’s headquarters in Worcester, MA, he was elected into Worcester Business Journal’s “Forty Under 40”.

A graduate of Gettysburg College, Mr. Galante obtained an MBA from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business.  

Mr. Galante is passionate about philanthropy and is proud to have been the executive sponsor behind the formation of the PURE Foundation, a DAF funded with a portion of holding company profits that is governed by a cross-functional group of employees.  He served on the Advisory Council of the Alzheimer’s Association, helping to raise significant funds for research, community programs, and family services.  A resident of Darien, CT, Mr. Galante is an active dad, serious foodie, self-proclaimed lousy guitar player, and Krav Maga enthusiast.