Our Leadership
A company can only be as good as the people working there. Our leadership and home office staff continue to help guide GTL to new historic heights.
Richard S. Holson, III
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO
Carl Leader
Chief Operating Officer
Regina Wozny
Chief Financial Officer
Richard S. Holson, IV
Senior Vice President of Sales
Don Abbs
Senior Vice President, Chief Actuary
Ujjval Patel
Chief Information Officer
Laura Derouin
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
James Miller
Vice President, Claims
Joseph Arite
Vice President, Government Relations
Jeffrey Burman
Vice President, Business Development
Samina Ali
Vice President, Product Approval and Compliance
Barbara Sloothaak
Assistant Treasurer
Linu Thomas
Vice President, ERM
Looking to join our team?
Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company offers exciting and rewarding career opportunities in an environment that fosters professional development. We invite you to explore our current career opportunities and discover the benefits of working for GTL.
Richard S. Holson, III
Chairman of the Board, President and CEO
The third Holson to hold an office at Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company, Richard S. Holson III has been President of GTL since 1992. Mr. Holson joined GTL in 1978 and served as Vice President of Agency prior to being named President.
Upon earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University in 1975, Mr. Holson sold insurance door-to-door before taking a position in the home office in 1978.
He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and has participated at various times in industry associations such as LOMA, the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and the Florida Insurance Forum. Mr. Holson is a past chairman of the Illinois Life Insurance Council and continues to serve as a director.
Carl Leader
Chief Operating Officer
Carl Leader joined GTL in 2004 and was promoted to Vice President in 2007. In 2017, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Life and Health Sales. Mr. Leader managed the distribution and marketing of GTL’s life and health product portfolio. In addition, he oversaw the company’s corporate marketing and branding, sales administration, sales support and agent licensing functions. In January 2023, Carl was promoted to Chief Marketing Officer and Assistant Chief Operations Officer. In March 2025, Carl was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Carl is also a member of the company’s Executive Committee.
Mr. Leader has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to joining GTL, he worked for Conseco from 1996 through 2003 holding a variety of marketing and management positions for both Conseco Medical and Bankers Life and Casualty Company.
Mr. Leader holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations and Spanish from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa and a Masters of Business Administration from The University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
Regina Wozny
Chief Financial Officer
Regina Wozny joined GTL as Chief Financial Officer in October 2025.
As CFO, she oversees the company’s accounting practices, including both the Financial and Operational Accounting departments which include the premium collections and commissions areas. She is a member of the Executive Committee and spearheads the company’s risk management, investment, and operational audit functions.
Ms. Wozny brings over 25 years of financial and strategic leadership to GTL. She has a proven track record of driving company growth and profitability. She has served in a variety of industries including Investment & Annuities, Post-Secondary Education, Supply Chain, Manufacturing and Retail. She has led teams at Allstate Insurance Company, Career Education Corporation, Sears Holdings, and Revolution Beauty of London to name a few.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, with high honors, from National-Louis University.
Richard S. Holson, IV
Senior Vice President of Sales
The fourth Holson to hold an office at Guarantee Trust Life Insurance Company, Richard S. Holson IV (Rush) started with GTL in 2023 as the Vice President of Agency and was promoted in 2025 into his current role. As Senior Vice President of Sales, he is responsible for all operational revenue-generating activity across GTL’s verticals. Mr. Holson also serves on the GTL Board of Directors as well as its Executive Committee.
Prior to joining GTL, Rush served in a similar role at United National Life, GTL’s sister company, and his efforts resulted in record premium growth, operating gains, and surplus increase. He has over 15 years of experience in the insurance industry and holds both a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University (SMU).
Don Abbs
Senior Vice President, Chief Actuary
Don Abbs became a part of GTL in 2012 when he joined the company as Vice President, Chief Actuary. He was promoted to Senior Vice President of Actuarial and Operational Development in January 2023.
Mr. Abbs oversees the Actuarial department which includes pricing, product development, experience analysis and valuation. He has over 25 years of experience in product management and holds FSA, MAAA, CFA and FRM insurance industry designations.
Mr. Abbs has a Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science from the University of Illinois.
Ujjval Patel
Chief Information Officer
Ujjval joined GTL in 2026 as Chief Information Officer where he oversees all technology functions across the organization.
Prior to GTL, he was the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Renaissance Alliance. He has also worked at Hi Marley, Synchrony, Marsh, and State Farm in a variety of technology and strategy roles. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and an MBA for Yale School of Management.
Laura Derouin
General Counsel and Corporate Secretary
As General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Laura Derouin is responsible for all legal matters affecting GTL and its affiliate companies. Prior to GTL, Ms. Derouin spent more than 25 years serving in positions of increasing responsibility at a number of different companies in the insurance industry, including Trustmark Insurance Company, Columbian Mutual Life Insurance, and Gallagher Bassett Services. She began her career in private practice in Chicago.
Ms. Derouin earned her bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a member of the state bar of Illinois.
James Miller
Vice President, Claims
James joined GTL in 2026 as Vice President of Claims where he oversees enterprise claims operations across the organization.
He brings over 25 years of experience leading high-performing claims teams and managing complex, multi-line operations. His expertise spans Life, Disability, Health, and Supplemental Medical, along with extensive experience in Property & Casualty (P&C) claims.
James is recognized for his ability to enhance techncial claim accuracy, streamline operational workflows, strengthen regulatory compliance, and effectively oversee third-party administrator (TPA) performance.
He holds a BS in Business Management and Human Resources from California Polytechnic University Pomona.
Joseph Arite
Vice President, Government Relations
Joseph Arite joined GTL in 2014 and oversees all government and regulatory relations for the company. Mr. Arite began his career working on Capitol Hill for former United States Representative Vito J. Fossella of New York and has spent two decades in government relations and advocacy.
He represents GTL in both the state and federal insurance areas and drives coalition development for the company. He is active in a variety of industry associations including America’s Health Insurance Plans, the American Council of Life Insurers, the Life Insurers Council, the Health Benefits Institute and the Illinois Life and Health Insurance Council.
Mr. Arite represents GTL at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), serving as the Private Sector Chair of the Health and Human Services Task Force and the Illinois State Private Sector Chair.
He holds the certifications of Fellow, Life Management Institute (FLMI) and Associate, Insurance Regulatory Compliance (AIRC) and is a graduate of the University of Toledo.
Jeffrey Burman
Vice President, Business Development
Jeff Burman joined GTL in 1990 as a major medical project manager and moved into his current role as Vice President of Business Development in 2014.
Mr. Burman is responsible for managing and securing business opportunities for GTL’s Association Group line of business.
With almost 50 years of insurance industry experience, Mr. Burman has participated in various industry associations, including serving as past President and Board Member of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance and served on the Policy Coordinating Committee of America’s Health Insurance Plan.
He holds an MBA from Loyola University with a concentration in Marketing.
Samina Ali
Vice President, Product Approval and Compliance
Samina Ali joined GTL in May 2026 as Vice President, Regulatory Compliance and overseas regulatory compliance matters handled by the Product Approval and Compliance (PAC) and Enterprise Risk and Compliance (ERC) departments.
Prior to GTL, Ms. Ali spent 23 years serving in various compliance roles at a number of different companies in the insurance industry, including Combined Insurance Company of America, AmTrust North America, Aon Affinity Travel Practice, and Liberty Mutual.
Ms. Ali earned her bachelor’s degree from Fordham University, her law degree from Touro Law Center, and is admitted in New York.
Barbara Sloothaak
Assistant Treasurer
Barb Sloothaak joined GTL in August 2007 as Assistant Controller, promoted to Controller in November 2009 and promoted to Assistant Treasurer in December 2022.
Ms. Sloothaak is responsible for the company’s financial accounting areas which oversee GTL’s reporting, budgeting, forecasting, purchasing, payroll and subsidiary accounting efforts.
She is a member of the Illinois CPA Society ad AICPA Society, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy, with honors, from Western Michigan University.
Linu Thomas
Vice President, ERM
Linu Thomas joined GTL in 2023 as Vice President of Accounting & Enterprise Risk Management (ERM). On the accounting side, he oversees Policy Accounting and Commissions Accounting. On the ERM side, he oversees Enterprise Risk, Operational Risk, Third-Party Risk, Business Continuity Planning, and Internal Audit.
Mr. Thomas brings over 16 years of experience in the Insurance industry, which include Health, Life, & Property & Casualty. In addition, he brings over 18 years of Corporate Tax experience and 6 years of Banking experience. Mr. Thomas has previously worked at PwC, Navistar, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, & USAA. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and a Master’s in Taxation from DePaul University. In addition, he holds an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and is a Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager (CRCM).