Melissa Winter’s first year as Acuity Insurance’s CEO is getting a major regional business-world exclamation point: BizTimes Media will name her Woman Executive of the Year at its annual Women in Business Symposium. The honor comes as the Sheboygan-based insurer completes a carefully planned leadership handoff.
The award will be presented Aug. 20 at the Brookfield Conference Center, according to BizTimes Media. The program runs from 7:30 a.m. to noon and will focus on “Leading Through the Shift,” with regional business leaders discussing transitions, uncertainty and transformation.
Winter’s Promotion Caps A Long Acuity Climb
Winter joined Acuity in 1998 as a claims representative and moved through management, consulting and strategic-planning roles before becoming president in 2023. She joined the company’s board in 2024 and officially became president and CEO in March 2026, succeeding longtime chief executive Ben Salzmann, according to Acuity Insurance.
The company says Winter now leads an insurer with more than 1,900 employees, over $3 billion in annual written premium and more than $8.5 billion in managed assets. Acuity provides insurance coverage to individuals and businesses in more than 30 states, giving the award significance well beyond the company’s Sheboygan headquarters.
Symposium Will Feature Regional Women Leaders
Beyond Winter’s recognition, the event will include a panel titled “Navigating Transition and Shaping the Future with Humanity,” two rounds of breakout sessions and individual presentations built around stories of bold career moves. Speakers and participants include Milwaukee Brewers Chief Operating Officer Marti Wronski, Cushman & Wakefield | Boerke President and CEO Dawn Peterson, and HellermannTyton regional president Terry Tuttle, as detailed by BizTimes Media.
The half-day symposium is designed for women at every stage of their careers, blending leadership advice with networking and practical sessions. For Winter, the timing turns a multiyear succession plan into a public milestone: a hometown insurance executive taking the top job and quickly earning one of southeastern Wisconsin’s marquee business honors.
