Mulshine Named RT Specialty CEO as McCormack Moves to Vice Chairman

Mulshine, in a statement, said the leadership transitions “highlight the deep roster of talent we’ve built.” He described the team as “the best brokers and underwriters in the business” and said the firm intends to keep winning “by outworking and out-executing for the benefit of our clients and trading partners.”

For a specialty wholesale broker, continuity at the top matters. Ryan Specialty’s pitch to retail agents and carriers has long rested on deep expertise and long-tenured relationships. Keeping McCormack as vice chairman preserves institutional memory on accounts, carrier partnerships, and the underwriting playbooks the firm built over the past decade and a half. At the same time, promoting from within – Mooney, Grimes, and Austenfeld all rose through the practice ranks – signals that the next generation was already embedded.

The appointments come as Ryan Specialty continues to expand its property and casualty footprint in a market where retail brokers are demanding more niche coverage and faster binding. Multi-line wholesale distribution has grown more competitive as new entrants and technology platforms jostle for share. RT Specialty, one of the larger wholesale operations in the U.S., generated roughly $1.5 billion in revenue in 2025, according to company filings. The new leadership structure is designed to keep that growth trajectory without losing the hands-on client service that the unit’s reputation depends on.

Mulshine added that he looks forward to working more closely with the promoted executives in their new roles. “Brenda, Hugh, Chris and Ryan each bring extensive experience in the insurance industry and at RT Specialty,” he said. McCormack, for his part, said he will continue to support “our teammates and our clients in my new role.”