Kevin R. King

President

Bio

With three decades of insurance, risk management and claims experience, Kevin King is considered an expert within the industry.

He has spent the last twenty-one years focusing on construction related risks at Turner Construction Company, where he has been Vice President and General Manager of Risk Management since 2016.

Kevin introduced an Enterprise-wide Risk Management philosophy to Turner by promoting a risk aware culture to mitigate risk and improve outcomes in all areas of operations. To Kevin, Risk Management is just not buying insurance. It is understanding and planning for future challenges, developing relationships with the insurance market, helping company’s reduce exposures through analytics and focused risk mitigation and finally, developing processes that drive claim resolution in a manner that is timely, reasonable and fair.

With this philosophy in mind, in 2021 Kevin and his team rebranded Turner risk management as Stratus Risk Associates, supporting risk services for all HOCHTIEF North America entities. With Kevin as President, the strategic initiative of Stratus is to offer the most comprehensive and innovative risk management services within the construction industry. The new brand provides clients with excellent customer service including insurance renewal management, project risk assessment, claim advocacy, broker coordination and data analytics that drive lower total cost of risk.

Kevin is a licensed Insurance Producer and, before joining Turner, worked for Marsh. Prior to his brokerage experience, Kevin was employed with several insurance carriers. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the WTC Captive Insurance Company. He also participates on Client Advisory Boards for Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Zurich and the Construction Customer Council for AXA XL.

Ryan Pitterson

Operations Director - Risk Management

Bio

Ryan brings 20 years of Insurance industry experience to Stratus leadership. As Operations Director, Ryan assists Stratus in responding and managing exposures associated with claims, contracts, and insurance related matters. Ryan is responsible for leading a team of insurance claims professionals in claim and litigation management, project insurance placement and consulting on any risk our clients may face. He also provides training to Stratus clients on technical, insurance and contract matters through presentations and project management reviews. Prior to the formation of Stratus, Ryan worked in Turner Construction’s Risk Management Department since 2018. This followed 15 years at AIG, where Ryan led multiple teams in insurance claims as well as a team dedicated to developing innovative risk mitigation solutions for Construction clients. Ryan holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Rochester and a Juris Doctor from Columbia University Law School and serves as a member of the Construction Defect Advisory Board for Perrin Conferences.

Tom Francavilla

Director of Insurance Programs

Bio

Tom Francavilla serves as the Director of Insurance Programs for Stratus Risk Associates. As a founding member of the team, Tom joined Stratus in 2022 after spending 16 years with Turner Construction, the last 15 with its Risk Management department. He is responsible for oversight of all annual insurance program renewals and leads all data analytics efforts on behalf of Stratus and its clients. Additionally, Tom is responsible for all marketing initiatives and brand development for the organization.

While Tom has obtained industry certifications such as ARM and CRIS, it is the real-world experience with Stratus clients’ field staff and understanding of the situations they face daily that have influenced his work the most. There is not a one-size fits all approach for Stratus’ clients. Tom strives to resolve issues to the best outcome for each client with a customized approach and a sincere drive to do the right thing.

Tom holds an MBA in Finance from Seton Hall University and a BS in Mathematics from Montclair State University.

Susan Hughes

Project Risk Director

Bio

Susan Hughes is currently the Project Risk Director at Stratus Risk Associates. Prior, she was the Insurance Risk Manager for Turner Construction Company for 20 years. Her responsibilities include handling the insurance for all projects, contract reviews and project insurance coverage placements. Susan also leads insurance training to new hires as well as business units throughout the countries we work in. She has extensive knowledge in General Liability, Workers’ Compensation, Builders Risk, Property, Professional and Pollution Liability.

Prior to joining Turner, Susan was an insurance broker for 15 years with Johnson & Higgins and Marsh & McLennan.

Dave Lawton

IS Director (RMIS)

Bio

Dave Lawton is Stratus’ IS Director (RMIS). He has extensive experience in both systems and risk management. Before joining Stratus in 2023, Dave spent the last six years on the cyber security team at Turner Construction Company. Prior to this, he was a member of the Turner risk management team for 13 years, where he was responsible for the implementation of the full risk management information systems platform. Previously, he worked for seven years in claims administration at an insurance carrier.

Dave enjoys transforming data into useful information to aid in making key decisions. He strives to make the most efficient user experience while simultaneously ensuring we are obtaining the maximum value from the technology.

Dave holds a degree in business administration from Stockton University in New Jersey.

Matt Pritts

Regional Risk Management Director Area: Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, PA/NJ

Bio

Matt is a seasoned construction risk professional with over 27 years of experience. While serving as the Regional Risk Management Director for Stratus, he oversees a qualified team responsible for insurance placement, claims and litigation management, contract review, and any risk management matters that arise in the PA/NJ, Mid-Atlantic, Nashville/Huntsville, & SE Regions. Matt also provides direct risk management guidance and resources to ensure a total “all hands on deck” approach for clients seeking the services of Stratus.

Matt has been a Risk Management Director since 2010 and prior to that served in a multitude of roles at Turner Construction. From Field Engineer to Sr. Cost Engineer, to Senior Financial Manager, along with roles that lead the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Quality Groups in the Mid-Atlantic Region for Turner Construction. From these experiences, Matt has a well-rounded skillset that enables him to tackle any problem head on and provide solutions.

Matt has a Civil Engineering Degree from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and currently resides in Somerset, PA with his wife and son.

Zach Mengel

Regional Risk Management Director Area: Northeast

Bio

Zach Mengel is the Regional Risk Management Director for the northeast region, where he and his team provide insurance placement, risk mitigation, and claims oversight services to partners in New York and New England. Zach initially joined Turner Construction in 2018 as Insurance Manager for its New England business units, where he gained front-line exposure to Turner operations, and assisted in resolving a myriad of unique risk-associated challenges posed to project and regional leadership.

Zach brings to Stratus a background comprised of diverse perspectives within the insurance and risk management industry, having started his career in private law practice focused on insurance coverage and insurance agents and brokers E&O defense, before joining a large insurer, for which he handled high exposure coverage-intensive casualty claims and insurance coverage litigation.

Zach earned his B.A. from the University of Richmond, and his J.D., cum laude, from Pace University School of Law. He is licensed to practice law in the State of New York and Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Lydia Levine

Workers’ Compensation Director

Bio

Lydia Levine is the Director of Workers’ Compensation. She is responsible for leading the strategic direction and overall performance of the Stratus workers’ compensation program and its claims managers nationally, with a focus on mitigation of claim costs for Stratus’ clients. Lydia joined Turner Construction in early 2018 as the Risk Manager of Workers’ Compensation for the New York Business Unit, where she worked closely with local business unit leadership, Environmental Health & Safety, and corporate risk management. In that role, she supported worker wellness, promoted and managed Turner’s return to work program, ensured accurate reporting and timely resolution of claims, and implemented risk mitigation strategies.

With over 20 years of experience in the workers’ compensation industry managing complex claims for multiple carriers and third-party administrators, Lydia has extensive knowledge with respect to workers’ compensation jurisdictional laws and regulations, claims management, and program management. Lydia was promoted to Director of Workers’ Compensation in 2022.

Rick Howley

Claim Director/Account Manager

Bio

Rick has worked as an Insurance Claim professional for 41 years. He started his career with Liberty Mutual, where he worked for five years as a Court Adjuster, Liability Supervisor and Home Office Examiner. Rick then spent 11 years at Chubb, working in their Boston, San Jose, California, New Jersey, Hartford and Pittsburgh offices in roles ranging from Litigation Supervisor to Home Office Examiner. He then spent two years with Zurich North America, opening a claim office in Woburn, Massachusetts and serving as its Claim Manager. The office serviced the six New England states.

Rick then moved to working at insurance brokers; 6 years with Marsh in Connecticut, and 18 years with Willis Towers Watson, also in Connecticut. His role was as a Senior Claim Consultant, assisting both Middle Market and large Risk Management clients in all lines of Casualty claims, as both an advocate and advisor. In addition to assisting in the management, evaluation and resolution of large, complex claims, Rick would also provide coverage analysis/advocacy. In one case, Rick was successful in obtaining a $500,000 insurance recovery for a construction client whose claim was initially denied by its insurer.

Rick came to Stratus in June 2022, as a Claim Director/Account Manager. His responsibilities include assisting clients in managing their Casualty claims, facilitating communication and resolving service issues with their insurers, and providing advice and training with respect to various claim topics and insurance industry developments.

Rick has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, where he was born and raised. He lives in Glastonbury, Connecticut with his wife, Judy, who also works in the insurance industry.