Facilitators and Instructors

Barbara is Director of Instructor-Led Training in LOMA’s Professional Development division, managing all aspects of its facilitated learning programs. Also serving as an Insurance Immersion instructor since 2014, Barbara has helped hundreds of industry professionals better grasp the key concepts and unique aspects of the insurance business. Prior to her current role, Barbara developed LOMA professional designation courses, including Life Insurance Marketing and The Policy Lifecycle: Insurance Administration. She has worked in the development, design, and delivery of education and training products for over 12 years, and previously worked in business magazine publishing. Barbara earned a B.S. degree from the University of Florida.

Janet Castricum serves as Director of Executive Development at LIMRA and LOMA, where she develops and manages MBA-level development programs for strategic leaders in the association’s member companies, and facilitates classroom and virtual sessions on industry topics. Earlier in her career, she held field and home office positions at Travelers and MassMutual, and worked in a number of consulting firms, leading their financial services industry practices. In addition to earning her LLIF designation, Janet holds a BA in Economics from Smith College and an MS in Organizational Behavior from the University of Hartford.

Kevin is an experienced facilitator and instructor who has worked with LOMA’s Insurance Immersion program since its inception in 2008. In this role, he has helped thousands of industry professionals, leaders, and executives better understand the unique aspects of the life insurance and annuities business. Currently a LOMA consultant, Kevin previously served as AVP, Learning Product Management, in LOMA’s Professional Development division, helping to connect member companies with education and training solutions to meet their needs. Kevin has a passion for learning and teaching, with more than 25 years of experience as a group facilitator across a variety of industries. He earned a BA degree from Furman University and holds a Master’s degree and Doctorate degree in counseling.

Cindy is an Assistant Vice President in LOMA’s Professional Development Division. An education and training expert, Cindy helps insurers understand how they can help their employees increase their topical knowledge and job performance. Prior to her current role, Cindy was a senior associate in Learning Product Management. She has also worked on textbook projects, examination development projects, and spent seven years working in LOMA’s Member Solutions area. Before joining LOMA in 1988, Cindy spent several years working in various accounting functions in the life insurance industry. Cindy earned a B.S. degree from the University of South Carolina.

Lin has over 30 years of experience in the life insurance industry, most recently as Senior Vice President, Life Customer Service and Claims for the Lincoln National Life Insurance Company.  He has served on a number of industry committees and as the chair of LOMA's Education Council. Lin's insurance career has been focused on operational areas; he has managed customer service, claims, new business and underwriting, licensing/appointments, agent commission processing as well as continuous improvement. Lin also has significant experience in assimilating operations from life insurance company mergers and acquisitions. He holds a BA in Economics from North Carolina State University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Laura is a manager in LIMRA’s Distribution Research where she is responsible for insurance and investment intermediary/third-party distribution research. She and her team conduct various research studies related to independent producers, wholesalers, and other distribution intermediaries. They also collaborate with other associations such as NAILBA and EY to conduct joint research. Laura is staff representative to LIMRA’s Wholesaler Leadership Summit and research liaison to LIMRA’s Independent Producer Marketing Committee and LIMRA’s Brokerage Committee. Laura is a graduate of Ithaca College.

Marianne Purushotham is Corporate Vice President, Research Shared Services & Center of Excellence with LIMRA.  Marianne directs the applications of statistical modeling and predictive analytics techniques to member benefits research.  Marianne has a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from Virginia Polytechnic Institute, is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries. Prior to joining LIMRA, Purushotham worked for Towers Watson where she consulted with clients on a variety of actuarial issues including product development, valuation, and financial reporting for individual life and annuity products. 

Maureen Shaughnessy joined LIMRA in 2017 and works on individual life, disability, and long-term care insurance product research, including product experience studies, sales forecasts, as well as product design and development research. Prior to joining LIMRA, Maureen spent 14 years in various actuarial roles at Northwestern Mutual where she most recently directed the life and annuity experience analytics team.  Maureen earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Evansville.  She is a fellow of the Society of Actuaries with a certificate in predictive analytics, and also a member of the American Academy of Actuaries.  

Melanie has over 10 years of experience in financial planning and wealth management, working in registered investment adviser firms before joining LOMA in 2017. She is currently a senior content developer and instructor for LOMA's education and training programs, with a focus on retirement topics. Melanie is a graduate of Clemson University where she earned her B.S. and M.S. degrees in Industrial Management.  She completed coursework for the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation at the Terry College of Business of the University of Georgia.

Karen, who joined LIMRA in 1995, is a manager in the individual product research area which is responsible for research on individual life insurance and disability products in the U.S. and Canada.  The Individual Product Research team conducts ongoing surveys on sales and marketing of individual products, and company practices studies that respond to the needs of LIMRA’s various constituencies. Karen serves as a resource on industry performance measures to LIMRA staff, member companies, and the media. In addition she is staff representative to LIMRA’s Canadian Living Benefits Study Group. Karen is a graduate of the University of Maryland.

Melanie is a Senior Associate in LOMA’s Professional Development division. In addition to facilitating Insurance Immersion, Melanie also develops and writes content for LOMA’s online interactive courses. Melanie has a background in technical writing, college instruction, and adult education. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master’s degree in Education from the University of Georgia.