Our Spotlight series introduces the captive owners and service providers who make up Vermont’s captive insurance community. This edition features Elyssa Nagle, whose own career illustrates the opportunities she now helps students and young professionals discover.

When Elyssa Nagle began her career in public accounting, she did not know much about captive insurance. More than a decade later, she is not only an Audit Partner at Johnson Lambert but also Committee Chair of the Vermont Captive Insurance Emerging Leaders (VCIEL), where she is helping introduce students and young professionals to an industry that has shaped her own career.

In early 2013, Elyssa joined Johnson Lambert as an Audit Associate and was immediately immersed in captive insurance. “I did not really know about the industry or what a captive really was before that time,” she admits. “But very quickly learned a lot about captives.”

Today, after 13 years with the firm, Elyssa primarily audits captive insurance companies while also working with commercial insurers and nonprofit organizations. What keeps her engaged is the variety and innovation she encounters every day. “People are very creative in setting up their captives and what they use them for,” she explains. “Sometimes they are insuring risks that they cannot get coverage for in the traditional marketplace.”

Because captives are designed to meet the unique needs of their parent organizations, no two are exactly alike. Combined with evolving legislation and accounting guidance, the industry offers constant opportunities to learn and grow. “There is just a lot to learn all the time,” Elyssa says. “It keeps it interesting and fun.”

Although Elyssa grew up and is based in Vermont, her work extends far beyond the state’s borders. She serves clients across the United States, including some with international operations, auditing organizations that range from Fortune 500 companies to small family-owned businesses. “That global reach often surprises people. We are in this small little bubble of Vermont,” she says, “but I am working with people in different countries and across many different states.” She even laughs that employees at well-known companies are often unaware their organization owns a captive insurance company until she mentions auditing it.

While Elyssa has experience working with both captive and commercial insurance companies, she says one of the biggest differences is the relationship organizations have with their captive. Unlike traditional insurers that sell policies to the public, captives insure a defined group, such as a parent company or affiliated organizations. That structure means leadership is often deeply invested in managing risk and understanding how the captive supports broader business goals. “They really care about their captives,” Elyssa explains. “It is helping them manage risk internally and will hopefully save money over the long run.” That collaborative approach is one of the reasons she enjoys working in the industry.

Outside of client work, Elyssa has become equally passionate about ensuring the captive industry continues to attract talented professionals. As the current Committee Chair of the VCIEL, she is helping create opportunities for students to learn about careers they may never have considered.

This year, much of the committee’s work has centered around preparing students for the 2026 VCIA Annual Conference. The committee coordinated interviews, secured scholarship funding, and organized programming to help students connect with industry professionals before they even arrive at the conference.

A highlight of the initiative for Elyssa was awarding scholarships to 11 students to attend this year’s conference. “We are onboarding them, hosting group calls before the conference, and pairing each student with someone from one of our sponsor organizations,” Elyssa says. The goal is to ensure students feel welcomed, supported, and connected throughout the conference experience while building relationships that can extend well beyond the event itself.

The committee’s work does not stop after the conference. Elyssa shared that the VCIEL is also planning future outreach efforts, including partnering with a local university to introduce more students to the captive insurance industry. For Elyssa, that mission is especially meaningful because she is a lifelong Vermonter. “I am pretty passionate about sharing that you can have a great career here in our state. The captive industry provides opportunities to live here, work here, and raise a family here,” she says.

That commitment inspired her to become involved with the VCIEL long before it became the formal committee it is today. She believes increasing awareness of the industry is essential, particularly since many students, and even experienced professionals, have never heard of captive insurance. The committee also brings together professionals from across the industry, including accountants, actuaries, bankers, captive managers, and other service providers. Those relationships strengthen both the industry and the professional networks of those involved. “It is nice to have those people that you know in the industry,” Elyssa remarks, noting that the connections benefit both collaboration and long-term career development.

When asked what motivated her to step into the role of Committee Chair, Elyssa said the timing simply felt right. After completing several internal leadership roles at Johnson Lambert, she was ready to contribute more broadly to the industry. “I had more capacity this year, and I wanted to help keep the group going,” she says.

Whether she is guiding clients through complex audits or helping students discover new career paths, Elyssa’s leadership reflects a commitment to continuous learning, collaboration, and service. Her journey demonstrates that careers often begin with unexpected opportunities—and that by investing in others, today’s professionals can help shape the future of Vermont’s captive insurance industry for years to come.