Meet our presenters

Ivo Trummer

Ivo is the director of government relations at SAIF. Prior to his role at SAIF, he led state government affairs for the Port of Portland. Ivo has also served as legislative director for Governor Kate Brown, managed Business Oregon’s international trade and innovation efforts, and worked as policy advisor for Governor Ted Kulongoski and for then-Speaker of the House Jeff Merkley. In addition, Ivo served as finance director on numerous statewide political campaigns. Born and raised in Austria, Ivo lives in Portland with his wife and children. And avid outdoorsman, you can usually find Ivo on the mountain or the river.

Elaine Schooler

Elaine is assistant general counsel at SAIF and advises on regulatory, statutory, and rulemaking changes. Elaine joined SAIF in 2007 and has held various roles, including legal intern, trial attorney, and appellate attorney. As assistant general counsel, Elaine engages with stakeholders, the Workers’ Compensation Division, the Workers’ Compensation Board, other state agencies, and the Oregon legislature to advocate, advise, and participate in the regulatory and legislative process. Outside of SAIF, Elaine enjoys spending time with her husband, three kids, two dogs, four cats, eight chickens, and a duck.

Olivia Ojeda-Hayes

Olivia a return-to-work consultant. She has been with SAIF for more than 20 years. She has a large book of business in agriculture/farm labor, as well as city/county. Before joining SAIF, Olivia worked as a staffing manager, where she oversaw employment retention and workers’ compensation for 1000 employees across multiple industries and locations. As a bilingual return-to-work consultant, Olivia supports Oregon employees by helping them understand the return-to-work process in both English and Spanish. She also partners closely with employers to retain valuable employees post injury, providing guidance on communication, expectations, workers’ compensation tools, loss mitigation and Employer at Injury Program Benefits. Olivia is passionate about helping employers and employees understand their roles and responsibilities so they can achieve successful returns to work, reduce claims exposure, prevent workplace issues, and maintain strong employee-employer relationships. She also provides trainings in both English and Spanish for employers and their teams. She holds a degree in social sciences with an emphasis on sociology and psychology from Southern Oregon University. Olivia and her husband of more than 30 years, their dog, Raya, and cat, Leo. She has four children that she enjoys very much now that they are all adults!

Rob Wallace

Rob is the supervisor of the Employer-At-Injury Program at SAIF. Prior to that, he worked as a claims adjuster for over 16 years where he successfully managed claims that modified legislative reforms in the Oregon Workers’ Compensation System. Born in Peru, South America, Rob was raised in a bilingual household. He also volunteered at a local nonprofit as a classroom assistant helping Spanish speakers learn English. Rob lives in West Salem with his wife of 30 years. He enjoys camping, remodeling, and welding. He enjoys a challenge and learning new things. One of the best parts of helping administer Oregon’s EAIP program for SAIF is its positive impact on the recovery and return to productivity for workers after their injuries. The program truly embodies the shared responsibilities, investments, and benefits to both workers and employers that is contemplated in the Great Compromise.

Daniel Walker

Daniel is an attorney on SAIF’s appellate team. He has worked at SAIF since 2017 as a legal intern and appellate attorney. He also worked as a management-side employment attorney with the Portland firm Barran Liebman LLP. He has been a member of the Oregon State Bar since 2018 and the Oregon U.S. District Court since 2020. Daniel graduated with a Bachelor of Science in anthropology from Portland State University and with a JD from Lewis and Clark Law School. He has published multiple law review articles on evolving workers’ compensation issues and is a contributing author to OBI’s HR Compliance Library and the Oregon State Bar Workers’ Compensation Book. Away from work, Daniel enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. He is also an avid Trail Blazers fan and field recording enthusiast.

Soren Bjerregaard

Soren is a safety and health supervisor at SAIF in Portland, Oregon. Over the last 18 years, he has advised policyholders across all industries to enhance workplace safety and health. Soren holds the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) certifications and is a licensed insurance producer. He earned a BS in Business Administration and an MBA in International Business from the University of Aarhus in Denmark, where he grew up before moving to Oregon.

Brittany Johnston

Brittany is a safety and health services adviser at SAIF, where she partners with consultants and leadership to enhance the delivery of effective safety and health services. Prior to this role, Brittany served as a safety consultant at SAIF for 10 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Linfield College and an MBA from Portland State University and is a Certified Safety Professional. Brittany is an active leader in the American Society of Safety Professionals Columbia-Willamette Chapter, currently serving as First Past President, and has played a role in planning the Oregon Governor’s Safety and Health (GOSH) Conference since 2018, including serving as the 2025 conference chair.