Leadership Team

Our Team

Over 75 Years of Knowledge and Experience of Insurance Industry

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  Arvind Kaushal

  Co-Founder & CEO

  Arvind is a seasoned executive with nearly 3 decades of software experience in the financial and insurance sectors. Before co-founding and serving as the CEO of Cogitate, he held operational and leadership roles including CIO and CFO of Insurance House Holdings, which owns Southern General Insurance Company and the intermediary Insurance House. Today, Arvind applies this deep industry knowledge to problem-solving and innovative thinking while steering the company on an impressive growth trajectory. Arvind’s technology background is extensive, serving eight years with Delta Air, architect of Delta.com, and software consultant with Wipro on engagements including Bank of London, Singapore Airport Authority, ABB, and Canon. Arvind received his BS in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Bangalore University and his MBA from Goizueta Business School at Emory University.

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  Jacqueline M. Schaendorf

  CPCU, Co-Founder & Director

  Jacque also serves as the President and CEO of Insurance House, which is a leading regional insurance intermediary and insurance carrier serving the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. Prior to joining Insurance House in 1997, Jacque worked in the financial services division of Alexander & Alexander, Inc., and joined Chubb & Son, Inc. in 1990, as a senior underwriter in the Southeast regional division of the Department of Financial Institutions. Jacque is an active insurance industry leader, currently participating as a member of the various committees of the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) and is the past President of WSIA. Jacque also serves as the Chairperson for the Georgia Insurers Insolvency Pool Board (GIIP), and she has participated on numerous insurance industry panels and insurance trade association committees. Jacque earned a Bachelor's degree from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, with a double major in business administration and psychology. She also has an MBA from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University and has a Certified Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation from the Insurance Institute of America.

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  Dr. Jill K. Jinks

  CPCU & ASLI, Co-Founder & Director

  As Chairman of Insurance House Holdings, Inc., Jill brings extensive career experience and domain knowledge to Cogitate. Throughout Jill’s career, she has been an active advocate for the insurance industry, holding leadership positions with GAPCIC, the CPCU Chapter of Georgia, and NAPSLO (now WSIA). Jill has a passion for learning and innovation and is currently a Research Fellow at the University of Georgia where she engages in research based on the quantitative methodology she created to study adult learning in complex systems.  The University of Georgia has a patent pending on the method used in Jill’s research which is based on the use of fractals to measure environmental complexity.  She used this to create a generalizable intervention index to facilitate learning based on the complexity of the environment. In addition to a Ph.D., Jill also holds a Master of Science in information systems from Georgia State, a master’s degree in education from UGA, and an MBA from New York University. Jill is an adjunct professor and serves on the Board of Trustees at Stetson University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in finance and economics. She is also a Board Member of Hyperion Bank Atlanta where she chairs the Audit Committee.  She was a founding Director of the Private Bank of Buckhead.

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  Piyush Singh

  CPCU, Director

  Piyush offers multifaceted perspectives to the Board of Directors as a thought leader and successful innovator in the insurtech space, an experienced CIO in the carrier arena, and a strategic consultant to financial corporations. His impressive career includes Officer of American Financial Group; Director, Senior Vice-President, and CIO of Great American Insurance Group; CIO of RLI; strategic consulting roles at PwC; and internal consulting at ANZ Bank and Citicorp. Piyush is currently the co-founder at FRISS, which acquired his insurtech, Terrene Labs in April of 2021. Piyush holds a BS in Physics, a Master of Computer Science from Delhi University, and an MBA from Bradley University. He has a Certified Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation from the Insurance Institute of America.

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  Samir Salem

  Executive Vice President

  Samir brings over three decades of technology design, implementation, and client success with expertise in claims, billing, and policy solutions. Prior to joining Cogitate, Samir founded Axiom, a technology firm serving exclusively the property and casualty insurance market. With a focus on claims and billing software, Samir developed state-of-the-art, easy-to-use, software solutions enabling partners to adapt and succeed in this rapidly evolving industry. Recognizing the many synergies between the two companies, Axiom was bought by Cogitate in May of 2022, to offer our clients a full-suite solution, and with that, our leadership team gained an innovative and energetic addition in Samir. Prior to founding Axiom, Samir was the Lead Software Architect for Property and Casualty Insurance at a leading Lebanese / European software firm and spent many years consulting, designing, and implementing insurance software solutions across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. Samir has both an electrical engineering degree and a Master’s degree in computer science.

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  Tushar Bholé

  Executive Vice President - Sales & Partnerships

  As an Enterprise Sales Leader, Tushar Bholé has been at the leading edge of Core Insurance Technology platforms in Insurance for 20+ years.  Tushar’s approach of determining solution fit from the client’s business context has led to successfully transforming core business processes in underwriting, policy, billing, and claims, across several Fortune 500 carriers and their distribution networks of MGAs, Program Administrators, Affinity groups & Wholesale brokers. His recent experience in the insurtech space coupled with his deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities of the insurance industry enable him to drive market expansion initiatives for Cogitate. Prior to joining Cogitate, Tushar led sales and business development in various roles at Five Sigma, Majesco, Infosys, and Oracle. Tushar holds an MBA in Financial Management from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai, India.

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  Nikhil Murarka

  Managing Director, Cogitate India

  Nikhil is critical to our talent management program and attracting the right people for the right jobs. He has over three decades of successful experience in strategy, operations, and management consulting and has been a core part of the Cogitate team since its inception. He is responsible for Cogitate India’s day-to-day and strategic operations, including human resources, corporate services, and administration. Before joining Cogitate, Nikhil served as CEO of a leading human resources consulting firm catering to 300+ customers in India and Africa. Throughout his career, Nikhil has consulted with various global companies in the establishment and expansion of their operations in India. He specializes in driving business growth through strategic sales and marketing. Nikhil earned his Degree in Computer Technology from the University of Mumbai and holds an MBA from S.P. Jain School of Global Management.

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  Siddharth Kotwal

  Sr. Vice President Delivery & Quality

  Siddharth is a highly experienced IT professional with over two decades of experience leading and managing complex software delivery engagements in the Insurance Industry, including Fortune 500 Tier-1 clients. He has held several key operational and leadership roles, including SVP Delivery at Majesco. Siddharth's extensive hands-on experience across delivery, support, product development, and pre-sales allows him to provide customer-centric, result-oriented solutions. He has earned his Master’s in Computer Science from Pune University, making him a highly qualified and skilled professional in his field. Siddharth's expertise and experience are an asset to any team he works with, and he is committed to delivering the best possible outcomes for his clients.

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  Ashish Nair

  Vice President - Product

  As a VP - Products and Delivery at Cogitate, Ashish heads the product development initiatives, including the Low-code/no-code (LCNC) and Digital Edge platforms, focusing on digital transformation across the insurance ecosystem. Since joining Cogitate in 2014 as a program manager, Ashish has played a key role in the overall growth of Cogitate with multiple project implementations across different lines of business. He also represents the organization at various international conferences and platforms showcasing Cogitate's products involving new-age technologies like AI and Machine Learning. Ashish has joined Cogitate with previous experiences working in E-Learning, Data Analytics, and Software Development. Ashish holds a degree in Engineering from the University of Mumbai and an MBA from Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS).

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  Rekha Kaushal

  Vice President - Customer Success

  Rekha brings 25 years of consultative services, customer engagement, and program delivery to her leadership of the customer delivery team at Cogitate. As the VP of Customer Success, Rekha is responsible for customer account management and delivery programs that consistently exceed customer expectations. Rekha works closely with our existing and prospective customers to understand their needs and provide consultative solutions to them. She is passionate about optimizing the service delivery processes and improving customer engagement and experience. Before joining Cogitate, Rekha left her mark within the corridors of renowned technology companies, assuming diverse roles across a multitude of domains where her expertise was sought after for consulting services rendered to esteemed clients like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and U.S. Xpress Enterprises Inc.Rekha holds a BS in Electronics and Communications Engineering from Bangalore University.

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  Lava Jois

  Vice President - Enterprise Architect

  Lava brings more than two decades of technology architecture expertise to Cogitate. His consultative skillset is invaluable to our team, most recently honed with Cloud By McKinsey where he guided clients through transformative cloud migration strategies. Lava has also held several technology consulting roles with Fortune 100 companies across the US. Beginning his career as a software developer, he has architected various solutions for B2B, B2C, and SaaS. Lava holds a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mysore.

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  Niraj Trivedi

  Chief Architect

  Niraj boasts over three decades of experience in the insurance and banking industries. He has played a pivotal role in shaping and strengthening the landscape of products and platforms. Before joining Cogitate, he held several key leadership positions as SVP and CTO at Majesco and SVP and CPO at NTT DATA FA Insurance Systems. Niraj's academic background is notable, including an engineering degree from Gujarat University and a Master of Technology from the esteemed Indian Institute of Science (IISC). This combination of education and practical experience has endowed him with a deep understanding of the industry's complexities, enabling him to develop superior products and platforms for customers.