About Us / The Team
PilotLegis Team
Aon Team

Ryan Kovach
Executive Director
Ryan joined PilotLegis as the Assistant Executive Director at the beginning of 2024 and sits ex officio on PilotLegis’ Board of Directors and all other committees. He brings over 15 years of experience in risk management at AmLaw 100 law firms. His teams handled key risk functions including client intake, conflicts, the review and negotiation of outside counsel guidelines, anti-money laundering due diligence, and security questionnaires. Ryan conducted risk audits mandated by the firm’s captive insurance group for all domestic and international offices.
He is a graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago Kent College of Law and Loras College. Additionally, Ryan is a Certified Information Privacy Manager, Certified Information Privacy Professional – United States and obtained an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management.

Jessa Baker
Chair
Jessa Baker is the Chair of PilotLegis RPG and a member of the Board. She is the Chief Executive Officer at Levenfeld Pearlstein, where she brings a fresh perspective to strategic planning, finance, operational efficiency, governance and talent strategy.
Jessa was the Chief Operating Officer at Applegate & Thorne-Thomsen, another PilotLegis member firm, prior to joining Levenfeld Pearlstein. She has also advised law firms and their leaders in the United States, Caribbean and Latin America as a consultant with LawVision and Hildebrandt Baker Robbins.
Jessa holds a BS in Human and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt
University, a JD from University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Northwestern
University Kellogg School of Management.
Brandon Martin
Assistant to Executive Director
Brandon Martin joined Aon in 2013 as an Executive Assistant. After graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Communication Studies he has supported numerous business units which include Customer Service, Shared Services, Implementation, Workday, HR Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Professional Services, in addition to C-Level executives. In his current role with PilotLegis, Martin assists the Organization with ongoing marketing efforts, event management, and any administrative needs for the PilotLegis organization.

Gulden Apprendi
Vice President

Jim Belding
Senior Vice President and Executive Director
Products Represented

Matt Corbin
Senior Vice President

Dan Klauss
Managing Director
Daniel D. Klauss is a Managing Director working in California’s Bay Area for Aon’s Professional Services Group. His exclusive focus since 1988 has been advising and representing mid-sized and large law firms on insurance and risk management issues. Prior to that, Mr. Klauss worked in the general property casualty industry as an underwriter, a claims examiner and an instructor for the Insurance Institute of Canada.

Fran Murray
Senior Vice President and Executive Director

Brian Padgett
Associate

Doug Richmond
Managing Director

Tom Ricketts
Senior Vice President and Executive Director
Products Represented

Mark Webster
Vice President and Director
