Experience meets opportunity

FM’s leaders bring deep technical knowledge and a close understanding of the clients and communities we serve. As our business continues to evolve, they help guide how we respond to new risks and challenges.

This year’s featured leaders bring different career paths and perspectives but share a common focus on strengthening our ability to help clients protect property and build resilience. In their new roles, they are driving important areas of the business while building on FM’s long-standing foundation of engineering insight, partnership and financial strength.

Building the finance organization of the future
Alison Erbig, executive vice president, chief financial officer
Alison Erbig joined FM in 2025 after more than two decades in finance leadership roles at Liberty Mutual. The broad range of experience in her career shaped her view that finance must combine technical precision with enterprise perspective.

Erbig sees the chief financial officer role at FM as extending beyond reporting. “We are stewards of the financial statements,” she said, “but stewardship also means helping the business make smart, informed decisions.”

Erbig was drawn to FM’s strong track record of performance and industry leadership as well as its culture. She felt FM and her experience created a serendipitous match. “When I think of my career path, everything I’ve done led me directly to FM,” observed Erbig.

“Progress over perfection” guides her approach, but not at the expense of rigor. Decisions require analysis and control, yet they cannot stall.

This is particularly important as technology reshapes the finance function, and Erbig is deliberate about applying it responsibly. Artificial intelligence and automation can help streamline reporting and forecasting and draw out insights faster, but finance still centers on interpreting results and advising the business at a human level.

Developing talent is also a priority for Erbig. She places strong emphasis on building depth across the finance organization, empowering and supporting her team to grow as their roles evolve. As both a senior leader and a parent of young children, she speaks candidly about the realities of juggling leadership and family responsibilities and about creating environments where high performers can sustain balanced, long-term careers.

Erbig also credits her career as an athlete, especially her experience on the Boston College softball team, with shaping her work ethic and collaborative spirit. “It taught me discipline and gave me time management skills, but also showed me the importance of teamwork,” she said – experiences she now brings as a member of the FM team.

Leadership through service
Johnell Holly, executive vice president, United States and Latin America operations
Johnell Holly’s leadership foundation began at West Point and continued in Army Special Operations, where accountability under pressure and responsibility for outcomes were part of daily life. Military service also instilled a lasting belief about leadership itself.

“Rank doesn’t matter,” Holly said. “How you make people feel is what matters.”

Holly joined FM as a field engineer and later took on roles in underwriting, sales and international leadership across the United States and Asia. Each assignment expanded his understanding of how engineering insight, underwriting discipline and client relationships support FM’s clients around the world.

For Holly, FM’s purpose is tangible. Protecting clients’ facilities means protecting livelihoods, communities and industries, from hospitals and global brands to critical infrastructure. That connection to real-world impact continues to fuel his commitment.

“Our work at FM allows companies to execute on their mission and deliver on their purpose,” Holly said. “What we do matters, and it certainly helps to wake up each day and know that you’re doing something meaningful.” 

Holly now oversees operations across the United States and Latin America while helping guide global sales and market relations. The responsibility centers on strengthening relationships with FM’s mutual clients while ensuring the organization continues to deliver the engineering expertise and partnership those clients rely on.

Holly often emphasizes the importance of presence. Titles and rank carry responsibility, but influence is earned. In his mind, and fundamental to what FM is, the same applies to earning clients' trust.

Scaling with discipline
James O’Brien, executive vice president, specialty business
James O’Brien began his career at FM in 1989 as a field engineer, traveling across the Midwest and learning industrial risks firsthand. What began as a glimpse into different industries became a 36-year career spanning engineering, underwriting, sales and operations.

O’Brien’s career progression followed opportunity rather than a fixed plan. Chicago operations once felt like the destination. It became another step. Each move required learning quickly, measuring performance and delivering consistent results. “Your career does not have to be a straight line,” he noted. “You can veer off to get more experience.”

Early field experience continues to inform how O’Brien views FM’s work today. “When you go into a small town and they’ve got one key manufacturing facility, you’re not just helping the company,” O’Brien said. “You’re helping the community.”

Over time, O’Brien helped guide the direction of several specialty segments as they expanded into new markets and industries. Strong underwriting, close collaboration with engineering teams and clear accountability helped position those businesses for steady growth. In his view, growth must be earned.

As executive vice president, specialty business, O’Brien has responsibility and holistic oversight of FM’s differentiating and expanding specialty business, including FM Intellium, FM Solutions, Velocity Specialty Insurance Company, FM Boiler Re, FM Cargo operations, Chemical Operations, Forest Products and FM Renewable Energy. Data centers and renewable energy represent emerging markets with significant long-term opportunity. In his new role, O’Brien is focused on setting up these businesses for profitability and growth—helping them expand thoughtfully while maintaining the engineering and underwriting foundation that defines FM.

Looking back on his career, he observed that even he was amazed at what he’s been able to do at FM. He noted that he joined FM in part because of a recommendation from a friend. “Thirty-six years later, it was one of the best decisions of my life.”