Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.

In this episode, Justin interviews Johnell Holly about growing up in Compton, serving in the military, and eventually becoming one of the most senior leaders at FM. They discuss experiences that shaped his mindset and lessons from his early years that still guide his leadership. They discuss what Johnell learned in the military that influences his decision-making. Johnell explains why he left the military and how he started working for FM. Johnell shares his life advice: choose the hard things; they will prepare you for opportunities to improve yourself. Johnell relates his early experience in sales and how it shaped his career. Lastly, they discussed the Spencer Educational Foundation and how Johnell became involved.

Listen for advice on overcoming hard circumstances and showing up at your best.

Key Takeaways:

[:01] About RIMS and RIMScast.

[:16] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Johnell R. Holly, the Executive Vice President for U.S. and Latin America Operations at FM. He is also the Board Chair for the Spencer Educational Foundation. We will learn about his career and leadership philosophies. But first…

[:47] RIMS Virtual Workshops. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held virtually on July 21st and 22nd. Registration links are in this episode's notes.

[:58] We have a summertime webinar. On July 16th, Zurich will present "Too Hot to Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation." Register at RIMS.org/webinars and via the link in this episode's show notes.

[1:13] Also on the webinars page, you will see a two-part series hosted by the RIMS Membership Department. The "Classroom to Career" webinar series highlights how RIMS equips students with the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to thrive in risk management careers.

[1:28] Participants will gain insights into industry trends, career pathways, and practical tools that help them confidently step into the evolving world of risk management after graduation. These sessions will be hosted on September 1st and 9th.

[1:42] These sessions are member exclusives and are complimentary for RIMS members, of course. So, if you are interested in becoming a member, this would be the time. Visit RIMS.org/membership.

[1:52] You can enroll now in the RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management hosted by the famous James Lam. Beginning July 15th, workshops will be held bi-weekly from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The registration link is in the show notes.

[2:16] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. The deadline for session submissions was extended through June 26th. Visit RIMS.org/ERM2026 to get those final submissions in. Registration will open in July.

[2:37] RIMS is back on YouTube. Our handle is @RIMSOfficialChannel. We've got plenty of videos there, including RIMScast, RIMScast Canada video podcasts, and other informative and entertaining content from RIMS. Subscribe to the channel today!

[2:56] On with the Show! Our guest today is Johnell Holly. He is the Executive Vice President for U.S. and Latin America Operations at FM. He is also the Board Chair for the Spencer Educational Foundation.

[3:10] Johnell caught my attention last year at the Spencer's Funding Their Future Gala, which this year will be held on September 17th at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

[3:21] I found Johnell's career journey to be incredibly inspiring. He is here to discuss his path from humble upbringings to the military to the risk and insurance space and ultimately to philanthropic missions and leadership with Spencer.

[3:36] I'm confident this dialogue will resonate with anyone who feels the odds are against them and is looking for extra motivation to overcome and choose the hard challenges in life and career. Let's get to it!

[3:39] Interview! Johnell Holly, Welcome to RIMScast!

[4:10] Johnell says he is absolutely thrilled for the Spencer Funding Their Futures Gala. It's one of the premier events of the year. Every year, it seems to get better and better, and it continues to achieve new heights. Johnell is excited to see where it goes this year and into the future.

[4:51] Johnell comes from Compton, a rough neighborhood. Johnell wanted something different from how he grew up. He wanted to get a very good education. So he went to the United States Military Academy to get a very good education from a very high-profile institution.

[6:01] Johnell started at the Academy in 1990 and graduated in 1995. In 1995, Johnell went into the Army as a commissioned officer and was in the Army until 2001. His last day of Active Duty was the week prior to 9/11.

[6:47] Justin thanks Johnell for his service.

[7:07] Johnell says there's a lot of what he does today that relates to his military education. He says there's also a lot from his childhood that helped him along his career, including his desire to improve himself.

[7:27] Johnell says some things in the military resonated with him that made it very easy to be more successful outside of the military, such as the work ethic and making the choice to do the harder things when they present themselves.

[7:52] Johnell says, it's like doing the harder military school. Once you get that done, everything else is a bit easier. Johnell says that taking a tough assignment or job within FM, he knows that if he does a job that no one else wants to do, he will have what most people won't have.

[8:11] Johnell says he did things like that deliberately over the years. His mantra would be, Always choose hard, and hopefully, you get to a point where that no longer has to happen.

[6:25] Justin heard a speaker say that if you have six things coming up, one of them is the tough one, and five of them are easy ones, people will choose the five easy ones first, before they get to the tough one. Justin says Johnell chooses the hard one first before the five easy ones.

[8:55] Johnell agrees, not just in his career; he learned it very young. When he was young, he didn't like how he was showing up. He knew he needed to position himself with more strengths.

[9:17] The only way Johnell was going to get those strengths was to do all the things he was afraid to do or hated to do. He had to face fears, get over them, and get through the hard stuff. He teaches his kids that today.

[9:32] Johnell has five kids. The three oldest are girls. The oldest also graduated from Wespoint and is serving. The daughter below her is on a destroyer right now in the Mediterranean, so she's in the war.

[10:02] Johnell has two sons. Both of them are in the top 15 or 20 in the nation for football. One is a redshirt freshman at Michigan, and the other will head out to FSU and Georgia in the next week for his official visits. He'll pick one of them.

[10:31] Johnell talks to his daughters in the service regularly.

[10:42] Justin asks about NIL deals for Johnell's sons. Johnell says the NIL deals are peanuts compared to the insurance negotiations he does daily.

[11:07] When Johnell left the Army, insurance was definitely not on his radar. He was being asked by the military to go back and get his Master's. That meant leaving the state of Washington, where he was assigned. He didn't want to leave; he had things to take care of.

[11:38] Johnell needed to look and see what other options were out there. He went to a headhunter. He interviewed for five or six companies, and all of them made an offer. One of them had a position in Seattle, where he wanted to be.

[12:05] After some negotiation, Johnell decided to give it a go as a consultant engineer, an entry-level position, for FM. He wasn't aware it was an insurance company. He thought he was going into engineering. Coming directly from the military, he wasn't familiar with business.

[12:36] Once Johnell got into FM, he realized that it was an insurance company. Once he saw that, he was very interested in that side of the business and wanted to get over to it very quickly. By 2002, Johnell had moved to the insurance side of FM.

[13:31] Johnell says, early on, risk management and insurance had been thought of as a secondary thought to business. Understanding of the hazards and operating to reduce those hazards didn't exist at the levels that it does today.

[14:11] Today, thinking about risk and ensuring that you are resilient is no longer optional. You cannot just hope that things aren't going to go wrong. You have to assume that things are going to go wrong. Those who do that well will be more successful.

[14:35] A Quick Break! There are so many other wonderful RIMS events coming up in 2026. The Annual Florida RIMS Educational Conference will be held from July 28th through August 1st at the lovely Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida. A link to the event is in this episode's show notes.

[14:53] Register now for the Second Annual RIMS Texas Regional Conference, which will be held from August 10th through 12th at the Grand Hyatt on the San Antonio River Walk.

[15:05] The 11th Annual Chicagoland Risk Forum will return to the Old Post Office on Thursday, September 24th, 2026, in Chicago. Visit ChicagolandRiskForum.org for more information.

[15:15] The RIMS Western Regional Conference will be held from October 4th through the 7th in Seattle, Washington. The agenda is live, and registration is open. Visit RIMSWesternRegional.com and the link in this episode's show notes for more information.

[15:32] Save the dates October 18th through the 21st. We will be in Quebec City to celebrate the 50th Live RIMS Canada Conference. Booth sales are open, and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Advance registration is open now.

[15:48] Visit RIMSCanadaConference.ca for more information. Also, remember to check out RIMS.org/Canada for our spinoff show, RIMScast Canada, hosted by National Conference Committee Chair, Aaron Lukoni.

[16:03] The RIMS ERM Conference 2026 will be held on November 19th and 20th in Columbus, Ohio. The deadline for educational content submissions was extended to Friday, June 26th. Get submissions in now. The link is in this episode's show notes. Registration opens in July.

[16:25] Let's Return to Our Interview with Johnell Holly!

[16:33] At the start of working for FM, Johnell was doing client service and sales. Johnell was a captain when he left the military. He was in a position of authority with a good amount of autonomy. Coming to FM, he was older than his peers, who had come straight out of college.

[17:13] That maturity was pretty key. The best thing Johnell learned in the military is that rank doesn't matter. What matters is how you treat people, not just the people you work with every day, but how you treat every person you interact with.

[17:42] If you can do that well, and recognize that we're all the same, looking for the same stuff, trying to achieve the same things. Johnell says to put it all into perspective and take that approach in how you deal with people. Relationships are king in the military and in life.

[18:27] Johnell really wanted to do well in the job he was in. He says, if you do well, if you put your heart, effort, and everything else into what you're doing, it gets recognized. Folks want that experience and expertise in other areas. That's how you create opportunities for yourself.

[19:17] Johnell has had a lot of different jobs at FM. Probably the most difficult job was sales. Johnell is a very deliberate person. He likes to be strategic and very planned in how he approaches things. He says, in sales, you have to be a lot more fluid, with a lot less structure.

[19:49] Johnell doesn't think it has to be that way. Sales, to be most effective, should have quite a bit of structure, but in the early days, that didn't exist.

[19:57] That was not the best environment for Johnell, but it taught him again how to manage through situations, overcome them, and get better at them. It was much like choosing hard, although that wasn't his intent.

[20:28] It was one of the most developmental roles of his career at FM that put him in a position to be in the roles that he is in now.

[21:25] Justin says it's fascinating to see who succeeds in sales and who goes on to do other things. Johnell says, You've got to be resilient. You've got to be able to take a lot of No and be okay with that. It was all cold calling, lighting them up, and getting in the door.

[22:03] Another Quick Break! Johnell Holly will be at The Spencer Funding Their Future Gala 2026 in New York City at the Waldorf Astoria on September 17th. This year, Spencer will honor Sierra Signorelli of Zurich and last week's guest, Marya Propis of RT Specialty.

[22:31] A link to the Gala is in this episode's show notes.

[22:34] The Spencer Educational Foundation's Risk Manager on Campus application period is now open, and it will close on June 30th. Grant awardees, colleges, and universities are typically notified in September.

[22:52] General Grant applications are open, and the application deadline is July 30th. Internship Grant applications open on August 15th and close on October 15th.

[23:04] Links to each of these grants are in this episode's show notes. Visit SpencerEd.org for more information.

[23:12] Let's Conclude Our Interview with Spencer Board Chair Johnell Holly!

[23:30] Johnell says selling remains difficult. FM is not a sales-focused organization. FM needs sales; it's critically important, but FM is about client retention and building client relationships.

[24:17] Before a salesman for FM can sell a policy to a company, the salesperson needs to get internal sign-off for various reasons that the company is a good fit for FM. Johnell says there's more structure in FM sales policy today. More training is done for successful selling.

[25:39] Johnell says that from the first day he started with FM, RIMS was a part of the conversation. Johnell's participation was in attending some of the local RIMS events when he was on the West Coast. Johnell started in Washington and then went down to LA.

[26:10] Johnell had attended Western Regional RIMS and Los Angeles RIMS events. Johnell says that he had been with FM for almost 15 years before he really became aware of Spencer. Today, Spencer is out there much more, creating education and awareness for the industry.

[26:59] Johnell says that for Spencer to create awareness for students, everyone in the industry needs to know about it. Spencer is at a point where it is recognized as a foundation throughout the insurance industry.

[27:18] Johnell says that Spencer needs to be recognized even outside of the insurance industry, as much as possible, and he thinks it is on its way. It's been a buildup of all the efforts and work, back to Robert S. Spencer himself, that have led to where Spencer is today, and it will continue.

[28:03] Johnell says his involvement with Spencer came when Brian Callori, who was one of the Chairs and who also worked for FM, thought that it would be a good fit and a great opportunity for Johnell to be a part of it. He suggested that Johnell be recommended to join the Board.

[28:31] Johnell joined the Spencer Educational Foundation Board. Within the first couple of meetings, Johnell realized that they could do things better, and he started speaking up about it. He only wanted to help the organization do its best. They asked him to do as he suggested.

[28:57] Johnell joined the Executive Committee and continued in various positions until he is now the Chair. Justin notes Johnell's enthusiasm about the Spencer Educational Foundation, evident in his Gala address last year.

[29:09] Johnell plans to be on stage again at the 2026 Gala.

[29:38] Justin asks about last episode's RIMScast guest, Marya Probis, who is no longer on the Board and is one of this year's Spencer honorees.

[29:53] Johnell says the interesting thing about the Board is that they are all competitors for the most part. The minute they get into that room, they come together and focus on the mission of Spencer. Johnell sees that they have a sincere desire to help the industry advance.

[30:31] Johnell says we need to educate folks in the middle schools and primary schools and so on to get folks thinking about working in insurance. Insurance is an amazing industry and career, and it's necessary. It's inspiring to be able to talk about and drive it throughout the world.

[31:42] Johnell says the world has always been changing. The one constant is change. The more that all of us, including kids, can embrace that reality, the better prepared we will be. The insurance industry always follows the world. The world is always looking for the next best thing.

[32:42] Someone is out there innovating, inventing, and trying to come up with the new thing. The new thing is going to come with risk. Johnell says our capability and responsibility to be able to protect that risk or associated risks is what we do. It's why we're here. That's exciting.

[33:11] Justin says, We're looking forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 17th, at the Waldorf Astoria, for the 2026 Funding Their Future Gala. We've got Sierra Signorelli from Zurich as one of the honorees; Marya Propis is the second honoree, and it's going to be a great time.

[33:28] I look forward to seeing you up onstage. Last year, your message resonated with me so much. You came from a very humble upbringing, and you have this wild trajectory professionally, and you've got five kids, so you've had quite a journey.

[33:55] Justin asks Johnell to imagine an audience member hearing this episode of RIMScast, and they might similarly come from a difficult background and just not know what their path forward is going to be. What message would you have for that person today?

[34:15] It's the same message Johnell has for a lot of the folks he interacts with from a similar background. His family still lives in Compton, so he still interacts with kids and with college athletes who did not have the greatest upbringing.

[34:38] Johnell says it's wrong to think you are not a product of your environment. You are. Depending on what that environment has in store for you, you either want to be there or you don't want to be there. One thing you can control to some extent is whether or not you're there.

[35:10] Change your environment. If you can't change your environment, change the way you show up in your environment. Do the things that are going to give you more experiences. Do the things, the hard things, that are going to create more opportunities for you down the road.

[35:30] You don't have to do something earth-shattering. It could be the little things that start to build your toolbox. So that when the time comes and the opportunity presents itself, you have all of these things you have built that will uniquely position you to take advantage of that situation.

[35:58] You need to put yourself in a position so that when the time comes, you're ready to go. That often means to "choose hard." If you're willing to choose hard, then you are going to differentiate yourself. There's no way in the world that it doesn't pay off at some point. It will.

[36:20] Justin says These are wonderful words of wisdom. They resonate with me, and I'm positive they're going to resonate with the audience. You're an inspiring guy. I look forward to hearing more from you and to seeing you in September. Thank you so much for your time.

[36:45] Special thanks again to Johnell Holly of FM and the Spencer Board Chair. We look forward to seeing him at the Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala, which will be held on September 17th at the Waldorf Astoria in NYC.

[37:02] Visit SpencerEd.org for more information and to purchase your ticket and for sponsorship opportunities. Remember to check out last week's episode, RIMScast #395, to hear an interview with Marya Propis, one of this year's Spencer Funding Their Future Gala honorees.

[37:20] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes.

[37:49] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact [email protected] for more information.

[36:07] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email [email protected] for more information.

[38:25] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more.

[38:41] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management.

[38:55] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at [email protected].

[39:07] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continued support!

Links:

Spencer Educational Foundation's 2026 Funding Their Future Gala | Sept. 17, 2026

RIMScast on YouTube!

Spencer Educational Foundation — Scholarships and Grants | Open Calls and Timelines.

RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | July‒Sept. 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam | Register Now!

2026 Florida RIMS Educational Conference | July 28‒Aug. 1 | Register Now

RIMS Texas Regional Conference 2026 | Aug. 10‒12 in San Antonio | Register Now!

ChicagoLand Risk Forum | Sept. 24, 2026

RIMS Western Regional Conference — Oct. 4‒7, 2026 | Seattle, WA | Register Today and Submit an Educational Session!

RIMS Canada Conference — Oct. 18‒21, 2026 | Quebec City | www.rimscanadaconference.ca | Advance Registration Open | Sponsorship Opportunities Available

RIMS ERM Conference 2026 | November 19‒20 in Columbus, Ohio | Session submissions deadline extended to June 26! | www.rims.org/ERM2026

RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute

RIMS Now

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Video Series Featuring Joe Milan!

RIMS, the Foundation for Risk Management

The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center

RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council

RIMS-CRMP Stories

RIMScast Canada — Episodes Now Live

RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy

Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops:

RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA, July 21‒22, 2026 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule

See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops

Upcoming RIMS Webinars:

RIMS.org/Webinars

"Too Hot To Ignore: Heat-Related Injuries and Workers' Compensation" | July 16 | Presented by Zurich

RIMS Student Series: "Classroom to Career Part 1" | Sept 1

RIMS Student Series: "Classroom to Career Part 2" | Sept 9

Related RIMScast Episodes:

"Marya Propis: From Industry Leader to Talent Champion"

"Spencer Day 2026 | The Future of Strategic Risk Management"

"Risk Management Momentum with Tim Ryan" (2025 Spencer Honoree)

"The Strengths of DE&I Initiatives with Lilian Vanvieldt-Gray of Alliant Insurance Services" (2024 Spencer Honoree)

Sponsored RIMScast Episodes:

"48 Hours From a Storm: What to Do Before A Hurricane Strikes" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company (New!)

"AI-Scale, Risk Ready: Engineering Controls for the New Data Center Boom" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company

"Facing Into Risk: Navigating the New Risk Landscape" (New!) | Sponsored by AXA XL

"Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL

"The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant

"Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent

"Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant

"The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL

"Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company

"Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich

"Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich

"What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog

"Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor

"How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog

"Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant

RIMS Publications, Content, and Links:

RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community!

RIMS Virtual Workshops

On-Demand Webinars

RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP)

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RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Manny Padilla!

RIMS Events, Education, and Services:

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About our guest: Johnell R. Holly, Executive Vice President, United States and Latin America Operations, FM

Board Chair, Spencer Educational Foundation

Production and engineering provided by Podfly.