Newfront names first independent director

Newfront, a tech-enabled, full-service insurance brokerage, has announced the appointment of Courtney Leimkuhler (pictured above) to its board of directors.

Leimkuhler has 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, on both the capital formation and risk management sides of the business. She has served as an advisor to Newfront since February 2021, and, with this appointment, becomes the company’s first independent director.

“We are pleased to welcome Courtney Leimkuhler to the Newfront board,” said Spike Lipkin, CEO of Newfront. “Courtney’s experience leading financial services companies with deep expertise in insurtech and capital markets will be invaluable to Newfront as we grow our business and pursue our mission to build the modern insurance experience and transform a trillion-dollar market.”

Leimkuhler is the founder and managing partner of Springbank Collective, an early-stage investment firm focused on building the infrastructure to close the gender gap. Prior to founding Springbank in 2019, Leimkuhler served as the chief financial officer of Marsh. She also spent a decade at the New York Stock Exchange, where she was a member of the management committee and the head of corporate strategy and mergers and acquisitions.

Leimkuhler began her career at Goldman Sachs, and served as a director of Coverwallet from 2019 until its acquisition by Aon in 2020. She currently serves as a director of Orchard and Dandi.

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“I love that Newfront is innovating in a way which feels authentic to the insurance industry and is marrying technology and talent to serve clients in an efficient and modern way,” Leimkuhler said. “I am excited to continue my role as an advisor, now as a member of the board, supporting the company’s rapid growth and success.”

“This appointment is the result of a robust search process ensuring we have the right mix of skills and experience to advance our goals and reflect the diverse views of the Newfront team,” said Amy Steadman, chief people officer at Newfront. “At Springbank Collective and throughout her career, Courtney leads the advancement of gender equality, and we welcome her skills and passion to help us achieve our goals of building an inclusive and equitable workplace.”