Prior to joining AG in 2016, Ackerman served in the U.S. Navy within Naval Security Forces, with training in maritime antiterrorism, in-port threat detection, special reaction force operations, and active shooter response. He deployed to the Persian Gulf in 2014 and conducted force protection operations in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado Boulder.

Since joining AG, he has led investigations, conducted security audits, delivered seminars for multinational corporations, and managed executive protection teams. His work includes responding to kidnapping, extortion, threat, and workplace violence cases across the U.S. and Latin America, with extended assignments in Mexico, Central America, and Colombia. Ackerman is based in Fort Lauderdale and is conversant in Spanish.

Laura Garcell is an analyst and writer covering Latin America. Prior to joining AG in 2025, she wrote for multiple print and digital publications and worked as an assistant producer for TV news shows, covering politics, economics, and foreign affairs. She later transitioned into thought leadership, specializing in research-driven analysis and storytelling. As an editor and project manager, she led the development of in-depth reports, managed large-scale projects, and provided data-driven insights on global economic and technological trends for industry leaders and policymakers. She is a native Spanish and French speaker and is proficient in Portuguese. She holds a B.A. in political science and history and an M.S. in journalism from Columbia University. 

Mark has been a part of the Insurance/Restoration Business for over 30 years. Starting out as a Property Field adjuster for a large National carrier, he handled small losses up to large, complex commercial losses. After 15 years on the carrier side, Mark moved over to the Restoration Contractor side. He presently works as a Senior Account Executive for Woodard Cleaning and Restoration in St. Louis, Mo. Mark loves helping people get back to their lives after they suffer a loss. He has enormous respect for the entire industry in the way that we are there to help. Most people see Insurance as a necessary evil until they have a loss. The way carriers and contractors work together can make all the difference in a claim going smoothly. That is why Mark values the relationships that he has made over the last 30 years. Mark is married to Kathy, and they have two boys, Colin and Bobby.

Paul Maurer-Batjer is a well-respected leader within the Restoration Industry due to his real-world experience & focus on continuous improvement. Not only has Paul helped develop best practices & workflows within Woodard, he has also been involved with several industry associations where he has made a positive impact on the restoration ecosystem by developing standards for interacting with insurance providers, building best practice estimating rule-sets & providing his insight on the industry through panel discussions with industry leading experts.