Influential Women spotlights construction risk leader Kristen Weber

Influential Women is recognizing Kristen Weber, vice president and head of Subcontractor Default Insurance at American Global, for a career that spans more than 20 years in construction, finance, accounting and insurance. Her path through contractors and carriers has shaped a leadership style centered on risk strategy, mentorship and opening doors for women in the industry.

Why it matters: - Kristen Weber’s career shows how construction risk leadership now depends on fluency across contractors, carriers and brokers. - Her work in Subcontractor Default Insurance affects how large construction projects evaluate subcontractor performance and financial exposure. - Her emphasis on mentorship and access aims to expand the pipeline of talent in construction, insurance and finance.

What happened: - Influential Women recognized Kristen Weber as a trusted leader in construction risk and subcontractor default insurance. - Weber is vice president and head of Subcontractor Default Insurance at American Global. - Weber is based in the Dallas–Fort Worth Metroplex. - Her career spans more than 20 years across construction, finance, accounting and insurance. - The profile highlights Weber’s experience working from the viewpoints of general contractors, insurance carriers and brokers.

The details: - Weber built her professional foundation in accounting and project finance. - She earned a B.B.A. from The University of Texas at Arlington, with a focus on finance, after studying at Texas Christian University. - Weber joined Balfour Beatty Construction in 2006 and moved into subcontractor underwriting. - She later advanced into corporate risk management leadership and served as director of risk management. - Her time at Balfour Beatty gave her experience evaluating and qualifying subcontractors. - Weber later held leadership roles with other general contractors, broadening her view of contractor risk evaluation and project exposures. - In 2021, she joined Liberty Mutual as an underwriting officer for Subcontractor Default Insurance. - The move to the carrier side deepened her understanding of how SDI is assessed and managed across the construction insurance ecosystem. - At American Global, Weber leads SDI strategy and works to connect the perspectives of insured organizations, insurers and brokers.

Between the lines: - Weber’s career path suggests that the strongest risk leaders can translate between operational and underwriting priorities. - Her focus on mentorship reflects a broader need to retain and advance women in construction and insurance. - She ties leadership to boundaries and intentional time management, including setting aside Sundays as non-work time. - Physical fitness is part of her routine and helps her manage a travel-heavy schedule. - Her message to women is to pursue opportunities without waiting to meet every qualification on a job description. - She also urges younger professionals to seek mentors, stay engaged and advocate for their own development.

What's next: - Weber will continue shaping SDI strategy at American Global. - Her profile suggests she will keep advocating for mentorship, education and opportunity creation within the industry. - Her experience across multiple sides of construction risk positions her to influence how firms think about subcontractor default exposure going forward.

The bottom line: - Weber’s value comes from combining technical risk expertise with a leadership approach focused on people, perspective and long-term talent development. - More information