Meet The Team

Patty Simpson is the CEO and Chairwoman of DW Simpson Global Actuarial and Analytics Recruitment Firm. Patty co-founded DW Simpson in 1989 with her late husband, David W. Simpson, and she established the focus of the firm to specialize in Actuarial Recruiting. For 34 years, her role has been focused on recruiting, strategic operations, and business development for DW Simpson, as well as managing and training the highest-tenured Actuarial Recruiters in the industry. DW Simpson was named one of the Top 100 Professional Services Firms in Recruiting in 2018 by Forbes Magazine.

Over the years, Patty has presented on a variety of topics at both Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society industry and regional meetings. In 2022, she was the featured speaker on gender empowerment at the Congreso de Nacional Actuarios conference. She has also been featured in many Actuarial Digest articles and other trade publications, and has participated in many Society of Actuaries and Casualty Actuarial Society roundtable discussions. She has been a speaker for and member of the PwC Actuarial Women’s and Diversity Forum. In addition, DW Simpson has been a member of the Corporate Council of the IABA (International Association of Black Actuaries) for over 25 years, and Patty serves on the Corporate Council. Patty was nominated for and joined the Society of Actuaries Employers Council in 2020. She also serves as a member of the external advisory board for the Columbia University MS program in Actuarial Science.

Outside the office, Patty served on several boards, including the Woman’s Board of The Joffrey Ballet and The Alliance Français. Patty served as the Chairman of the Leadership Committee at Lycée Français de Chicago from 2010-2014 and has served on multiple committees at the Women’s Athletic Club of Chicago. In addition, from 2008-2011, Patty served as Vice Chairman for “Fueled By the Fallen,” a 501-C3 service organization that aids military members, public safety personnel and their families.

Patty graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Business from the University of Minnesota. Her first role out of college was as an Options Stock Clerk on the floor of the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, as well as working in corporate with the investment banking firm Drexel Burnham & Lambert.

Ellen currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer and is a Partner of D.W. Simpson. As CAO, Ellen oversees D.W. Simpson’s financial and operational functions. 

Ellen joined the company in 1998. From that time until August 2011 when she moved into her current role as CAO, she worked as a recruiter. In her 13 years of recruiting actuaries, Ellen’s primary role was full scope candidate recruitment and client management for the company.

Graduating from DePaul University in Chicago, Ellen earned a bachelor’s degree in Music with a specialization in Flute Performance.

Ellen lives with her husband in the Milwaukee area and splits her time between her Wisconsin home and our Chicago office. Outside of work she is continually on the hunt for a good recipe to try and relishes time with friends and family.

KC joined DW Simpson Global Actuarial Recruitment in October of 1995. Outside of his recruiting, client management, and business development responsibilities, K.C. is heavily involved with the firm’s key initiatives of recruitment, training and development of staff. He also continues to play a critical role in the expansion and development of DW Simpson’s strong presence in the Canadian market.

In addition, KC has participated in actuarial industry events. He took part in a roundtable discussion of the actuarial employment market for Actuarial Review in the May & August, 2001 issues, and has presented at an SOA Spring meeting on the topic of “Diversity in the Actuarial Profession.”

Prior to joining DW Simpson, KC was in a management position with SportMart, Inc. He began his career providing telecommunications solutions with Camadon, Inc. and then Centex Telemanagement Inc. K.C. graduated from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing in 1990.

Outside the office, besides being a weekend golfer, KC enjoys running, weight training and attending Cubs games. He has completed the Chicago Marathon.

Marianne is a Partner with DW Simpson, having been with the company since 2003 in various recruiting roles. She earned her bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison and has completed numerous courses toward an MBA at University of Chicago.

Marianne works with candidates in P&C, health, life and pension professions, from students early in their career all the way to executives. In addition, she recruits catastrophe modelers, product managers, and data scientists. She has served on the SOA Marketing Executive and Cultivating Opportunities Committees, and has contributed to various industry publications including Contingencies, The Actuary, and Carrier Management, as well as industry and client newsletters.

While at Madison, she played cello with the UW Symphony and Chamber Orchestra, and in 2006 she founded a cello ensemble which continues to perform around Chicago. Marianne enjoys traveling and speaks fluent German.

Patty joined DW Simpson with 18 years of prior recruiting experience, specializing in the placement of actuaries at insurance & consulting companies. In 2016 she began expanding her network to include Data Scientists, Data Analysts, Risk Managers and Predictive Modelers. She developed her strong organizational and communication skills working in the full cycle of the recruiting process, including industry research, cold calling, scheduling, negotiating, networking and developing and maintaining strong working relationships with candidates, client companies, hiring managers and human resource staff.

She is experienced in managing the recruiting process for all levels of candidates, from new graduates to C-Suite executives, working in a variety of in specialized industries. She also has expertise in developing interview materials, writing for industry publications, and managing website content.

In her current role she is expanding the areas of Risk Management, Analytics and Data Science recruitment, working with new and existing clients to assist in finding top candidates for a growing industry, and recruiting for the P&C area.

Previous to her career in recruiting, Patty was the COO of a large construction QC company and also worked as a special education teacher. She graduated from The State University College at Oswego with a degree in Communications and Public Relations. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and hiking in the Adirondacks.

Derek joined DW Simpson in 2003. He transitioned to leading his own team in December 2005. Throughout his career at DW Simpson, Derek has worked with actuaries at every stage of their careers – from students progressing through exams to designated individuals with extensive leadership experience. Additionally, he has successfully placed candidates into various emerging areas beyond actuarial such as enterprise risk management, catastrophe and predictive modeling, and data analytics.

Derek regularly attends annual professional conferences and seminars sponsored by actuarial and related organizations. He has also presented at past meetings. Derek believes that attending and presenting at such events assists in his ability to provide the most current information and comprehensive service to the clients and the candidates with whom he works on an ongoing basis.

Derek graduated from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Derek is married and has three young daughters who keep him busy. Outside of the office he enjoys traveling, the arts and a good conversation about the Chicago Cubs’ chances this year.

Clifton joined DW Simpson in 2014 and is currently the Director of Client Development. Clifton’s goal is to ensure that we are an attentive and effective partner. He acts as a market resource for clients, gains an understanding of their needs, and communicates their value proposition to our recruiters so that they can accurately and effectively convey it to our candidates. 

Prior to joining DW Simpson, Clifton was a Senior Administrator at a Chicago intellectual property law firm. He began his professional career at Bank of America as a Nationwide Mortgage Loan Officer. Clifton has also had a long-time second career as an actor and playwright, and currently teaches devised performance workshops to middle and high school students with an emphasis on positive self-expression.

Chris joined DW Simpson in 2010 and is currently the Director of Operations & Technology Services. He helps coordinate all of DW Simpson's technical and logistical needs.

Prior to DW Simpson, Chris worked for After School Matters as a Program Auditor. In his artistic life, Chris makes theater in Chicago. He has been involved in a multitude of productions in a variety of capacities, including Actor, Director, Playwright and Stage Manager.

Arturo joined DW Simpson in 2017 and is currently the Social Media Specialist. He is in charge of running and maintaining DW Simpson’s social media presence, increasing brand awareness and improving marketing efforts.

Arturo attended Columbia College Chicago where he graduated with a BFA in Advertising Art Direction. He enjoys attending concerts, dive bars, and art museums.

Dan is a Senior Director with DW Simpson and joined the firm in 2004. He has a successful track record placing actuaries from the student to chief actuary level within the P&C, Life, Retirement, and Health Industries. He has also assisted predictive modelers, financial modelers, catastrophe modelers and other quantitative professionals in finding positions. Although his focus is on North America and Bermuda, Dan also has a keen interest in international insurance markets and global opportunities for actuaries.

Prior to joining DW Simpson, Dan worked with the Men’s Soccer program at Loyola University Chicago. In that role Dan served as the lead recruiter and assistant coach. Dan earned his Bachelor’s in History from Loyola University in 1996 and his Master’s in Education in 1998. Originally from the Chicago area, he lives here with his wife and three children. His outside interests include following European soccer, real estate, traveling and coaching youth soccer.

Valorie holds the role of Director on a team with Senior Director, Dan Karrow. She joined DW Simpson in 2005 as an Assistant to the late Managing Partner & Founder, David Simpson. 

Valorie works with all levels of actuaries and analytics professionals, from students progressing through exams to designated individuals with extensive leadership experience, to provide them with as many suitable opportunities as possible during their job search. She also serves as the internal manager for several clients.

Prior to DW Simpson, Valorie worked as a Human Resources Generalist for Dart Container Corporation in Michigan. 

Valorie graduated from Michigan State University earning a Bachelor’s degree in General Management. Outside the office Valorie enjoys spending time with her three daughters (including identical twins), attending concerts and traveling.

Jesus Perez has been with D.W. Simpson for over 20 years.  He recently started a new role as a Recruiter, focusing on full-cycle recruitment for all levels of actuaries, data scientists, and quantitative risk management professionals, working in a variety of specialized industries. 

Prior to devoting his time as a full-time recruiter, he worked in the operations department of the company, serving as Manager of Operations.  His exposure to operations allowed him to learn the intricacies of the actuarial industry, and the experience gained as a manager brings great value to his present workdays. 

Outside of D.W. Simpson, Jesus enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling, and playing soccer.  He is fluent in Spanish and is very interested in Latin American literature.

Connect with him over LinkedIn for networking, career opportunities, and more!

Ginny Hiteshew joined DW Simpson in December of 2013 as a Retained Search and Client Development Specialist. Ginny began working with experienced actuaries in June of 2015.

Previously, she spent sixteen years in the Fixed Income Division of Goldman Sachs as a Vice President in the Municipal Department. Additionally, she spearheaded recruiting at Goldman Sachs with the top MBA programs in Chicago.

Ginny holds an undergraduate degree in Communications Arts with a Business minor from Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH.

Outside the office, Ginny has served on several boards, including Sacred Heart Schools, Women’s Athletic Club and Bears Care, a philanthropic arm of The Chicago Bears.

Ginny is a long time Chicago resident with her husband and three children.

Paquita joined DW Simpson in September 2014 as a Recruiter, working on a team with KC Cho, Partner. Prior to joining the firm, she worked for 15 years at a private practice in Pacific Palisades, CA. While managing FCLA, Paquita participated in the research and development of Stem Cell Rejuvenation treatments with one of the top Plastic Surgeons in California. Paquita attended the American University of Paris in France, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in International Business Administration with a minor in Marketing.

After completing her studies at the International Financial Commodities Institute in Geneva, she began her career as an assistant Broker at QT Optec AG in Zurich, Switzerland.

Being raised trilingual, Paquita enjoys her travels while visiting her family in Belgium, France and Colombia. As a Pilates instructor, Paquita teaches and trains in her spare time.

Mimi joined DW Simpson in 2019 as a recruiter with prior experience recruiting in the actuarial and government markets. Prior to her role with DW Simpson she worked at AOCE, Inc., a small government contractor, where she recruited cleared, former military experts for United States Air Force, Army, and Agency contracts in military aircrew training, intelligence, space and missile defense, and remotely piloted aircraft. As the business grew Mimi was able to apply her multi-faceted skill set to Quality Management as a Quality Assurance Specialist and as a Program Manager.

Prior to recruiting Mimi worked in marketing at a New Jersey based, publicly traded real estate investment trust, and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Rutgers Business School in Newark, NJ. She resides in Williamsburg, VA.

Brad joined DW Simpson as a Lead Recruiter in 2021. Brad is an experienced recruiting professional with a demonstrated history of success in full-cycle recruiting, team building, public speaking, and marketing. He has recruited for a variety of industries, learning new skillsets along the way. In his role as a Lead Recruiter, he enjoys talking to people, making connections, and being an advocate for candidates throughout their careers. Brad  is a graduate of UW – Milwaukee, where he majored in Communications and was a goalkeeper on the soccer team. Previous to recruiting, Brad spend several years as an Assistant Soccer Coach, a role in which he was able to hone his coaching, communication and team building skills.  He still enjoys playing, watching, and introducing people to the sport. Recently, he began to participate in Adventure racing, a sport that involves map-reading and trekking through the woods, and combines competition with his love of the outdoors. Brad also enjoys spending his downtime relaxing with his family. 

Marilyn graduated from Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Minor in French. She is fluent in both French and Spanish. Having attended the Lycée Français de Chicago, Marilyn also received her French baccalaureate in Economical Sciences with honors.

While studying for her Masters in Clinical Psychology, and working towards her PsyD, Marilyn worked at Aflac as a benefits consultant as well as in account management and marketing. There, she also received the NY Convention Award, as well as placed second Rookie of the Year for all of Aflac IL. Marilyn has both her Life and Health insurance licenses in 17 States and is Long Term Care certified.

Marilyn is the daughter of Patty Simpson and the late David Simpson. She previously interned in 2014 and is thrilled to return to the DW Simpson team as of September 2020.

Phylicia joined DW Simpson in the Spring of 2022 as a Recruiter working on Marianne Westphal’s team. In her role, she assists with the full cycle of recruitment for actuaries and analytic professionals, from new graduates to Chief Actuaries. Phylicia brings a background of over 7 years of customer and employee service and experience in developing and researching candidates, client relationship management, leading projects, and administrative support to her position at DW Simpson. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University, an MBA from Colorado Tech University, and a Master’s in Project Management from Keller School of Management. Phylicia enjoys helping people achieve their career goals and learning more about the insurance industry and the role of actuaries. Phylicia is fluent in American Sign Language and has a passion for cooking and event planning. Outside of work she enjoys swimming, bowling, and visiting the zoo with her twins.

Derrick joined DW Simpson in June 2022 as a Recruiter working on a team with Derek Mulder, Partner, and Chip Searles, Recruiter. In his role as a Recruiter, he provides assistance on full-cycle recruitment for actuaries and analytics professionals, from students to Chief Actuaries. Prior to joining the firm, Derrick worked as a Sports Medicine Medical Device Sales Representative for Graymont Medical/Smith & Nephew. During his time there, he managed a team of two sales representatives while working alongside team orthopedic surgeons/physicians for the Chicago Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire, and White Sox. Derrick is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology – Exercise Science. Outside of work, Derrick enjoys traveling, snowboarding, mountain biking, hiking, and attending music concerts. With a passion for visual arts, Derrick does freelance work in photography and videography in his spare time.

Rachel originally joined DW Simpson Global Actuarial & Analytics Recruitment in 2008, while residing in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. She worked as an Actuarial Researcher for the Europe and Middle East operations. In 2011 Rachel took a hiatus upon moving to Sydney, Australia. With a move to the USA, Rachel resumed working at DWS in 2019 as a Recruiting Coordinator for Entry Level.

Rachel earned her degree from University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she studied Philosophy, Theology, and English. After graduation, Rachel worked at Milliman & Robertson on a pension team and at Towers Perrin as a health analyst.

Gabriella joined DW Simpson in 2023 and is working as the Client Development Assistant. She acts as support to Clifton Frei when it comes to ensuring that client needs are met and conveyed to recruiters.

Prior to working at DW Simpson, Gabriella attended Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She then moved to Chicago, Illinois and started working at a local animal shelter called PAWS Chicago. To this day, Gabriella continues to be an animal lover who is always willing to pet sit for friends and neighbors. She spends her free time arranging game nights, reading, studying wine, and watching movies.

Emma Ansah is an Operations Assistant at DW Simpson. In her role, she is responsible for database management, updating candidate information, and assisting recruiters with administrative duties.

Prior to joining DW Simpson, Emma worked as a Quality Assurance Coordinator for OneDigital. Outside of work, Emma enjoys rock climbing with her sister and drawing with charcoal.

Aisha Ali is one of our Operations Assistant at DW Simpson. In her role, she is responsible for database management and assisting recruiters with administrative and tech duties.

Prior to joining the DW Simpson team, Aisha worked as a manager at Kendra Scott. During her free time, Aisha likes exploring the city through a camera lens and finding new places to eat.