Karen McElaney Receives Lifetime Achievement Award at Mobile Disrupt 2026

Karen McElaney, Vice President of Asset Value Recovery for Assurant’s Connected Living business, has been recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award at Mobile Disrupt 2026. Presented at the conference in Miami Beach on July 7, the award honors her longstanding contributions to the mobile device industry and her leadership in advancing trade-in, reverse logistics and secondary market programs.

Over the past 15 years, McElaney has played a key role in helping shape the device lifecycle ecosystem, supporting the growth of scalable asset recovery programs, buyer development and initiatives that maximize device value throughout the product lifecycle.

“Karen’s career reflects the leadership, expertise and commitment that have helped move the mobile device lifecycle industry forward. We are proud to see her contributions recognized by the industry.” said Brandon Johnson, SVP, Global Supply Chain at Assurant.

McElaney was part of the original sales team at eRecycling Corp., later HYLA Mobile, and went on to build and lead Assurant’s Asset Disposition organization, supporting large-scale trade-in and device lifecycle programs for partners around the world.

“I’m honored to receive this recognition from Mobile Disrupt and grateful to the colleagues, partners and teams who have been part of this journey, I’m proud of the work we’ve done to make trade-in, refurbishment and secondary market programs more scalable, trusted and valuable for both businesses and consumers,” said McElaney.

The recognition comes at a time when trade-in, repair, device protection and certified pre-owned programs are playing an increasingly important role in helping consumers get more value from their technology purchases. As demand for affordable device options grows, these programs continue to extend device lifecycles and support a thriving secondary market.

This award reflects both McElaney’s impact on the industry and the continued evolution of the connected device ecosystem, where trade-in, refurbishment and reuse are helping create more value for businesses and consumers alike.This award reflects both McElaney’s impact on the industry and the continued evolution of the connected device ecosystem, where trade-in, refurbishment and reuse are helping create more value for businesses and consumers alike.

In addition to McElaney's recognition, Assurant leaders shared insights during several conference sessions, with Kimberley Allison, VP of Supply Chain Strategy and Execution, speaking on the role of AI in reverse logistics and moderating a discussion on advancing women in the wireless industry. Together, McElaney's recognition and Assurant's participation at Mobile Disrupt underscore the company's continued leadership in helping clients deliver the seamless experiences their customers expect.

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Media Contact:

Louis Masses
Director of Communications – Global Connected Living
Assurant
Louis.Masses@assurant.com