Phil brings extensive knowledge in merger & acquisition (M&A) advisory and operations, specifically in the business and technology arenas and is a trusted partner for buyers and sellers who depend on his proficiency at deal negotiation, due diligence, deal execution and integration planning. His experience encompasses the full life cycle of an M&A transaction for independently-owned insurance agents & brokers, specialty distributors, wealth management advisors, retirement planning specialists, private equity firms, banks & credit unions and insurance carriers. Phil’s objective is to provide clients with a seamless, comprehensive experience.

Keith Captain is President of FirstChoice, a MarshBerry Company. Under Keith’s leadership, FirstChoice has become one of the fastest growing networks in the country. Recognized as the largest agency partnership by Insurance Journal, FirstChoice has established agency relationships spanning 42 states and the District of Columbia.

Keith brings his experience as a leader in the insurance industry where he builds strong and effective relationships with agents, carriers, and strategic partners. He’s committed to helping agencies increase revenue through education, strategic planning, and leveraging technology.

Jerome Bettis, nicknamed "The Bus," is an NFL Hall of Fame running back who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and L.A. Rams. Selected in the first round, 10th player overall out of Notre Dame by the Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft, he finished second in the NFL in rushing during his rookie season with 1,429 yards. He was named Rookie of the Year by numerous media outlets and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro and All-NFC.

Bettis led the Rams in rushing each of his three seasons before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers. During his first year with the Steelers in 1996, Jerome earned Comeback Player of the Year and was again named first-team All-Pro. He was the Steelers' leading ground gainer eight times in his 10 seasons with the team and retired following the Steelers' Super Bowl championship season in 2005. At the time of his retirement, Bettis ranked fifth all-time in rushing with 13,662 yards on 3,479 career carries. He scored 91 rushing touchdowns in his career and eclipsed the 100-yard mark in a game 61 times in the regular season and three more times in the playoffs. In addition to his rushing totals, Bettis amassed 1,449 yards on 200 receptions and 3 touchdowns. His combined net yardage (15,113) was 19th best all-time at the time of his retirement. Bettis received the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2002 for his community involvement and was inducted into the Prof Football Hall of Fame in 2025.

Since retirement, Bettis has been active as a football analyst contributing to NBC's "Football Night in America" and ESPN. He also founded "The Bus Stops Here Foundation" in 1996 to help improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and under privileged children.

Brooke Liu’s exceptional client service, leadership, and laser-like focus on results have contributed to her many successes since she joined MarshBerry in 2016. In her current role as Senior Vice President, Brooke’s collaborative guidance and industry expertise are essential for overseeing the company’s many growth assets.

Brooke’s operational expertise, product development experience, and servant leadership style are instrumental in helping MarshBerry clients achieve their growth goals through the invaluable MarshBerry programs such as Connect executive peer exchange.

Diane is a lifelong advocate of the independent agency system helping agency owners realize their true potential and value through strategic planning and coaching.

As Vice President of Education & Strategic Planning for FirstChoice, a MarshBerry Company, Diane is committed to helping members build strategic plans for their agencies and set goals for future growth. She believes setting effective plans is life altering relative to experience and value and loves helping agency owners get clarity around what goals they want to achieve. Diane is skilled in helping agency owners work on the business and believes every interaction with agency owners and staff should be focused around increasing agency value.

Bryan Lake leads MarshBerry’s Talent Acquisition, Recruitment and Search Strategy for the firms Growth Advisory practice. Bryan brings extensive knowledge in planning & strategy, recruitment, employment branding, metrics & analytics, as well as talent segmentation and workforce management. Working with C-Suite and HR leadership, Bryan offers progressive and sustainable best practices allowing business strategy to meet talent strategy so talent results can meet business results.

As a MarshBerry Vice President, Eric Kuhen's primary responsibility is to help firms create executional strategic plans to increase firm value, energize their recruiting efforts and increase sales velocity. He is also tasked with generating and maintaining client relationships via business perpetuation planning and strategic business sessions.

In addition to his work with independently owned insurance agencies and brokerages, Eric does extensive consulting work with bank-owned agencies and specialized insurance distributors with MarshBerry’s Specialty Distribution sector.

Christine Marciano, CIC, ITP, CLCS, SBCS, works with agencies to increase and stabilize revenue. With 19 years of industry experience, she has worked in Claims, Agent & Underwriter Training, and Sales. She teaches CIC & CISR Commercial Property Institutes as a faculty member for the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research.

Chris Cline currently serves as Vice President of Alliance Partners at Applied Systems and a recognized industry leader with over 25 years in the insurance industry. In his current role, he leads strategy and go-to-market efforts focused on helping agency networks deliver greater value to their member agencies—leveraging enhanced technology to drive growth, efficiency, and alignment with each agency’s unique goals.

Chris spent the majority of his career at Westfield Insurance, where he advanced from creative, sales, compliance, and underwriting roles, and ultimately National Agency Distribution Leader. In that role, he led teams responsible for the full agency lifecycle and developed a national reputation as a trusted voice on agency strategy, perpetuation, culture, and innovation. He also developed an incredible passion for the independent agency channel and helping agencies succeed leading to his time as the Executive Director of the Agents Council for Technology (ACT), a Big “I” initiative. In this role, Chris helped independent agencies and the industry understand the opportunities presented by emerging technology as a means to enable competitive business strategies.

Chris is the author of top-selling The Inertia of Legacy (2023), former host of the award-winning Closing the Gap podcast, and recipient of theOIA Independence Bell Award. Outside work, he’s usually found camping, playing guitar, racing BMX, tinkering with his hot rod, and writing his next book.

Joan Woodward is Executive Vice President of Public Policy for Travelers and President of The Travelers Institute. She is a member of the company’s Management Committee, Operating Committee, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Committee, and also serves on The Diversity Council, and the Travelers Foundation Board. She is the current Chairperson of the Travelers Community Connections Campaign.

Woodward joined Travelers in 2008 from Goldman Sachs to establish The Travelers Institute as the company’s thought leadership and public policy platform.

Prior to her current role, Woodward worked at Goldman, Sachs & Co. for ten years, where she was the founding Executive Director of the company’s Global Markets Institute, the firm’s international public policy and institutional investor educational platform. She also served as Founding Director of Washington Equity and Bond Research for Goldman Sachs’ Global Investment Research where Institutional Investor magazine recognized her as a top Washington analyst for investors.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Woodward worked on Capitol Hill for 12 years, as Deputy Chief of Staff for the U.S. Senate Finance Committee working for Chairman Bill Roth, where she was instrumental in creating the Roth IRA. She also was the Chief Economist for the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and the U.S. House Budget Committee under Chairman John Kasich.

She is currently the Chairman of the Board of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice; on the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation; and a member of the President’s National Small and Medium Enterprise Export Council. She is also a member of the American Corporate Partners Board. Reactions Magazine named her to the Top 50 Women in Insurance, and in 2016, she was named to the Hot 100 in Insurance list by Insurance Business America Magazine. In 2017, she received the 2017 Power Women’s Leadership Award by NY Moves magazine.

Woodward holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science and a master’s degree from The American University. She also studied at the University of London.