Professional education institutions demonstrate their reach through the breadth of their programs, the depth of their curriculum, and the professionals they serve. The Risk & Insurance Education Alliance belongs to the second group. Since September 2020, it has been led by William Hold as President & CEO, a full-time role based in Austin, Texas.
Formerly known as The National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research, the organization is now the Risk & Insurance Education Alliance. Headquartered in Austin, it focuses on risk management and insurance professional development. Its current figures show more than 1,900 educational programs annually and over 2,600 hours of curriculum.
This scale reflects the breadth of its educational operations, reaching insurance professionals across different roles, experience levels, and areas of specialization.
Among its offerings are the CIC, CISR, CRM, CIRP, CPRM and CSRM designation programs, alongside the Certified AI Insurance Credential (CAIC), advanced learning, foundational education, and sales and service training. That is the portfolio William now steers. The organization’s website, riskeducation.org, provides information about its programs, credentials, and professional development opportunities.
A Message About Pace
He has distilled his priorities into a single sentence: “Risk & Insurance education needs to keep pace with how today’s professionals learn and how organizations grow!”
This statement captures two priorities central to his leadership: adapting educational methods to changing learning preferences and ensuring that professional development supports organizational growth. Education, in his telling, has to run on both.
As President & CEO, William leads the modernization of programs the industry already recognizes. He describes the task as bringing established programs forward while protecting the usefulness that earned them their standing.
It is a balance familiar to anyone who has tried to refresh something people already trust. The programs carry reputations, and reputations are easier to spend than to rebuild. In a 2024 interview with The Alliance, William explained the principle behind that balance: “Every change we embrace must enhance the experience for those we serve.” This approach places the quality of the learning experience at the center of program development and modernization.
What the Programs Cover
The Alliance’s current portfolio extends well beyond its three established designations. Its designation programs include CIC, CRM, CISR, CIRP, CPRM and CSRM, while its wider learning offerings cover certification, advanced education, foundational programs, and sales and service development.
These offerings address different aspects of insurance practice. Designations establish professional knowledge and achievement, while sales and service training and foundational learning strengthen the practical capabilities required across insurance roles. The CAIC credential also introduces artificial intelligence into the education portfolio, reflecting changing knowledge requirements within the industry.
The breadth of this portfolio requires educational content that remains relevant across different professional responsibilities, career stages, and organizational requirements.
Modernizing such a portfolio involves continuous development across multiple programs, ensuring that technical content, instructional approaches, and professional standards remain aligned with an evolving insurance industry.
More Than Twenty Years, Six Titles
William’s time with the organization totals more than 20 years. His record shows six roles, each with its own dates. He began in September 2006 as Associate Director, a position he held through March 2010, or three years and seven months.
In April 2010, he became Director. The role ran until January 2012, one year and ten months.
Next came Vice President, from February 2012 to September 2020, a span of eight years and eight months. In February 2017, he took on the title of Chief Development Officer, which he held until September 2020, for three years and eight months. From September 2018, he was Chief Executive Officer through September 2020, for two years and one month. In September 2020, he became President & CEO, the full-time role he holds today, which he has held for more than six years.
Twelve years passed between his arrival in September 2006 and his first turn as Chief Executive Officer in September 2018. The presidency followed two years later. The arithmetic of the titles is instructive. Vice President was the longest of the six, at eight years and eight months. Director was the shortest, at one year and ten months. His current presidency has also extended beyond six years.
Reading the Record
The overlapping dates of William’s senior appointments are significant. The Vice President, Chief Development Officer, and Chief Executive Officer roles all end in September 2020, the same month the presidency begins.
These dates indicate an evolution and expansion of responsibilities rather than six entirely consecutive appointments. Taken together, the record shows a steady climb inside a single organization, from Associate Director in 2006 to the top seat in 2020, with progressively broader leadership responsibilities along the way. Tenure of that length offers a view of an organization from different levels. He has seen it as Associate Director, Director, Vice President, and officer before leading it as chief executive.
His progression reflects more than two decades of involvement in the organization’s operations, leadership structure, educational programs, and professional development objectives.
Keeping Insurance Education Aligned With Industry Needs
William’s leadership brings together three important aspects of professional insurance education: scalable development, business-aligned training, and industry knowledge.
Scalability is reflected in the Alliance’s educational operations, which deliver more than 1,900 programs annually and provide over 2,600 hours of curriculum. Business alignment is reflected in the organization’s emphasis on practical education that responds to professional and organizational requirements. Industry knowledge is embedded in its designation and certification programs, including CIC, CISR, CRM, CIRP, CPRM and the CAIC credential.
The continued relevance of these programs depends on their ability to address changing professional responsibilities, emerging technologies, and evolving insurance practices. Educational institutions must therefore balance established technical standards with updated content and learning methods.
William’s approach emphasizes this balance. After more than two decades with the organization, he brings an understanding of its educational portfolio and the professional community it serves. His responsibility now extends to maintaining the value of established designations while ensuring that courses, credentials, and learning methods continue to meet the industry’s changing requirements.
