David Mikulina

David Mikulina, retired Vice President of Risk Management for Hyatt Hotels Corporation, was a member of the risk management profession for almost 35 years.

Dave graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1967 and shortly thereafter entered the Army, serving with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam.  He later embarked on a career in risk management and insurance, holding positions in such companies as GATX, Kraft, Alexander and Alexander, and, in 1984, Hyatt, from where he retired in 2007.

For 23 years, Dave headed the Risk Management department at Hyatt as the organization grew from 130 hotels to 350 hotels worldwide. In what was already an excellent program, Dave played an integral role in expanding and further developing the program in such areas as risk transfer methods, claims management, risk management training, and crisis management, to name a few.

At Hyatt, Dave was also highly successful in enhancing important partnerships with operational department leaders in the corporate office and in the field to integrate risk management into the day-to-day life at the hotels. From adding medical professionals to his risk management team as a means to address workers’ compensations exposures, to establishing Risk Seminars for all employees, Dave drove the culture of safety and risk management at Hyatt Hotels and the organization continues to implement many of his strategies today.

Dave was committed to advancing the industry both through professional opportunities he bestowed to his risk management team and to the greater Chicago-area risk management community.  A longstanding RIMS member, Dave is always willing to share his insights with new risk managers and experienced colleagues alike.  He had been a contributor on carrier advisory panels, has given risk management presentations at various RIMS conferences, as well as schools such as the University of Wisconsin School of Business and DePaul University School of Hospitality Leadership, and served as Chairman of the Risk Management Committee of the American Hotel and Lodging Association.

Dave and his wife Sheila have two daughters (one in the insurance industry and one an attorney) and four grandchildren.