Prior to joining Helio, Heather was Chief Risk Advisor for the national healthcare practice at Aon, a global risk and insurance services company. Prior to that role Heather was Chief Risk Officer at the University of Oklahoma’s health system, directing risk, claims, captive operations, and insurance structure, including property, cyber, directors and officers, employer liability, workers compensation, provider professional liability, hospital liability, aviation, auto, and all other commercial and captive lines. Heather also served as Chief Legal Officer of the system’s captive insurance company, saving the system millions over its years of highly successful operations.
Heather’s career began as a trial lawyer defending organizations and medical providers in the law firm setting, trying multiple cases to juries as lead counsel. After ten successful trials, she began a career as in-house counsel to a large organization in Texas, managing people and processes related to risk, claims, and litigation.
Heather earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a Political Science minor and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma and a post-doctorate Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree in Health Law from DePaul University, Chicago. She holds certifications as a Professional in Healthcare Risk Management (CPHRM) from the American Society of Healthcare Risk Management and a Mediator Certification from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Heather is licensed as a lawyer in Oklahoma, Texas, and Vermont and has insurance producer licenses in Oklahoma and Texas.
Heather was elected by the captive industry as Captive Review’s U.S. Captive Risk Manager of the Year in 2020 and was voted by peers to be #27 on its Power 50 list. She is a former board member and Chair of the Vermont Captive Insurance Association and is a current board member of Captive Insurance Companies Association (CICA), the largest non-domicile industry association for captives in the world. In March 2023, Heather was elected to an executive officer position with CICA’s board of directors.
Heather’s expertise includes providing risk financing and operational solutions for all industries including insurance program analyses, commercial and captive structure and operations, alternative risk transfer, creating endorsements and policy forms to address evolving risk, and claims advocacy support. She teaches classes, speaks at industry events, and publishes numerous articles on risk and liability issues, and operational best practices for risk financing programs across the country and internationally.
Heather is involved in community volunteer opportunities with homelessness and animal rescue. She is passionate about serving clients by assessing, advising, and facilitating risk strategy, as well as facilitating broader culture change, implementation of best practices, and reduction of organizational risk.
Heather is a Standards for Excellence Licensed Consultant for the Nonprofit Impact Institute with Social Venture Partners Dallas (SVP Dallas). For more information on the Nonprofit Impact Institute, please contact dogoodbetter@svpdallas.org.