Welcoming Academy Group 3
By Peter Brecht | Published 07-29-2025
We welcomed our three newest Academy group members yesterday, and we're excited to introduce them to the insurance industry! Over the next 12 weeks we will be focused on commercial insurance with a special emphasis on the energy and marine industry.
Jake Negrete
Jake Negrete (LinkedIn) is a professional rugby player who launched his Major League Rugby career in 2025 with the Houston Sabercats before being traded to the Miami Sharks.
He is a proud alumnus of Saint Mary’s College of California, where he earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Arts in Exercise Science.
Off the field, Jake is committed to long-term development and plans to pursue a career as a licensed Physical Therapist after his rugby career. His goal is to compete at the highest levels of rugby and help others achieve peak physical performance.
Karl Keane
Karl Keane (LinkedIn) is a professional rugby player currently competing with Anthem Rugby Carolina in Major League Rugby (MLR). Born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, Karl began playing rugby at the age of five with Malahide Rugby Football Club. As a teenager, he moved to the United States and continued both his academic and athletic journey at Saint Mary’s College of California, earning a degree in Communications.
Since graduating in 2022, Karl has built a global rugby career, playing for multiple teams in Major League Rugby and spending over a year in Tokyo, Japan with the Urayasu D-Rocks. Known for his international experience and versatility on the field, Karl brings a high-performance mindset and team-first attitude to every club he joins.
Now proud to represent Falcon West off the field, Karl is excited to connect with the broader community.
Joseph Johnston
Joseph Johnston (LinkedIn) is a Safety Instrumented Systems Engineer at Emerson, specializing in control and safety systems for the oil and gas industry. With a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering, Joseph’s expertise spans the design and implementation of Emergency Shutdown Systems (ESD), Burner Management Systems (BMS), and Fire & Gas Detection Systems across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations.
Outside of work, Joseph is an avid wine enthusiast with memberships at several premier wineries and has started his own collection. It is both a hobby and a way to connect with people.
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