Kristen Kish of Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass LLP and Juliana Toes of Mayer Brown LLP have been named the 2025 recipients of the AIRROC NextGen Leadership Award. Both honorees have significantly advanced AIRROC’s educational efforts, strengthened outreach, and supported the development of rising legacy professionals.
Kristen Kish, a Partner at Mound Cotton Wollan & Greengrass LLP, has served on the AIRROC NextGen Council for three years and first became involved with AIRROC in 2020. She co-chairs the Education Committee and previously co-chaired the Scholarship Committee, where she broadened outreach and expanded the applicant pool. Kristen has been a steady voice across AIRROC programming, speaking and moderating on subjects including wildfire exposures, notable insurance cases, arbitration fundamentals, and emerging claim trends. She also helped develop the inaugural NextGen Legacy Liftoff seminar, reinforcing her commitment to accessible, practical education for early-career professionals.
“NextGen has created a space where early-career professionals can step forward and see the impact of their contributions,” Kristen shared. “AIRROC thrives when people share knowledge across generations. It’s an honor to support that work.”
Juliana Toes, an Associate at Mayer Brown LLP, has been active with AIRROC for three years and quickly became a core contributor within NextGen. She began on the Education Committee before joining the October Event Planning Committee, supporting AIRROC’s programming from concept through execution. Juliana co-presented the Legacy Liftoff: Launching into Runoff Fundamentals webinar and has participated in panels covering post-closing challenges, deal mechanics, and the foundational elements of runoff. Beyond speaking roles, she has contributed to AIRROC’s broader educational footprint through the Legacy Life podcast and articles including The Runoff Deal Market Forum 2025 and Legacy Liftoff: Launching into Runoff Fundamentals.
Reflecting on her involvement, Juliana noted, “The legacy space is full of people who are generous with their knowledge. AIRROC gives newer professionals rare access to that insight, and it’s motivating to help make the industry more approachable.” She encourages rising professionals to stay engaged: “Investing in the community early opens doors to learning, network building, and shaping market practice.”
Together, Kristen and Juliana helped drive progress across AIRROC NextGen’s initiatives, broadening educational offerings and strengthening participation across the legacy community.
Established in 2023, the AIRROC NextGen Leadership Award recognizes rising professionals whose contributions advance AIRROC’s mission. Each honoree receives a $2,000 professional development stipend, supported by Carrick Holdings and AIRROC in honor of founding Board member Terry Kelaher.
