Michael Kellam graduated from The University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 2004 with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with an emphasis in Marine Science through partnerships with the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology and Keys Marine Lab in FL. Upon graduation, he moved to Williamsburg VA and worked at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, where he focused upon native oyster re-establishment efforts and invasive species control. In 2006, he began his career at Ware Insurance as a risk manager and commercial insurance broker, with a focus in ultra-complicated and multi-faceted risk analysis. He handles a broad range of industries, including but not limited to emerging technology, e-commerce, construction & contracting, manufacturing, and real estate management, within which he manages 162 clients spanning 49 States and over a dozen countries. In 2021, 22, & 23, he was recognized by Insurance Business Magazine as one of the top 100 insurance brokers in the USA (Top Producers 2021 | Insurance Business America (insurancebusinessmag.com), with managed client volume and annual clientele growth exceeding 99% of his industry peers. In 2021, Michael was appointed CEO of Ware Insurance, where he now provides corporate governance to the organization.In addition to several insurance-specific designations, Michael is a certified OSHA instructor, with over 2,000 hours of formal training. He deploys this expertise to identify corporate risks, which he seeks to eliminate or reduce through implementation of written and operational controls. What cannot be reduced or eliminated, he helps contractually transfer to third parties to isolate his clients’ liabilities to their sole gross negligence as possible. Remaining liability is addressed through risk financing, self-insurance, and/or the development and implementation of insurance contracts.