Leadership at Hospitality Insurance Group

Richard (Dick) E. Welch, Jr, President & CEO

A well-known and respected insurance professional with Massachusetts, Mr. Welch also brings a wealth of experience to his new position. In particular, a strong and established track record in directing insurance operations, financial management and strategic planning.

Prior to joining HIG, he was most recently the ​Vice​ ​President​ ​of​ ​Corporate​ ​Planning​ ​for​ ​The Concord​ ​Group​ ​of​ ​​ ​Insurance​ ​Companies​ ​in​ ​Concord, New​ ​Hampshire. He is also​ ​the​ ​Founder​ ​and​ ​Principal​ ​of​ ​REW Insurance​ ​Consulting​ ​Services​ ​as well as having been the ​President​ ​and​ ​CEO​ ​of the​ ​Premier​ ​Insurance​ ​Company​ ​of​ ​Massachusetts for 11 years.

In addition, he also is a ​former​ ​member​ ​and​ ​Chairman​ ​of the​ ​CAR​ ​Actuarial​ ​Committee,​​ Massachusetts​ ​Property Insurance​ ​Underwriting​ ​Association,​ ​and​ ​Center​ ​for Industrial​ ​Mathematics​ ​and​ ​Statistics​ ​at​ ​Worcester Polytechnic​ ​Institute.​ Mr. Welch also has served ​on​ ​the​ ​Board​ ​of Directors​ ​at​ ​Premier​ ​Insurance​ ​Co​ ​of​ ​Massachusetts,​ ​First​ ​Floridian​ ​Auto​ ​and​ ​Home​ ​Insurance​ ​Company, and​ ​First​ ​Trenton​ ​Indemnity​ ​Company.

Sandra Haley, CPCU, CIC, CRM, Senior Vice President of Underwriting and Marketing

Sandra Haley has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry. Before joining Hospitality Insurance Group, she served as Commercial Lines Underwriting Manager for Harleysville Insurance Company in Worcester. Before that, she served as Assistant Vice President at Allied American Insurance Agency in Natick, MA. She also served in various executive positions at Lumber Insurance Companies in Framingham, including Vice President – Underwriting, Vice President – Administration and Assistant Vice President – Lumber Operations.

Haley earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter, Certified Insurance Counselor and Certified Risk Manager.

Stephanie Connon, Esq., General Counsel, Senior Vice President of Claim Operations & Assistant Secretary

Stephanie Connon brings a combination of experience in both the legal and insurance industries to Hospitality Insurance Group. She began her career working for a commercial litigation law firm, handling a variety of personal injury claims. Over the next 14 years, she steadily advanced at a Fortune 100 insurance company based in Boston, MA. During her time there, she successfully analyzed risks associated with complex, commercial litigation on behalf of high profile policyholders. Prior to joining Hospitality Insurance Group, she formed her own law practice devoted to the defense of construction law litigation.

Connon earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, cum laude. She then attended the New England School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor in 2004.

Eric Piurkowski, CPA, CFO & Senior Vice President of Finance

Eric Piurkowski, CPA has 15 years of experience in the insurance industry. Before joining Hospitality Insurance Group, he served as a Senior Audit Manager at Saslow, Lufkin & Buggy LLP in Avon, CT. Before that, he served as an Audit Manager in the Financial Services Group at Deloitte in Hartford, CT.

Piurkowski earned a bachelor’s degree from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT in 1998. He is a certified public accountant and a member of both the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Warren Lewis, Vice President of Operations 

Warren Lewis comes to Hospitality Insurance Group with more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry including several years at his own insurance agency. Warren started his career with Premier Insurance of Massachusetts, focusing on home and auto products. Subsequently, at One Beacon, he was primarily responsible for business planning for the Massachusetts personal lines unit, and later at Narragansett Bay Insurance Company, he was data management director. In a previous life, Warren was a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Nepal and later worked as a commercial fisherman in the Bering Sea, Alaska.  He currently resides in Westwood, Massachusetts with his wife and two children.

Warren holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine and a master’s degree from the University of Rhode Island.