10 Palomar underwriting leaders
Vice President, Underwriting - Inland Marine, Vice President Of Underwriting and Executive Vice President- Head of Surety are among the current titles held by these Palomar underwriting leaders, whose lines also include surety credit, reinsurance and engineered risk. A reader can learn how underwriting leaders work at Palomar from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Cecil Q. Wilson
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Of Underwriting · Palomar
Cecil Q. Wilson has been Vice President Of Underwriting at Palomar since August 2019, and the profile headline names Palomar Specialty Insurance Company. Cecil Q. Wilson was also Divisional Senior Vice President at Great American Insurance Group from 2010 to 2017.
Cullen Piske
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President- Head of Surety · Palomar
Cullen Piske has been Executive Vice President- Head of Surety at Palomar since April 2013, based in the Greater New Orleans Region. Cullen Piske was also an Underwriter at The Hartford from 2009 to 2013 and an Underwriter at Palomar Surety from 2007 to 2009.
David Grillo
LinkedInExperience: VP, Northeast Regional Manager - Surety Credit · Palomar
David Grillo has been VP, Northeast Regional Manager - Surety Credit at Palomar since July 2026. David Grillo was also AVP, Northeast Regional Manager - Surety Credit at Palomar from 2023 to 2026 and AVP, Underwriting Officer - Surety Credit, Middle Market at Zurich North America from 2022 to 2023.
Joel Usry
LinkedInExperience: Vice President · Palomar Specialty Insurance Company
Joel Usry has been Vice President at Palomar Specialty Insurance Company since November 2021, and the profile headline reads SVP, Underwriting. Joel Usry was also Divisional Vice President at Great American Insurance Group from 2006 to 2021 and Territory Manager there from 1996 to 2003.
Jon Christianson
LinkedInExperience: Former Chief Underwriting Officer · Palomar
Jon Christianson is a former Chief Underwriting Officer at Palomar, a role held from August 2020 to April 2022, and has been President of Palomar since April 2022, based in San Diego County, California. At Palomar, Jon Christianson was also Chief Operating Officer from 2013 to 2020, and was Vice President at Holborn Corporation from 2010 to 2013.
Joshua Barron
LinkedInExperience: AVP, Pacific Northwest Regional Bond Manager · Palomar
Joshua Barron has been AVP, Pacific Northwest Regional Bond Manager at Palomar since February 2026, based in Seattle, Washington. Joshua Barron was also Northwest Regional Manager at Palomar Surety from 2024 to 2026 and Assistant Vice President - Contract Surety Bond Underwriter at Swiss Re from 2022 to 2024.
Julie Tomlinson
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Underwriting - Inland Marine · Palomar
Julie Tomlinson has been Vice President, Underwriting - Inland Marine at Palomar since July 2026. Julie Tomlinson was also Business Line Leader, SVP at MSI from 2025 to 2026 and Divisional Vice President at Great American Insurance Group from 2022 to 2025.
Marko Martinovic
LinkedInExperience: VP, Reinsurance Underwriting & Portfolio Management · Palomar
Marko Martinovic has been VP, Reinsurance Underwriting & Portfolio Management at Palomar since June 2026, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Marko Martinovic was also Senior Actuarial Manager at Intact Insurance U.S. from 2025 to 2026 and Actuarial Manager there from 2023 to 2025.
Matthew Thinnes
LinkedInExperience: SVP Engineered Risk · Palomar
Matthew Thinnes has been SVP Engineered Risk at Palomar since November 2025. Matthew Thinnes was also Head of Energy & Construction Property - North American Facultative at WTW from 2023 to 2025 and Vice President - Construction Engineering Underwriter at SCOR from 2015 to 2019.
Michael Kremheller
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Texas Regional Manager- Surety · Palomar
Michael Kremheller has been Vice President & Texas Regional Manager- Surety at Palomar since February 2026. Michael Kremheller was also Vice President at Palomar Surety from 2025 to 2026 and AVP/ Southwest Field Director at The Hanover Insurance Group from 2016 to 2020.
Choose the right perspective
Match the line, practice or region named in a person's title to the risk or decision you are working through. Weigh whether you need someone who has set underwriting direction across the company or a leader who runs one specialty line day to day.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your underwriting leadership role at Palomar?
- 02How do you decide which risks fit the appetite of the line you lead?
- 03What has your own work taught you about developing underwriters into leaders?
Reaching Palomar underwriting leaders
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Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.