Board Member

Shirley Taaffe brings significant business, financial and insurance industry experience in the association and affinity program markets, including management of sales, product development, direct marketing, profit and loss management, budget development and management, strategic planning, team building, and relationship management.

During her 30+ year career, she held Vice President and executive management level positions at major insurance companies including ING, Hartford Life, United States Life / American General, and Cigna, among others, where her work primarily focused on leading teams to develop, improve, promote, and service products for association members and affinity groups.

At The Hartford, Ms. Taaffe recruited and managed a strategic business unit of more than 60 individuals in building a profitable business from a loss position. Ms. Taaffe led a staff of sales directors, actuaries, group and medical underwriters, marketers, contract analysts, and account managers to develop and execute the annual business plan. She significantly increased revenue by 700% over 10 years and increasing net profit by more than $40 million during the same time period. While leading this business unit, she built and managed relationships with over seventy-third party insurance program administrators.

Ms. Taaffe received leadership awards for her work from The Hartford Life Insurance Company and for her volunteer leadership and work from the Professional Insurance Marketing Association (PIMA). She chaired many professional conferences over the years and led a diversity task force.

After retiring in 2012, she has been actively volunteering on the NASW Assurance Services, Inc. (ASI) and NASW Insurance Company (NASWIC) Boards of Directors, as well as with the Ophelia Project, a national non-profit that strives to empower teenage girls and help increase their self-esteem.

Ms. Taaffe enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband, children, and grandchild in California, Oregon, and Pennsylvania. She brings a unique perspective as an experienced insurance professional with a husband and daughter who are both professionally trained social workers.