Kieran A. Sweeney – President & CEO 

Kieran Sweeney began his insurance career in 1987 at Lloyd’s of London. Since then, he has held a variety of executive roles managing insurance, reinsurance, and general agency businesses. Before establishing Align, Mr. Sweeney was President and Chief Executive Officer of Arrowhead General Insurance Agency (“Arrowhead”) in San Diego, California. Arrowhead is one of the largest general insurance agencies in the United States, writing nearly $1 billion of personal and commercial lines premiums annually.  Mr. Sweeney established Align Financial Group LLC in 2003, also founded Personable Holdings, Inc. in 2011, and Catalytic Holdings LLC in 2013.

Mr. Sweeney joined Willis Faber, Plc at Lloyd’s of London in 1987. In 1991 he joined U.S. Capital Group, Inc., a New York-based insurance and reinsurance holding company.  At U.S. Capital, he held positions as Vice President of Legal and Audit, President of Pan Atlantic Investors Limited and Senior Vice President and General Manager of U.S. Capital Insurance Company. Mr. Sweeney graduated from University College Galway, Ireland in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry & Immunology.

Jerry Batcheller – Chief Operating Officer

Jerry Batcheller began his insurance career in 1987 at Arrowhead General Insurance Agency, Inc. and held positions of increasing importance over 21 years with the company, ultimately becoming Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the operations of a nearly $1 billion in annual written premium business. Mr. Batcheller joined Align in April of 2008 to lead the Commercial Lines Division and has since taken on the Chief Operating Officer role as the business continues to grow.  Mr.Batcheller graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and continues to hold an active California resident P&C insurance license in good standing since 1989, including 78 additional non-resident and surplus lines license designations.

Frank Dunne – Executive Vice President, Specialty Programs

Frank Dunne joined Align in July of 2007 to start and manage the Company’s Specialty Program Division. He came from American Safety Insurance Company where he managed a profitable $100 million-plus portfolio of Specialty Casualty business. Prior to American Safety,  Mr. Dunne was the Casualty Department Manager at United Capitol Insurance Company.  He was a senior underwriter at Lexington Insurance Company for several years after spending five years as a wholesale broker with Heath Insurance Brokers and Crouse and Associates in San Francisco, California. Mr. Dunne started his insurance career at Fireman’s Fund in 1988 after graduating from St. Mary’s College with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in May of 1987.

Rod Eldred – Executive Vice President, Workers Compensation & Commercial Auto Divisions

Rod Eldred began his insurance career in 1977 with Crum and Forster where he held various underwriting and management positions through 1984. At that time, Mr. Eldred became Vice-President of Continental Divide Insurance Company, a member of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group. Over time, Mr. Eldred assumed various positions of increasing responsibility and eventually became President of the Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies in Omaha, Nebraska, the retail insurance division of the Berkshire Hathaway Insurance Group.

The business produced under Mr. Eldred’s tenure at BHHC was specialty focused and consisted primarily of Construction, Commercial Automobile and Worker’s Compensation. Mr. Eldred joined Align in February of 2011 to start an insurance division writing Specialty Automobile and Worker’s Compensation initially in the State of California. Over time, these programs will be expanded into other states beginning in the Western United States.

Michelle Roccoforte – Chief Financial Officer, Align General Insurance Agency
Michelle has 21 years of Insurance Premium Accounting experience across multiple lines of business with her former employer Arrowhead General Insurance Agency. While at Arrowhead, Michelle was an integral part of the design and implementation of various cash reconciliation, online payment systems, and commissioning systems for streamlining and automation of the cash flow processes, enabling Arrowhead to grow combined writings to over $1 billion through multiple insurance carriers. Mrs. Roccoforte earned her Certified Public Accounting designation after graduating from San Diego State University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting.

Mike Towell – Senior Vice President Excess & Umbrella Liability Division

Mike began his insurance career with Aetna Life and Casualty as a multi-line underwriter from 1972 through 1982.  Mike left Aetna to join an independent insurance agency in Kansas City (Cretcher-Lynch) from July of 1982 through July of 1992 where he became a partner in the firm. From 1992 to May 2002, Mike was employed with RLI as a Vice President  writing Umbrella and General Liability Business and won employee of the year with RLI.  In May of 2002 to July 2017 Mike  was employed by Rockhill Insurance Company.  Mike and Terry Younghanz started Rockhill as an MGU in May of 2002  and in 2005 raised capital to elevate Rockhill to an A-8 insurance company.  As a Regional President, Mike  was responsible for  underwriting  specialized excess casualty business while managing a $40,000,000 book of profitable excess business.  Mike has a Bachelor of Science from Kansas State University and an MBA from Webster University.  Mike brings 40+ years of experience in casualty, property, inland marine, workers compensation , umbrella, excess and other lines of business. Mike has an Agents and Brokers  license in all states.

Jack Abney – Senior Vice President Environmental Division

Jack started in the insurance industry in February of 2004 with National Environmental Coverage Corporation (NECC) where he became vice president managing a large and profitable book of environmental liability business.  NECC was acquired by Rockhill Holdings, Inc. in 2008 and Jack held the positions of AVP of Environmental Underwriting, VP of Environmental Underwriting and Director of Business Development at Rockhill. From 1997 to 2000, Jack lived in Australia and Canada to pursue a professional golf career.  He earned a B.S. degree (Cum Laude) from Tulane University where he was a member of the Tulane University Golf Program. Jack was an ESPN Junior Golf All-American at Tulane and received the Fred Lamprecht MVP award as well as All-Conference USA team honors.  After college, Jack was a member of the Australasian PGA Tour, Canadian Professional Golf Tour and the Hooters Professional Golf Tour.  Jack attended the NAPSLO Executive School at the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business and holds Property and Casualty and Surplus Lines Licenses in Louisiana.  Jack joined Align General Insurance Agency, LLC in 2017.