Commercial Casualty - Classroom

Educational Consultant:
Jean Sundlof
CIC, CPCU, CCI, ACI, CPIA

Jean Sundlof began her career working in the family independent agency in Oklahoma in a sales and marketing capacity. She continued her career serving as Executive Director of Associated Risk Managers of Oklahoma. In 1990, Jean moved to Minnesota and joined Great American Insurance Company as an Agency Operations Representative.

She returned to the independent agency side soon after, joining Youngdahl Companies in Marketing and Client Executive roles. She joined Kraus Anderson Insurance in 1999, holding positions of Client Executive, Sales Executive, Director of Captives, Coverage and Risk Consulting, and Consultant during her tenure with the agency. In 2026, Jean retired from Kraus-Anderson to focus on teaching and consulting. She instructs many courses for Big I Minnesota, serves as a National Faculty member and Educational Consultant for the Risk and Insurance Education Alliance, and is also an active faculty member for Swiss Re, instructing agent’s E&O courses.

Jean received her BBA and MBA from the University of Oklahoma. She holds the Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Certificate in Captive Insurance (CCI) and Certified Professional Insurance Agent (CPIA) designations. She is also an   Associate in Captive Insurance (ACI) and was the first Minnesotan to receive this designation.

Jean has been honored by Big I Minnesota as Young Agent of the Year and by the Oklahoma Association of Professional Insurance Agents as Insurance Woman of the Year. She serves on the board of directors for Neill Lake Townhomes. She is Past President of Big I MN, the largest trade association in Minnesota for insurance agents. She delights in her three grandsons, two dogs, and almost one hundred houseplants.

Speaker Day 1:

Ted Kinney

CIC, CPCU, ARM, AU, AAM, AAI, AINS, CRIS

BIO:

Ted Kinney is the owner/President of Kinney Training and Consulting, LLC, which specializes in providing quality insurance training programs to agencies and companies throughout the United States.

Ted also serves as the Director of Education and Technical Affairs for the Alabama Independent Insurance Agents in Birmingham, Alabama. In this position he is responsible for developing agent education programs and providing technical assistance to association members.

Ted has been in the insurance business since his graduation from the Ohio State University in 1973. During his career, he has worked as an underwriter, field sales manager, department supervisor, marketing specialist, trainer, and insurance agent. From 1994 to 2003, Ted was the Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development for PIA of Ohio & Indiana.

He is a member of the national faculty for the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America’s “ask the expert” service.

Speaker Day 2

Robert Ford
CIC, CISR, CPIA, CRIS, MLIS, CLCS, ERIS

BIO:

Bob started in the insurance business at age 19, when he was hired by Nodak Mutual Insurance Company as a territory producer in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and later transferred to Dickinson North Dakota.

Bob returned in 1978 to Devils Lake, North Dakota to work in and purchase the family run agency.  Bob sold his agency in 1998 and continued a 48-year career as a CEO, Regional Lead., Claims Dept. Lead, Personal Lines Dept. Lead, and Producer.

Over the years Bob has since involved himself in the insurance industry in several ways.  Early in his career he started training with the IIAA of Iowa at the University of Iowa on an annual basis with their agency management school.  These sessions were led by nationally known Dr. Emmett Vaughn.  Those sessions helped Bob to lay the foundation for a good understanding of the insurance industry and the agency company relationships.

Bob has also served on the Board of Directors for North Dakota PIA (Professional Insurance Agents) for 13 years.  During that time his favorite activity was chairing the education committee.  He held that position for eight years.  Bob especially enjoyed chairing the education committee because in his view a good technical education is critical to a successful career in the insurance industry.  He has also been privileged to serve as North Dakota PIA President and has also served as North Dakota PIA National Director.

To further his education, Bob completed his CIC designation in 2001, and his CISR designation in 2006.  In addition, he has earned the following insurance designations, CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent), CLCS (Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist), MLIS (Management Liability Insurance Specialist), ERIS (Energy Risk Insurance Specialist) and CRIS (Construction Risk Insurance Specialist).

Enjoying education so much, Bob continues his educational pursuits by teaching many insurance workshops each year around the country and is also a member of the national faculty for The Risk and Education Alliance.