Senior Staff

Pat Corless is the SVP Chief Enterprise Architect and Head of Standards at ACORD. He is responsible for all data exchange standards, covering P&C, L&A, and GRLC, including the development of our new Next-Generation Digital Standards, and the many facets of ACORD’s Reference Architecture.  He also works with ACORD Solutions Group to provide insurance industry expertise in data & process modeling. He works with our member companies to advise how their needs and ACORD’s initiatives align. He spent the first 18 years of his career with Accenture in the Insurance practice, planning, designing, and building systems for over a dozen large carriers and reinsurers. He then spent 15+ years as an Enterprise Architect, focusing on data architecture, integration architecture, and enterprise portfolio planning for Arch Insurance, Endurance (now part of Sompo), and Avon. Pat earned his B.S.E. in Operations Research from Princeton University.

Mike Di Stephan is ACORD’s General Counsel and Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, responsible for overseeing legal, regulatory and compliance activities. Mike has over two decades of broad and varied legal experience, including extensive work on all aspects of technology, data, outsourcing, and intellectual property transactions. Prior to his role at ACORD, Mike served for nearly ten years at Morgan Stanley as Head of Legal for Technology Transactions for the Americas, as well as serving on the Cloud Governance Committee.  Mike’s extensive experience is an invaluable asset for the ACORD community’s work at the intersection of technology, data, risk, and regulatory frameworks. 

Tanya brings more than 25 years of experience in the corporate world, primarily in Human Resources and Operations. She began her career in the retail industry, holding management and executive-level roles at Ann Taylor, Barney's New York, Talbots and Banana Republic. In 1987, she joined Country Road Australia Clothing as Director of Human Resources, eventually becoming Vice President of Human Resources. Tanya joined ACORD as Head of Human Resources in 2001, and became Senior Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer in 2014. In this role, she oversees operations for the company, including Human Resources, Finance, Legal and Communications. Tanya is a certified Chief Association Executive (CAE), a designation given by the American Society of Association Executives.

Chris is President International at ACORD, responsible for strategy, operations, and growth within the US and globally. He provides direction to multiple teams dedicated to driving revenue while fostering a culture of service, innovation, and collaboration. As an innovative leader with a wealth of experience in the global insurance industry, he has a wide-ranging background with a successful track record for developing and leading high-growth insurance technology organizations, working with both start-ups and industry leading-organizations. He has also previously held the role of Head of Operations for a £1b Lloyd’s Syndicate; was responsible for the Global Programme for a $4bn Bermudian Reinsurance Group, establishing regional platforms in Asia, North and Latin America; and has held senior leadership roles within General Insurance companies.

Malou Soriano is Senior Vice President, Global Chief Membership Officer at ACORD. In her role, Malou oversees ACORD’s member acquisition and retention, member services, and business development areas. She is responsible for supporting, extending, and ensuring value to the more than 36,000 global participants in the ACORD community, leading cross-functional teams in the development and expansion of high-demand assets for standardized global data exchange. In her more than 15 years at ACORD, Malou has advanced the growth and adoption of innovative, industry-leading standards and solutions; spearheaded industry education and training events for thousands of insurance professionals; and established and executed sales and client engagement strategies. Malou has more than 20 years of insurance industry experience across both business and operations, with a focus on product development and marketing, compliance, and underwriting decision tools. Prior to joining ACORD, she was employed at Verisk and ISO. Malou earned her Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, from Fordham University.

David Sterner is the Vice President of Research & Development at ACORD, a non-profit organization that provides the global insurance industry with data standards, implementation solutions and thought leadership. In his role, Dave is responsible for leading global market research activities in support of ACORD’s strategy, as well as the goals and objectives of the organization’s member firms. Dave has over 20 years of experience delivering strategic research to the insurance industry. His focus includes financial and operational benchmarking, issues-based surveys, and developing insightful viewpoints on business and technology topics. Dave joins ACORD from EY, where he led the global insurance strategic market intelligence team.  Prior to EY, Dave held senior level positions in industry research and marketing at IBM and Accenture. Dave is a graduate of Drexel University’s LeBow School of Business Administration, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and marketing and an M.B.A.