We’re not just a vendor, we’re a partner

Lena Chukhno is the Chief Revenue Officer and General Manager of the Enterprise SaaS Business at Bestow. She leads efforts to help carrier partners modernize their operations and innovate with Bestow’s transformative technology. Before Bestow, Lena served as General Manager at Earnest, where she drove the company to market leadership in education financing. Her career spans nearly a decade in management consulting at McKinsey & Company and PwC, as well as leadership roles at JPMorgan’s Multi-Asset Solutions division. Lena resides in San Francisco, California.

Jeremy Bill is the Chief Insurance Officer at Bestow, leading the actuarial, underwriting, and operations teams to develop innovative insurance products and support carrier partners leveraging Bestow’s technology. Jeremy has nearly 25 years of industry experience, including 15 years in leadership roles. Before joining Bestow, he held various positions at Sammons Financial Group, overseeing functions such as pricing, reinsurance, inforce management, and underwriting strategy. Jeremy lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he and his family actively support local organizations, including the United Way, Kairos University and The Transformation Project.

Jack Lazarus is a Sr. Director of Product Management at Bestow focused on expanding support for new insurance products and sales channels. Before joining Bestow, Jack held various roles in Business Development, Partnerships, and Product Management at several fintech startups. He began his career at Goldman Sachs. Jack holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He lives in San Francisco with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Sylvia Cento leads the Delivery Management team at Bestow, responsible for implementing and delivering strategic partner initiatives. Sylvia began her career in local government and later discovered her passion for leading Program Management teams at rapidly growing startups in Austin, including Bazaarvoice and RetailMeNot. With 20 years of experience in "bringing order to chaos," Sylvia thrives on the challenge of launching new products and seeks innovative ways to improve team collaboration in delivering working software. Sylvia holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Science from the University of North Texas and holds a number of project management certifications. She lives in Austin where she regularly explores the live music scene with her husband.

Matt Baxter is the Director of Product Management at Bestow, where he leads a team of product managers dedicated to enhancing the Bestow platform, making life insurance more accessible to a broader audience. Before joining Bestow, Matt served as the Head of Product and UX at the startup Luscinia Health, where he developed a platform designed to help people better afford their prescriptions. Prior to that role, he worked as a UX Designer at various software consulting firms, collaborating across multiple industries to create exceptional user experiences. Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Dallas. He lives in Frisco, Texas with his wife and three kids.

Elden Schear is the Director of Sales and Business Development at Bestow, where he collaborates with leading industry carriers to develop and maintain long-term business technology partnerships. Before joining Bestow, Elden held sales leadership positions at prominent companies in the P&C insurance technology sector, such as Socotra and Insurity. Elden earned his degree in Business Administration with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Arizona. He resides in Las Vegas with his wife and their three children.

Christine Seidman serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Bestow, where she focuses on cultivating meaningful relationships with industry partners and solution providers. Christine is a seasoned leader in the life and financial services insurtech space, boasting over 15 years of experience in building successful, value-added partnerships. She began her career by managing a leading industry software solution that facilitated millions of life insurance transactions annually. Over the past eight years, Christine has transitioned into a partnership-focused role, leveraging her deep understanding of the insurtech landscape to cultivate strategic relationships that drive innovation and growth. Christine earned her Bachelor's degree in Marketing from Penn State University. She currently resides in Ardmore, Pennsylvania with her husband and two daughters.

Sam Curtis is a Senior Partner Success Manager at Bestow, responsible for driving growth among life carrier partners through Bestow's Enterprise platform. Sam leads tailored strategy for Bestow's partners, planning customized initiatives and measuring impact through data analysis. Sam found his passion for financial technology at an early-stage start-up focused on international payments and currency wallets, where he played a key role in expanding the company's distribution channels in the United States. Sam earned his Bachelor's degree in Management from Indiana University and now lives in Dallas, Texas where you'll find him embracing his love for golf, even in the scorching Texas heat.

Michael Siegel is a Senior Manager of Revenue Strategy and Operations at Bestow. In his role, he develops and refines go-to-market strategies, optimizes revenue operations, and manages high-value partnerships. He has extensive experience in using data-driven insights to foster business growth and enhance performance. Before joining Bestow, Michael served as the Chief of Staff for the Oracle for Startups organization at Oracle. In this role, he led strategic initiatives aimed at driving growth and enhancing operational efficiency. Additionally, he has experience in venture capital, having worked at VU Venture Partners and VentureSouth, where he focused on evaluating and executing early-stage investments. Michael holds an MBA from Clemson University and a B.A. in Business Economics from Wofford College. Michael lives in Spartanburg, SC.

Laura McKiernan Boylan serves as Vice President of Underwriting Solutions at Bestow. She collaborates with enterprise partners to design and scale underwriting programs on Bestow’s technology, improving risk selection outcomes. Before joining Bestow, Laura led the development of a digital underwriting platform at Haven Life and Haven Tech and served as an actuary at AXA US. She holds a Bachelor’s in Applied Mathematics from Harvard and carries FSA and AALU designations. Laura resides in New York City with her husband and two children.

Carly Fetzer is a Solutions Engineer at Bestow, where she helps carriers effectively implement Bestow’s advanced technology and data solutions. With nearly 20 years of experience in the life insurance industry, Carly is passionate about understanding the unique business needs of each partner and making their SaaS aspirations a reality. Carly earned her English degree with a focus on professional writing from Brigham Young University, and she is very passionate about the power of words to communicate. Carly lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah, with her two children.

Paul Rasmussen is Vice President of Partner Success at Bestow, working closely with life insurance carriers to drive growth and deliver results using Bestow’s enterprise platform. Before Bestow, Paul worked at Bain & Company, advising Fortune 500 clients on growth strategy and technology modernization. He discovered his passion for fintech through client engagements and early-stage investing. At Bestow, he has grown carrier partnerships and played a critical role in enterprise planning and strategy. Paul earned his MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and lives in Dallas with his family.

Pete Schiller serves as Vice President of TPA Services at Bestow, leading the company’s third-party administrator operations. In this role, he oversees exceptional service delivery to carrier partners’ customers and agents, ensuring industry-leading Net Promoter Scores and operational excellence. With deep expertise in driving sales, quality, and customer service performance, Pete is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and an innovative leader. His career spans the design and implementation of processes, workflows, and measurement systems that achieve transformative business results. Pete holds a Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance from Hofstra University. He resides in the New York metro area.