State Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais will retire from state service next week, Gov. Ned Lamont announced Friday.
Mais, who has led the state Department of Insurance since Feb. 2019, will step down effective Nov. 28.
To succeed him, Lamont said he will nominate Josh Hershman, CEO of Immigrant Life Insurance Co. of America in Stamford, a subsidiary of IDT Corp., who also is a former deputy in the department.
Lamont said Hershmann will remain in as interim commissioner beginning Dec. 12, and that he plans to submit Hershman’s nomination to the General Assembly at the start of its 2026 regular session, which begins Feb. 4.
The governor said Hershman’s experience and “broad understanding of the insurance industry and the regulatory framework that it operates within will serve him well as commissioner.”
Mais recently completed his term as president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the nationwide regulatory support organization that provides expertise, data and analysis for insurance commissioners. He also held a top leadership position at the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS), the global standard-setting organization for insurance regulation, serving as vice chair of its executive committee.
During his tenure as commissioner, Mais established the Connecticut Severe Weather Mitigation and Resiliency Advisory Council in 2024, which focuses on helping homeowners and businesses maintain more resilient properties.
Hershamn also serves as executive director of openIDL, a Linux Foundation project modernizing data exchange through creating data standards across the insurance industry. He also advises multiple organizations through HIJ Advising LLC, offering expertise in insurance solutions, regulatory compliance, legal strategy and operational efficiency.
Hershman also has previously served in the state Department of Insurance. From 2019-22, he served as deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, leading initiatives that explored AI’s impact on insurance, data-driven regulatory modernization, and innovation across the industry.
