Layr Welcomes New CEO Mark Hara

Hara will lead the company's next phase of growth, leveraging decades of experience spanning insurtech startups to major insurance carriers

ATLANTA, Oct. 17, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Layr, the insurtech startup that uses artificial intelligence to help small businesses customize commercial insurance bundles, today announces that insurance industry veteran Mark Hara is joining the company as CEO. Through a career spanning leadership roles across the insurance industry at organizations both large and small, Hara has developed the experience to help Layr scale in its next phase. Phillip Naples, Founder of Layr and former CEO, will work closely with Hara while shifting his focus to company strategy and enterprise partnerships as Chief Strategy Officer.

"I've been very impressed with Layr's growth from startup to sustainable business," said Hara. "I couldn't be more proud to lead efforts scaling the company to serve more brokers and agencies, making it easier than ever for them to serve more small businesses. There's so much potential in this space and Layr is extremely well-positioned to amplify the capabilities of brokers serving small businesses."

Hara comes to Layr from FloodFlash, where he served as CEO. Previously he built and scaled sales, marketing, customer care and operations as COO and President of New Ventures at Bold Penguin and before that led rapid revenue expansion for the direct-to-consumer insurance platform Mylo. Hara also deeply understands large enterprises, having spent more than a decade each at Nationwide as VP of Digital Marketing and as Chief Innovation Officer and at P&G as Marketing Director.

"Mark has truly seen insurance from every angle and has a leadership track record that runs the gamut of strategy, operations, and product development," said Phillip Naples, Founder of Layr. "I'm thrilled to work with him as he takes Layr to new heights."

In the past 12 months, Layr has launched its next-generation platform, delivering enhanced functionality for policyholders and powerful analytics for its brokerage partners. Built on a modern, scalable tech stack, this platform enables rapid deployment, ensuring our users receive unparalleled digital support. Brokerages across the U.S. have recognized the increasing value of Layr's innovative solution, with many transitioning entire Small Business Units (SBUs) to the platform.

Hara joins Layr at an exciting time of growth as the company focuses on empowering small businesses to drive operational efficiencies and strategic advantages for brokerage partners. In its next phase Layr aims to scale its platform, enhance product offerings with advanced analytics, strengthen brokerage partnerships, improve margins and streamline operations.

Layr will continue to focus on delivering cutting-edge technology that simplifies the insurance experience, making it more accessible and intuitive for users. At the heart of this vision is a commitment to creating value for all stakeholders—policyholders, brokers, and partners—by driving efficiency, transparency, and innovation in every aspect of the business.

About Layr
Layr is an Atlanta-based insurtech startup using Artificial Intelligence to help brokers and agencies efficiently sell and service small business insurance. Using Layr, small business owners can assess and select the right coverage in as little as 12 minutes. After selecting and paying for a policy, it's automatically sent to underwriting, allowing brokers and agents to easily grow their small business books while offering customers a world-class digital experience. To learn more, visit: https://withlayr.com/

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SOURCE Layr