Katie Santarelli

President of Wye River Insurance, Katie Santarelli leads day to day operations of the company and provides strategic brokering and consulting services to our portfolio of clients. With 15 years of experience, Santarelli brings extensive knowledge of the real estate industry paired with in-depth insurance expertise to inform clients as they make decisions regarding risk retention, risk transfer, and risk avoidance. She excels in the oversight and placement of complex layered controlled insurance programs, including loss-sensitive programs, and has extensive experience in contractual risk transfer.  

Before joining Wye River Insurance, Santarelli led the Real Estate and Construction Practice at RCM&D, an independent risk management company that earned a spot within the nation’s top 100 largest brokers of US business. During her tenure with RCM&D Santarelli led the execution of critical risk control service plans in alignment with her client’s strategic goals. Named one of the top 5 real estate insurance brokers in the country in 2019 by Risk and Insurance, she also directed the placement of builders’ risk programs for multifamily and retail projects and has in-depth experience negotiating insurance requirements in construction contracts. 

A graduate of the University of Virginia, and a passionate and engaged student of real estate, Santarelli is a former student at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business, MREI program. Currently, she is a member of The Urban Land Institute, CREW Baltimore, a member of the 2020 Greater Baltimore Leadership Program, and holds a CRIS Insurance Designation.