ABOUT KELLY
The longer version.
I know how insurance partners think, because for 25 years I was one.
For 25 years, I worked inside the travel insurance industry — for the carriers and administrators, not the travel companies buying from them. I rose to Chief Commercial Officer of a multimillion-dollar travel insurance book, which meant I built these programs, priced them, sold them, and sat through more renewal meetings than any one person should have to. I was good at it. I liked it.
Along the way, I noticed something: travel insurance has its own math, its own regulations, its own vocabulary and almost everyone fluent in it has spent their career on the carrier side. Travel companies, meanwhile, have an entire business to run. No one expects a tour operator, cruiseline or OTA to also be an insurance expert, and most have never had someone on their own team who speaks the language. That’s not a failing. It’s a specialty. It happens to be mine.
So I brought it with me.
I'm not on the carrier side anymore. That means I'm no longer in the room looking out for your program from that side of the table — I'm on yours. My job now is to translate: what your program is actually worth, what your travelers actually need, and how to walk into your next partner conversation already fluent.
I'll explain it in plain English. I'll show you the math. And if the honest answer is that your program's already in good shape, I'll tell you that too.
Where this industry is headed
In recent years, several new companies have entered the travel insurance space, which means more companies are competing for your business. Competition is good — but how do you know if a new entrant is the right fit? Will they be capable of handling your business at scale? Will they still be around in five years? I'm here to help you answer those questions, and I'll tell you honestly what I think.
Second, climate change is having a profound impact on travel — and a knock-on effect on travel insurance. Carriers are starting to track its impact on claims experience, which can mean higher premiums, destination-based pricing, or, in the worst cases, no coverage available at all. I'll help you unpack and mitigate that risk so it doesn't hit your travelers or your revenue.
Understanding sustainable travel isn't a side project for me — it's something I've been passionate about for years. I co-chair the Climate Risk Committee for the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). I've also spent years making sure sustainability and equity have a seat at the table, including sponsoring USTOA's Future Lights recognition program at its annual conference. I'd rather help figure this out than watch it happen from the sidelines. Also, the sidelines are boring.
I'm an active member of USTOA, the United States Travel Insurance Association (UStiA), the National Tour Association (NTA), Tourism Cares, the 41-74 Travel Club, and SKÅL. Yes, that's a lot of acronyms. I also go to conferences that have nothing to do with insurance — because the better I understand your business, the better the plan I can build for it.
The Sahner Group is one person, one dog, two kids, and one very patient wife.
Based in Brooklyn. The dog has opinions.
