The Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) has confirmed that the state Senate has approved Josh Hershman (pictured) as Connecticut’s 34th insurance commissioner, formalizing his leadership of a regulator that oversees one of the most significant insurance markets in the US.
The confirmation follows Senate passage of Senate Resolution 8 on April 8, 2026. The resolution passed unanimously and was placed on the Senate consent calendar. Hershman has served as commissioner on an interim basis since December 2025, following his appointment by Governor Ned Lamont to succeed Andrew Mais.
“I am honored to be appointed by Governor Ned Lamont and confirmed by the Senate to serve as Connecticut’s Insurance Commissioner,” Hershman said. “While I have had the privilege of serving in this role since December, this confirmation represents an important milestone, and I am grateful for the trust placed in me. I am also proud to continue the strong work of former Commissioner Andrew Mais. Each day reinforces how essential our work is to Connecticut residents and businesses. I remain focused on advancing solutions that improve the affordability and availability of insurance across all lines while supporting innovation that strengthens our markets and delivers better outcomes for consumers.”
Hershman brings experience that spans regulation, carrier management and insurance data innovation.
He previously served as CEO of Immigrant Life Insurance Company of America, a Connecticut‑domiciled life insurer and subsidiary of IDT Corporation, where he helped build an admitted‑market carrier focused on closing coverage gaps for immigrant families. He also served as executive director of openIDL, a Linux Foundation initiative aimed at modernizing insurance data exchange and standards.
From 2019 to 2022, Hershman was deputy commissioner and chief operating officer at CID, leading projects on artificial intelligence and big data in insurance, operational modernization and process improvements. Earlier in his career, he practiced law, advising clients in highly regulated industries.
He has also been active locally as a member of the Guilford Fire Commission and lives in Guilford with his wife and three daughters.
Hershman succeeds Andrew Mais, who led CID from 2019 until his retirement in November 2025 and recently completed a term as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in 2024. Mais was a prominent voice nationally on issues including climate resilience, health insurance affordability and the use of data and AI in insurance supervision.
Hershman’s confirmation is significant well beyond Connecticut’s borders.
Connecticut regularly bills itself as the “Insurance Capital of the World,” with Hartford and the surrounding region home to the headquarters or major hubs of carriers including Travelers, The Hartford and Aetna, as well as a dense ecosystem of reinsurers, captives and insurtechs. State economic materials pointed to more than $16 billion in annual output from the insurance sector in the Hartford region alone and emphasize its contribution to jobs and tax revenues.
Regulatory filings showed that, as of late 2025, more than 1,500 insurers were licensed in Connecticut, including 110 domestic insurers, underscoring the state’s role as both a domicile and a key gateway for national and international carriers.
Under Hershman’s leadership, CID will continue to operate as a fully NAIC‑accredited department, responsible for solvency oversight, market conduct, rate and form review, consumer protection and licensing across all major lines. Recent testimony to lawmakers has highlighted active work on health insurance affordability, property insurance availability and resilience in the face of climate‑driven catastrophe risk, as well as a push to keep pace with technology and data‑driven business models.
Hershman takes on the permanent role at a time when regulators are trying to balance consumer protection, affordability and market stability in a high‑inflation, high‑risk environment.
Mais regularly highlighted affordability in health and homeowners' insurance and used the department’s rate review authority to push back on carrier filings, emphasizing CID’s willingness to adjust or reject requested increases. Hershman’s confirmation statement, with its emphasis on “affordability and availability of insurance across all lines” and “supporting innovation,” points to continuity in that consumer‑focused stance, combined with an emphasis on data and operational modernization drawn from his work on openIDL and AI‑related initiatives at CID.
Recent CID submissions to the legislature have also flagged growing climate and severe‑weather risks for property owners, the importance of maintaining NAIC accreditation and engagement with international standard‑setting, and the need to invest in technology, analytics and staffing to keep supervisory capabilities aligned with market innovation.
That mix suggests a regulator likely to scrutinize pricing, underwriting and the use of data closely, while remaining open to new products and delivery models that can demonstrate clear consumer benefit.
Hershman’s background points to several areas of particular interest for the industry.
On data and AI governance, his leadership roles in a national data‑standards initiative and in AI‑focused projects at CID indicate he is likely to be active in NAIC and interstate discussions on big data, algorithmic underwriting and model governance. Connecticut has already been engaged in NAIC workstreams on AI and big data, and market participants can expect continued attention to how advanced analytics are deployed in underwriting, claims and marketing.
On the life side, Hershman has already been visible in complex run‑off and resolution matters, including the liquidation of PHL Variable Insurance Company, where CID has had to balance policyholder protection with market stability. His prior CEO experience at a niche life carrier may shape how the department approaches innovation, asset‑intensive products and risk transfer transactions in life and annuity.
Connecticut is also positioning Hartford as a global hub for insurtech and advanced analytics, through initiatives involving CID, the Connecticut Insurance and Financial Services initiative and the MetroHartford Alliance.
Meanwhile, Hershman’s stated support for “innovation that strengthens our markets” is likely to be read as encouragement for technology‑driven models that can show clear consumer value, but within a framework of strong oversight on solvency, conduct and data use.
