Michael Blackshear serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Compliance & Privacy Officer for Ryan Specialty with responsibilities for maintaining and growing an effective compliance and regulatory risk framework. He has over 29 years of financial service and executive experience in the areas of compliance and risk management.

Prior to joining Ryan Specialty, Michael was the North America Chief Compliance Officer for Chubb Insurance Group, developing and maintaining their North American (NA) compliance program. Michael was primarily responsible for the NA compliance framework integration and transformation during the ACE/Chubb merger. Before his time with Chubb, Michael held various leadership roles with Marsh & McLennan Companies, and he has also served in compliance and risk management advisory roles for KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He began his insurance career as an underwriter for Continental Insurance Company and then as a casualty broker with Alexander & Alexander Insurance Brokerage Firm.

Insurance Business America (IBA) recognized Michael on their Global 100 list for 2021, and they also included him as part of their Hot 100 for 2020 and in their “Leading the Change” feature, which acknowledged those working to build a more diverse and equitable insurance industry. Michael also has been honored by both Syracuse University, receiving the Chancellor’s Citation—the University’s most exclusive honor—in recognition of his significant career and civic achievements, and by Fordham’s Black Law Student Association, receiving the Annual Ruth Whitehead Whaley Award for being a prominent alumnus in the field of Compliance.

Michael obtained his Juris Doctorate from Fordham Law School (where he currently lectures as an adjunct professor), his MBA from St. John’s University, Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance, and Actuarial Science and his BS in Finance from Syracuse University. He also received a certification in “Managing Ethics in Organizations” from Bentley College and is currently completing a certification at Loyola University, Chicago (inaugural class) at their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Institute. Michael serves on both the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and the Excess Line Association of New York (ELANY) Board of Directors.