Risk Management and Claims Service for Insurance, Workers Compensation and Managed Care

THOMAS J. VEALE
FOUNDER and PRESIDENT

Mr. Veale founded TRISTAR Insurance Group in 1987 to handle claims and other management functions for Meridian Insurance Company. Prior to forming TRISTAR, Mr. Veale served as the Director of Financial Reporting for Transamerica Insurance Company and then as Vice President of Topa Insurance Company. Mr. Veale has been the driving force behind the expansion of TRISTAR Insurance Group from a small, local and specialized TPA with revenues of under $1million to the western regional TPA that it is today with over 600 employees and over $50 million in revenue.

Mr. Veale is very active within TRISTAR management handling mergers & acquisitions and overseeing strategic business management, marketing and client relations and operational / financial consulting to many self-insured and captive insured clients.

JOSEPH E. MCLAUGHLIN
SR. VICE PRESIDENT, SALES & MARKETING

Mr. McLaughlin oversees the TRISTAR sales team within the 14 Western states in which TRISTAR is licensed. Prior to joining TRISTAR, Mr. McLaughlin served as the National Sales Director for Qmedtrix Systems, Inc., a leading cost containment company for Workers’ Compensation. Mr. McLaughlin was also co-owner of Self-Insured Management Services, Inc. (now Pinnacle Risk Management), then the largest privately held TPA in the Northwest. In addition, he served as the Western Division Sales Director for Alexsis Risk Management Services opening offices in Portland, Oregon, Seattle, Spokane and San Francisco.

DENISE L. COTTER, CPA
VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Ms. Cotter manages the financial reporting and trust accounting units of TRISTAR. She is a certified public accountant in the state of California, who started her career with KPMG Peat Marwick. She left public accounting as an audit manager of several fortune 500 insurance clients. More recently she was Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Carnegie Holdings, a managing general agent and third party claims administrator. During her tenure Carnegie formed a California domiciled insurance company to underwrite non-standard auto risks. Prior to that she was the Chief Financial Officer of Five Star Insurance Company in Irvine.

RICHARD D. THIBAULT
VICE PRESIDENT, GENERAL COUNSEL/DIRECTOR OF LIABILITY

Mr. Thibault oversees the administration of Liability and Property claims company-wide, and acts as general counsel for TRISTAR. Mr. Thibault has been with TRISTAR 11 years. He has been involved in claims handling for more than 30 years. He has been admitted to practice law in California for more than 20 years. Prior to joining TRISTAR, he was an associate with the national defense firm of Wood, Lucksinger & Epstein and later Claims Manager and General Counsel for Akros Enterprises, a specialty claims firm purchased by TRISTAR in 1994.

CRAIG EVANS
VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Mr. Evans is responsible for the management of all computer operations at TRISTAR, including network and computer support, software application training, database administration, and coordination of all data conversions and interfaces. Mr. Evans has over 18 years experience in computer information management systems, including 6 years in the insurance, healthcare, and financial industries. Before working for TRISTAR, he was Chief Information Officer for Keenan Companies, managing their network operations, and prior to that a Project Manager for Toyota Motor Sales North American Parts Operations division.

SHANA BARROWCLOUGH
VICE PRESIDENT, CLAIMS OPERATIONS

Ms. Barrowclough is the Vice President of Claims Operations for TRISTAR Risk Management and oversees both the Quality Assurance department and the Internal Audit team. Shana is responsible for ensuring quality and consistency of claims management throughout TRISTAR’s 18 branch offices. She is the liaison between the branch claims operations, the IT department and finance department to ensure the delivery of high quality claims management and excellent customer service to all of TRISTAR’s clients. Her experience includes over 15 years with both insured and self-insured clients. She has a B.B.A. from the University of New Mexico and is SIP certified.

CURTIS CROCKETT
VICE PRESIDENT, REGIONAL MANAGER

Mr. Crockett oversees the management of day-to-day activities of TRISTAR’s claims operations in the nine (9) branches located in California, reporting directly to the President of the company. Mr. Crockett has worked for over 20 years in the claims administration industry. Prior to this position, he was Branch Manager of TRISTAR’s Rancho Santa Margarita office, one of the largest in the Company, which handles the claims of the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department. He has also managed the TRISTAR division which handled the L.A. County Fire Department. He has a B.A. degree in Economics from the University of California at Irvine, and has both IEA Workers’ Compensation and California Self-Insured certifications.

STEVE SCISSORS, CWCP
VICE PRESIDENT, REGIONAL MANAGER

Mr. Scissors oversees the management of the day-to-day activities of TRISTAR’s claims operations of eight (8) branches in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Utah. Mr. Scissors has 27 years of experience in the claims administration industry, including management positions at Alexsis, the Frank Gates Service Companies, Midwest Employers Casualty Company, and the Sisters of Mercy Health System. He has handled claims programs for several large clients, such as Federal Express, Whirlpool Corporation, McDonald’s and Wal-Mart. He is a Board Member of the Missouri Self-Insurers Association and the Missouri Guaranty Fund. Steve has a B.S. in Business Administration and Marketing from Marysville University.

return to page top