10 The Hartford procurement leaders
Jim Derasmo, VP, Head of Strategic Sourcing & Real Estate (SSRE) Center of Excellence at The Hartford, leads this list of The Hartford procurement leaders, who also include assistant vice presidents, a managing director and directors of category management and sourcing. A reader can learn how procurement leaders work at The Hartford from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
April Oyler
LinkedInExperience: AVP, Head of Procurement Operations · The Hartford
April Oyler has been AVP, Head of Procurement Operations at The Hartford since September 2020, based in Hartford, Connecticut. At The Hartford, April Oyler was also Director - Contracting Operations (Strategic Sourcing Procurement) from 2019 to 2020 and Category Manager Legal Services from 2016 to 2019.
Jim Derasmo
LinkedInExperience: VP, Head of Strategic Sourcing & Real Estate (SSRE) Center of Excellence · The Hartford
Jim Derasmo has been VP, Head of Strategic Sourcing & Real Estate (SSRE) Center of Excellence at The Hartford since October 2020, based in Hartford, Connecticut. Jim Derasmo was Head of eProcurement Solutions & Operations at The Hartford in 2020 and Executive Director, Head of Procurement Strategy & Operations at Aetna, a CVS Health Company from 2017 to 2019.
Justin Chacko, MBA, CSP
LinkedInExperience: Director, Category Management - IT Outsourcing · The Hartford
Justin Chacko, MBA, CSP has been Director, Category Management - IT Outsourcing at The Hartford since September 2026, based in the New York City area. Justin Chacko was Lead Category Manager - Technology at Transamerica from 2023 to 2026 and Manager, Technology Procurement at Saks Fifth Avenue from 2022 to 2023.
Kara Walonoski Contaras
LinkedInExperience: Managing Director Sourcing Delivery · The Hartford
Kara Walonoski Contaras has been Managing Director Sourcing Delivery at The Hartford since March 2022, based in Greater Hartford, and the profile also lists Senior Vendor Contract Manager there since December 2007. At The Hartford, Kara Walonoski Contaras was also Assistant Director, Contracting from 2015 to 2022.
Kevin Candito
LinkedInExperience: Director Category Management · The Hartford
Kevin Candito has been Director Category Management at The Hartford since April 2022, based in Tolland, Connecticut, in a role the profile headline also names. At The Hartford, Kevin Candito was also Assistant Director of Procurement from 2015 to 2022 and IT Asset Manager from 2008 to 2015.
Michael Pellegrino
LinkedInExperience: Director Category Management · The Hartford
Michael Pellegrino has been Director Category Management at The Hartford since January 2022, based in Longmeadow, Massachusetts. Michael Pellegrino was Manager - Commercial Lines 3rd Party Data at The Hartford from 2021 to 2022 and Vice President - Card Services Product Delivery and Operations at Bank of America from 2007 to 2019.
Ritesh Kumar
LinkedInExperience: AVP, Procurement · The Hartford
Ritesh Kumar has been AVP, Procurement at The Hartford since July 2017, based in Ellington, Connecticut. Ritesh Kumar was Director, Enterprise Sourcing at The Hartford from 2007 to 2017 and Project Manager at Cigna Healthcare from 2006 to 2007, and the profile headline reads AVP, Procurement at The Hartford.
Shannon Cunningham
LinkedInExperience: Director Category Management · The Hartford
Shannon Cunningham has been Director Category Management at The Hartford since October 2024, based in Bloomfield, Connecticut, and the listing places the role at director level. Shannon Cunningham was Sourcing Manager at Cigna Healthcare from 2010 to 2024.
William Myers
LinkedInExperience: Director, Infrastructure Category Management · The Hartford
William Myers has been Director, Infrastructure Category Management at The Hartford since August 2022, based in the Columbus, Ohio area, and was Director Contracting, Technology & Outsourcing Category there in 2022. William Myers was IT Category Manager, Indirect Procurement at Covetrus from 2020 to 2022 and Manager, IT Sourcing and Procurement at Cardinal Health from 2015 to 2018.
Wyatt T. Brown, JD, MBA
LinkedInExperience: Director, Management Consulting and ITO Procurement · The Hartford
Wyatt T. Brown, JD, MBA has been Director, Management Consulting and ITO Procurement at The Hartford since February 2024, based in Midland Park, New Jersey. Wyatt T. Brown was Senior Director, Vendor Management and Procurement at Girl Scouts of the USA from 2021 to 2024 and Director, Global Category Head - Indirect Procurement at Bunge from 2014 to 2019.
Choose the right perspective
Pick the person whose own role, whether procurement operations, sourcing delivery, technology category management or outsourcing procurement, is closest to the decision you face. Check when each person started the current role to judge how recent the experience is.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01What did you focus on first when you took on your current procurement role?
- 02How do you decide which sourcing projects your team takes on first when several compete for the same people?
- 03What has your own work taught you about earning the trust of business partners as a procurement leader?
Reaching The Hartford procurement leaders
How can I contact one of these The Hartford procurement leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: The Hartford, based on profile data retrieved on October 21, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach The Hartford procurement leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these The Hartford procurement leaders a question?
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.
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