About Us | Slide Insurance
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Welcome to Slide Insurance

Welcome to Slide, where our mission is to revolutionize every aspect of property insurance.

Behind our name is a commitment to making it easier for coastal homeowners to secure the right coverage for their needs and budget, manage their policy as their needs evolve, and get back to whole should they experience a covered loss.

The Slide Difference

Flexibility

Our coverage and support options flex to meet the unique coverage needs, budget, and preferences of coastal homeowners.

Stability

With a Financial Stability Rating® of A, Exceptional, and deep coastal expertise, Slide is built to serve and protect our policyholders for the long haul.

Community

We are passionate about supporting the resilience and recovery of the policyholders and communities we serve. We call this Sliding It Forward.

Our Story.

Slide is a technology-enabled insurance company revolutionizing every facet of property insurance.

The company was founded in 2021 by Bruce and Shannon Lucas, insurance insiders with a deep understanding of how technology can be applied to achieve better underwriting outcomes.

Alongside a team of highly experienced and entrepreneurial leaders, Slide launched operations in February 2022. Since then, we have rapidly grown to become one of the largest coastal insurance companies in the country.

Today Slide offers home, condo, and commercial residential products through a network of over 5,000 agents in Florida and South Carolina.

Our Leadership

Slide’s executive team brings technological innovation, industry expertise, and entrepreneurial spirit to the forefront in all we do.

Bruce Lucas headshot

Bruce Lucas

Founder & CEO*

As Founder and CEO of Slide, Bruce drives the vision and innovation behind our technology. Prior to Slide, he founded super-regional insurer Heritage Insurance (NYSE: HRTG), where he grew the company from a single-state start-up to over $1 billion in annual revenue in 15 states. His unique insider’s perspective of the insurance industry formed the basis of his vision to transform all aspects of the insurance process including operations, claims, underwriting, and user experiences. Bruce has earned global accolades, including being recognized as an EY Entrepreneur of the Year.

Jesse Schalk Slide

Jesse Schalk

President & CFO*

As President & CFO of Slide, Jesse oversees the data-driven financial strategies of our holding company. Jesse has over 25 years of experience in the P&C insurance industry as a senior leader in operations, investments, financial reporting, regulatory compliance, and reinsurance. Before joining Slide, Jesse served as Chief Financial Officer and President of St. Johns Insurance Company.

Shannon Lucas headshot

Shannon Lucas

COO & Chief Risk Officer*

Shannon leads Slide’s operations and enterprise risk management. She has nearly 20 years of experience in P&C insurance with big-name companies like Tower Hill, Heritage, UPC, and HomeWise. Her deep expertise in predictive analytics and data optimization are key to Slide’s growth and stability. Among her many accomplishments, Shannon was selected as an honoree of the TBBJ 2023 BusinessWoman of the Year award and was named a Top 40 Elite Women in Insurance” by Insurance Business America.

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Rao Tadepalli

Chief Information Officer

Rao leads Slide’s Applications, Technology, and infrastructure strategies. He has over 30 years of experience in the P&C insurance technology field. Prior to joining Slide, Rao founded DigiTran, which helped insurance companies transform their legacy systems using emerging technologies. He also served as an advisor and mentor to several of the leading tech-enabled insurance and fintech Silicon Valley startups. Rao has a Master’s degree in computer science. Among his accolades, Rao is the recipient of the Celent Model Insurer Award.

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John Devoe

Chief Claims Officer

John leads Slide’s claims operations and claims customer experience. He has 29 years of experience in insurance claims and holds 33 adjuster licenses, Associate in Claims (AIC) designation, and FEMA-NFIP certification with authorization across all categories. John was the former President and COO of RYZE Claim Solutions which provides comprehensive claim adjusting services throughout the US.

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Russell McCollough

Chief Actuary

Russell is responsible for leading the Actuarial function at Slide. He has over 25 years of actuarial experience for companies that write catastrophe exposed property lines business. Russell served as the head of the Actuarial function at Southern Farm Bureau for 10 years and most recently Chief Actuary at Allied Trust Insurance Company. He became a Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society (FCAS) in 2004 and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries (MAAA) in 2000.

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Rachel Carr

Chief Marketing Officer

Rachel leads Slide’s omnichannel customer experience, integrated marketing strategy, and branding. She has over 15 years of experience in the carrier and brokerage settings. Prior to Slide, she was an executive leader at one of the fastest-growing P&C insurance brokerage firms in the nation. Rachel’s strategies for disruptive marketing in high-growth environments have distinguished her from her peers. Among her accolades, she was named one of Business Journal’s “Top 40 Under 40” professionals.

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Shannon Gougis

Chief People Officer

Shannon leads the People Operations of the organization, using a holistic approach to achieve a positive employee experience and successful business outcomes. Shannon is a SHRM-SCP and has over 23 years of expertise in HR and People Operations. Prior to joining Slide, she was the Chief People Officer at e-TeleQuote Insurance Inc. Among her accolades, Shannon won the Top 100 Women Leaders in Tampa award in 2022, and was also named Small Business Executive of the Year by Business Intelligence Group.

Chas Powell Slide

Chas Powell

SVP of Sales

Chas leads Slide’s agency distribution strategy. With 20+ years of industry experience, Chas has deep product knowledge and an unmatched track record of supporting the success of agency partners. He began his career as a Producer at his family’s agency in Florida and has since held roles as Underwriter and Territory Sales Manager at Unitrin Kemper and, most recently, as a Vice President of Independent Agency Distribution with Farmers | Foremost Insurance. His background, data-driven approach, and proven growth strategies continue to fortify Slide as a leader in the market.

Jonathan Mertz Slide

Jonathan Mertz

SVP of Operations

Jonathan is responsible for overseeing day-to-day company operations including the monitoring of performance, efficiencies, and the support execution of the Slide operational strategy. He started his career with St. James Insurance Group where he gained extensive training in underwriting for numerous personal and commercial lines programs and claims administration. He later served as Marketing Director of St. James Insurance Group, and most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of St. Johns Insurance.

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Vern Kirchhoff, CFA

SVP of Data Analytics

Vern leads the Data Analytics team at Slide, with a focus on reporting and implementing actionable AI and ML Ops. He has 31 years of P&C industry experience with a background in personal lines insurance. During his tenure at UPC, Vern grew the company from a single-state insurer to Super Regional Insurer with more than $1.3 billion in annual revenue. He led and managed the product teams across multiple P&C entities operating in 18 licensed states. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

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Matt Larson

SVP of Risk Management

Matt is responsible for building Slide's reinsurance pricing framework for underwriting, portfolio management, and placement of the reinsurance program. He spent the past 13 years at Aon’s Reinsurance Solutions division. Most recently, Matt co-led the Coastal Regional Segment within their Catastrophe Management group. He holds the Certified Catastrophe Risk Management Professional (CCRMP) credential in conjunction with the International Society of Catastrophe Managers (ISCM).

*Appointed at the Holding Company level

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