Captive International marks Kevin Mead’s transformative VCIA leadership

As the Vermont Captive Insurance Association (VCIA) celebrates its 40th anniversary, it also prepares to say farewell to Kevin Mead (pictured), its chief executive since February 2022. Mead has been credited with driving innovation and future proofing VCIA.

In an exclusive Captive International interview for its 2025 US Focus, Mead offered candid account of his three and a half years at the helm – a period that saw the association emerge from pandemic disruption stronger, more strategic, and future-ready.

Speaking ahead of his retirement after the 2025 conference, Mead reflected: “The thing I’m most proud about is… we’ve got a team! If I get hit by a bus – or win the lottery – they wouldn’t miss a beat.”

Mead’s early tenure was defined by steering VCIA back to in-person events, safeguarding revenue and member engagement after two years of virtual conferences. “The annual conference is a huge proportion of VCIA’s income,” he said, crediting his predecessors for preserving staff morale and operational stability through COVID-19.

Once the ship was steady, Mead launched a listening tour to hundreds of stakeholders, resulting in a new strategic plan built around education, engagement, and advocacy. This led to innovations such as VCIA’s first post-COVID “Hill Day” in Washington, DC, and the expansion of chapters beyond Vermont’s borders.

He also championed technology adoption, including AI tools to improve member services, while maintaining what he calls the captive sector’s hallmark: “levels of cooperation among people that are competitors”.

Looking ahead, Mead is confident in the association’s resilience under new leadership. “I’ll miss my friends and colleagues… that camaraderie sets us apart,” he admitted.

Read the full interview, Legacy of leadership: reflections on Kevin Mead’s VCIA presidency, to explore how Mead’s vision reshaped VCIA – and how his legacy will shape the captive industry’s next chapter here.

Celebrate 40 Years of VCIA!

As the captive community gathers in Burlington for the VCIA Annual Conference, explore our special 40th Anniversary Edition. Packed with exclusive interviews, regulator insights, and reflections from industry leaders, it’s a tribute to four decades of innovation, connection, and leadership in Vermont’s captive market.

Read this Special Edition now.

Did you get value from this story?  Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.