People Moves: Maryland Insurance Commissioner Birrane to Leave Post in June

Maryland Insurance Commissioner Kathleen A. Birrane has announced she plans to resign effective June 30 and to return to private practice at DLA Piper, the law firm where she was a partner until being appointed commissioner in May 2020.

Birrane was appointed by Gov. Larry Hogan in 2020 and confirmed by the Senate in 2021. She remained as commissioner after Gov. Wes Moore took office.

“From accessing healthcare, to driving to work, to starting a business, it is critical that our insurance system runs well and that customers are treated fairly,” said Gov. Moore. “Commissioner Birrane is a leader in this industry not just here in Maryland, but across the country. She has led the Insurance Administration with foresight and dedication, and I thank her for her service to our state.”

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The Maryland Insurance Administration regulates the state’s $46 billion insurance industry.

During her tenure, the agency worked to improve its enforcement teams and infrastructure, the state’s oversight of insurers with respect to cybersecurity, and the deployment of artificial intelligence. The agency also adopted network adequacy standards and mental health parity reporting requirements that are considered the most comprehensive in the nation. Birrane received the 2024 Distinguished Service Award from the Mental Health Association of Maryland.

Birrane also worked to expand Maryland’s footprint on the national and international level. With respect to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, she served as a member of the Executive Committee; chairs the Innovation, Cybersecurity and Technology Committee; co-chairs the Special Committee on Race and Insurance Health Workstream; serves on the Climate and Resiliency Task Force; and chairs the Interstate Insurance Product Regulation Commission (Insurance Compact).

She is also one of two U.S. regulators who serve with the Federal Insurance Office and EIPOA on the European Union-US Insurance Dialogue within the U.S. Department of the Treasury. On an international level, Birrane chairs the Supervisory Forum of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and serves on the Sustainable Insurance Forum, a project of the United Nations.

According to the announcement, a search is underway for the next commissioner. Interested candidates may apply here.

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