Our Team

As Gain Compliance’s CEO, Burch leads company strategy and oversees operations. Gain Compliance is his fourth startup. His first three represent the full spectrum – pure startup, turnaround, and late-stage enterprise – each of which resulted in a successful outcome for investors and owners. Burch holds degrees from Yale University (B.A., Economics) and the University of California at Berkeley (M.B.A). A father of four, he is an enthusiastic fan of high school and rec sports across the Des Moines metro area.

Steve brings an accomplished record of product development to Gain Compliance. Previously, Steve was credited with the identification of Workiva’s most substantial business opportunity as a Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) solution which provided instrumental in the company’s formative growth. Steve holds a patent for a method and computing device for facilitating review of a document (#US 9442908 B2) for his work on a software solution for information approval and signoff. Steve is a graduate of Iowa State University where he earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and was a member of the wrestling team. He subsequently received a graduate degree (MBA with honors) from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Ames, Iowa and is an accomplished distance runner.

Travis Ensley is a Technology Executive and Leader who partners with Technologists, Executives and Solopreneurs to grow their personal and professional leadership strategies. After spending nearly two decades working in Technology and software development companies for multimillion dollar brands and startups, Travis knows what truly drives success in building teams and systems to achieve their goals.

Travis has worked in large insurance companies and small startups to grow his understanding of the challenges of successful team organization and management. He currently holds the position of Vice President of Product Development at Vertex, a 3D visualization software company in Ames, Iowa.

Travis is a father, husband, and Veteran who enjoys overland adventuring, camping, and travel.
He was born and raised in Iowa, and currently lives in Clive.

Susan brings the valuable perspective she has garnered through her extensive industry and regulatory experience to the Gain Compliance board. 

She served as Iowa Insurance Commissioner under three administration, was elected by her peers as an officer of the National Association of Commissioners (2007), served as NAIC President (2011), chaired the International Insurance Committee (2012), and was inducted in the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame (2013).

Susan currently serves as a Senior Executive at American Enterprise Group and as a board member at United Fire Group and NOLHGA.

Joe hails from Eldora, IA and now resides in Des Moines, IA.

Following an accomplished career in law, politics, and business, he is currently focused on entrepreneurial and public projects throughout Iowa. His broad education and experience includes: degrees from Iowa State University (BS, 1982) and the University of Michigan (JD, 1985); Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney (1987); Co-Founder, Gunderson Sharp, LLP (retired 2016); Founding Member, Iowa Parks Foundation (2008); Active Angel Investor (through 2019); Eagle Scout and former Scout Master; Previous leadership roles in politics as campaign manager, statewide candidate and statewide campaign chairperson. 

As an early investor in Gain Compliance,  Joe has served as a valuable mentor and has closely charted the company’s trajectory from concept stage.

Terri is a leading expert in insurance regulation, having spent the bulk of her career as a scholar of regulation, an insurance regulator, or a representative of U.S. insurance regulation domestically and internationally. Dr. Vaughan is currently Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. She also serves as a director of Validus Holdings, Verisk Analytics, and Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. From February 2009 to November 2012, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Prior to joining the NAIC, Dr. Vaughan spent time in both academia, as the Robb B. Kelley Distinguished Professor of Insurance and Actuarial Science at Drake University, and in regulation, as Iowa Insurance Commissioner and NAIC President. Over her career, she has a leader in international regulatory issues, as a member of the Executive Committee of the IAIS, a member of the steering committee for the U.S./E.U. Insurance Dialogue Project, and chair of the Joint Forum, a Basel, Switzerland-based organization of banking, insurance, and securities supervisors focused on cross-sectoral issues.

Dr. Vaughan earned a Ph.D. in risk and insurance at the University of Pennsylvania and a B.B.A. in insurance and economics at the University of Iowa. She has been recognized as one of the Top 25 Living Legends of Insurance (National Underwriter, 2012), 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare, (Modern Healthcare, 2011), Top 50 Women in the Insurance Industry (Reactions magazine, 2014), a University of Iowa Distinguished Young Alumnus (1996), member of the Iowa Insurance Hall of Fame (2003), Distinguished Fellow of the IAIS (2013), Insurance Woman of the Year (Association of Professional Insurance Women, 2014), and one of 24 insurance industry key influencers (Best’s Review, 2016).