Amanda Wheeler

I attribute my success to a mentality of never being satisfied and always moving forward. I've always had a one-year, three-year, and five-year goal, and I've never failed to reach any of them - no matter how big or small. I never want to reach a point where I'm not looking for the next opportunity. As Matthew McConaughey says, 'my hero is me in 10 years.' I go into everything wholeheartedly and I never stop learning.

The best career advice I ever received was simple: never settle, keep looking for the next opportunity, and never stop learning. I actually started out on the path to law school until a professor steered me in a different direction. He told me, "Get your MBA—you can do anything with it." Looking back, it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

If you had told me 15 years ago that I’d be in the insurance industry, I wouldn't have believed you and probably laughed. But by stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new, I found a career I love that still allows me to work closely with the legal world every day.

My advice is straightforward: find a niche that fascinates you and go for it—whether it’s AI, cyber, or the next emerging frontier try it, focus on it, and become an expert in it. If a path no longer challenges or interests you, pivot to the next big thing. I’ve found that when you focus on what genuinely excites you, the rest falls into place.

The role of artificial intelligence in insurance has shifted from a novel trend to a core operational pillar. Beyond simple chatbots, specialized AI is now embedded across all divisions—automating claims processing, streamlining underwriting, and enhancing fraud detection. This rapid systemization has created a ripple

Regulatory Evolution: I am actively monitoring a complex legislative landscape, including the NAIC Model Bulletin and state-specific laws like Colorado’s AI Act, which demand high standards for fairness and transparency.

This technological surge coincides with a massive demographic shift: over the next decade, nearly half the current workforce is expected to retire, including a significant wave of senior executives. In response, the industry has aggressively ramped up its education and recruitment efforts.

Organizations are partnering with academic institutions to offer specialized degrees in risk management, creating unprecedented opportunitiesfor those ready to lead. From marketing and design to high-level data science, the scope of hiring at major carriers is now astronomical, signaling a bright future for anyone willing to master this new tech-enabled landscape.

At the core of everything I do is a simple principle: lead with kindness. I truly believe there isn’t a situation in life that can’t be improved by simply being a good person and having a genuine heart. We all make mistakes, but as long as we learn from them and treat others with empathy, we’re moving in the right direction.

You never truly know what someone else is going through. I’ve always told my children that people often project how they feel inside onto others—and a small act of kindness can completely shift someone’s day. I strive to practice this dozens of times a day, operating from the belief that the world would be a much better place if we chose to be for one another rather than against each other.

To maintain this mindset, I strive to live by the "Let Them" theory, popularized by Mel Robbins. It’s a magnificent, life-changing philosophy: let people make their own choices. If you have no control over a situation, let them deal with what they’re dealing with, remain kind, and protect your own peace. Just be good to people; it's that simple.