Our Leadership & Experience

A team of insurance and business leaders

Our leadership team brings decades of experience across the U.S. insurance market and a deep understanding of the independent agency business model. We’ve seen the impact of scale and leverage, both when agencies have it and when they don’t.

ISU Steadfast is not owned by private equity. We are part of a long-term, globally respected insurance organization whose business is operating broker and agency networks, not buying and selling agencies.

Meet the leaders guiding our strategy and supporting our members below.

ISU Steadfast Executive Leadership Team

Dan McCarthy

Chief Executive Officer

Daniel F. McCarthy serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ISU Steadfast Insurance Agency Network, where he brings over 37 years of experience in the insurance and financial services sectors. Dan is recognized for his strategic leadership and his ability to drive innovation within the industry, particularly through the integration of technology into insurance operations.

Prior to his current role, Dan held senior executive positions where he was instrumental in building underwriting systems, advancing claims processing, risk management, and operational efficiencies. He also founded Insurex, a successful national commercial insurance brokerage that was later acquired by NSM Insurance Group.

Dan’s expertise is widely acknowledged across the industry, and he actively contributes to various boards and councils, shaping the future of insurance. His leadership at ISU Insurance Agency Network reflects his commitment to excellence and forward-thinking strategies.

Doug Penley

President

With over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Doug’s career spans both insurance carrier and agency roles including the owner of an agency and leader in risk placement and carrier relations for a top 75 insurance agency in the U.S. He also spent significant time with a national carrier, where he held a range of roles in sales and distribution, and claims. Doug holds an undergraduate degree in Risk and Insurance from Appalachian State University and has achieved professional designations including CPCU (Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter) and ARM (Associate in Risk Management).

Grace Ryan

Chief Financial Officer

With over 25 years of experience in financial services, Grace has experience in both international commercial banking and investment banking. Her career began in London with Midland Bank of England. She later transitioned to investment banking with Bandwidth Capital in San Francisco. During her tenure at ISU, Grace played a pivotal role in establishing ISU’s retail insurance agency operations. Currently, she serves as the CFO of ISU. Grace holds a BA in Economics from the University of California, Berkeley, an MBA from UCLA, the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designation, and was a Name at Lloyds,

Javier Hernandez

Chief Information Officer

Javier joined ISU Steadfast in October 2012 and today, continues to apply his strong aptitude for data engineering and IT infrastructure. In 2017, Javier spearheaded the remodeling of ISU's central data processing system, significantly enhancing its efficiency and capabilities. His expertise also encompasses analyzing carrier and ISU member data to identify and leverage new partnership opportunities. Javier's innovative approach continues to drive ISU Steadfast's success and technological advancements.

Curt Vondrasek

Executive Vice President, New Member Development

Curt leads the New Business Development Team at ISU and has over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry, specializing in recruiting and sales leadership.   Previous roles include SVP at MarshBerry, SVP at AIG and VP at HUB International. Curt has served on several boards including ABIA, CIMRO and RRHOA. He is also the past President of the Chicago Chapter for the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals

Steadfast Group Executive Leadership Team

Robert Kelly AM

Founder, Managing Director and CEO, Steadfast Group

Robert co-founded Steadfast Group and has over 52 years’ experience in the insurance industry. He was voted the second most influential person in insurance, by Insurance News Australia and was awarded the ACORD Rainmaker Award in 2014. Robert is a Qualified Practicing Insurance Broker and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is currently the Chair of the ACORD Board in New York of which he has been a board member for 13 years. Robert is also a Director of various ASX-listed and not-for-profit organizations.

Samantha Hollman

Chief Executive Officer – International, Steadfast Group

Samantha has 29 years' experience in the insurance industry including 24 years at Steadfast Group. She was COO from 2016 – April 2023, directing and managing operational activities of the organization and ensuring the implementation of the overall strategy. In her role of CEO – International, she is responsible for planning and executing the Steadfast Group’s international strategy. Samantha is a Board Director of Steadfast companies in the US, UK and sits on the Supervisory Board of global network, UnisonSteadfast.

Nick McKee

Chief Operating Officer – International, Steadfast Group

Nick McKee joined Steadfast Group in October 2023 as Chief Operating Officer, International. He has extensive global leadership experience in insurance and other areas of financial services and was based in New York for more than 20 years. Previous roles include Head of Strategy & Corporate Development for Marsh & McLennan Companies and Head of Financial Institutions - Direct Private Equity for CPP Investments. Nick holds degrees in commerce and law.

Eimeer McKeever

Chief Financial Officer – International, Steadfast Group

Eimear joined Steadfast Group in 2012 to assist in its public listing on the Australian Stock Exchange. Eimear has extensive experience in senior finance roles, specialising in corporate finance, FP&A, acquisitions, treasury, and statutory reporting. Eimear was Finance Director for Steadfast Group until October 2023 and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer – International where she is part of the leadership team responsible for building and executing the company’s international strategy. Eimear is a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) charter holder, CFA Institute.

30 Jun, 2026

Member Case Study: How CIA Remains Independent, Competitive, and Connected

A $350M independent agency scaled nationally without giving up control by leveraging ISU Steadfast’s carrier access, contracts, and network support.

10 Jun, 2026

Why Peer Intelligence Is a Competitive Advantage for Independent Insurance Agencies

Discover how peer intelligence helps independent insurance agencies grow faster, improve profitability, and make better decisions through ISU Steadfast.

20 May, 2026

The 4 Leadership Shifts Agency Owners Must Make to Scale

Independent agency owners often become the bottleneck to growth without realizing it. This article explores the leadership shifts required to scale, moving from producer to strategic leader in a complex, fast-changing market.