Ryan Specialty Announces Leadership Succession Plan
Ryan Turner Specialty, a leading wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products and services and the wholesale broking specialty of Ryan Specialty, is pleased to announce a planned leadership succession, which highlights the deep roster of talent at the firm. These appointments are effective August 1, 2026. The plan includes: Ed McCormack, CEO of RT Specialty, will transition to the role of Vice Chairman and remain in that role through 2027. Since the firm's inception, Ed has been one of the driving forces behind RT Specialty's rise as a leader in the specialty insurance market, and has been integral to the strategic direction, talent building and relationship development that have made RT Specialty synonymous with expertise, speed and execution. Brendan Mulshine, Co-President of Ryan Specialty, will assume the additional role of CEO of RT Specialty, working closely with leadership to drive accelerated growth and deepen relationships with retail broker clients and carrier trading partners. Brendan joined the firm in 2012 and has worked across all of its business units, including RT Specialty, as part of a 30-year career in law, insurance and reinsurance. Brenda (Ballard) Austenfeld, Co-President of RT Specialty and CEO of its National Property Practice, who has built this business into a recognized leader in specialized and catastrophic risk, will become Deputy Vice Chairman of RT Specialty. Hugh Mooney, President of the National Property Practice with over two decades of expertise in wholesale insurance, will become CEO of the Property Practice. Chris Houska, CEO of RT Specialty's National Casualty Practice, who has been part of the firm's leadership since 2010, will become Vice Chairman of the National Casualty Practice through 2027. Ryan Grimes, President of the National Casualty Practice with twenty years of experience in wholesale insurance, will become CEO of the casualty practice.
