CIAB promotes Ken Haltenhof to SVP of membership

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB or The Council) has announced the promotion of Ken Haltenhof (pictured above) to senior vice president of membership. 

Haltenhof joined The Council in 2019 and has served as vice president of membership since 2021. During his tenure, he has led a team focused on recruiting and retaining top brokerage firms. In his new role, he will continue to shape the strategic direction of the association while anticipating and responding to the evolving needs of member firms. 

Before joining The Council, Haltenhof worked in higher education admissions while earning an MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University. He also holds undergraduate degrees in political science and Asian studies. 

The Council announced the promotion alongside several newly expanded roles for tenured staff and the continued growth of its government affairs team. The expanded roles include:

• Beth McMahon has been promoted to senior vice president of people and culture. She joined The Council in 2023. In this expanded role, she will continue leading all aspects of The Council’s people and culture strategy, ensuring that talent remains a central focus of the association. 
• Brianne Spellane has been promoted to vice president of membership. A member of The Council for nearly 15 years, she joined the membership team in 2023. In her new role, she will focus on prospecting efforts and new member onboarding.
• Katie Wyckoff (formerly Katie Lesemann) has been promoted to vice president of meetings. She will now lead all in-house events and oversee the newly created operations and working groups forum.
• Sandy Laycox now holds the dual title of editor-in-chief, “Leader’s Edge,” and vice president of market intelligence. In her expanded role, she will leverage her experience overseeing The Council’s longstanding P&C market survey to deliver new data and insights that enhance membership value.

These changes are part of CIAB’s strategy to support key initiatives for 2025 and beyond. The plans align with president and CEO Joel Wood’s focus on talent development and strengthening the association’s membership benefits. Woods was appointed to his role in July last year.

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