cover story: hot 100 - Worldwide Facilities

FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
These 100 movers and shakers led the insurance
industry to new heights over the past year
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WELCOME TO IBA’s annual Hot 100 list. We asked you, the
insurance community, to pass on your suggestions for the big names to
be considered for inclusion on this list of industry power players. From
CEOs and presidents of major insurers to local heroes, the names came
flooding in.
While this isn’t an exhaustive list of everyone who’s making waves
in the insurance industry, we’ve narrowed it down to 100 people
we think merit a mention this year – whether it’s for a lifetime of
achievement or a gutsy move that shook up the insurance world in
2015.
INDEX BY NAME
NAME
PAGE COMPANY
NAME
PAGE COMPANY
NAME
PAGE COMPANY
Anderson, Anne
28
Integro
Goodwin, Nicole
31
Hiscox
Mumford, Chad
26
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
Banaszynski, Matt
30
Independent Insurance Agents of
Wisconsin
Goss, Randall
35
US Risk Insurance Group
Nagano, Tsuyoshi
35
Tokio Marine
Granillo, Diana
43
Leavitt United Insurance
O'Brien, Dave
42
Zywave
Barton, Curtis
43
Venture Pacific Insurance Services
34
Aon Risk Solutions
Beale, Inga
44
Lloyd’s of London
Bentley, Robert
40
Markel
Berkley, William
30
WR Berkley
Biedleman, Justin
38
Arbor Insurance Group
Bixler, Todd
38
K&K Insurance Group
Boedker, David
26
Keystone Insurers Group
Brady, Denis
26
Burns & Wilcox Brokerage
Branch, Laurie
33
The Iroquois Group
Brown, J. Powell
30
Brown & Brown
Brown, Matt
28
General Star
Brown, Sam
30
PURE
Brown, Stacy
27
Freberg Environmental
Buchmueller, Ross
31
PCI
Caldwell, Andrew
35
Smart Choice
Casserley, Dominic
36
Willis Group
Catlin, Steve
42
XL Group
Cavaness, Joel
43
Renaissance Alliance
Chase, Brooks
44
Distinguished Programs
Cochrane, J. Bruce
40
Rancho Mesa Insurance Services
Condrin, J. Paul
42
Lexington Insurance Company
Cooper, W.H.
29
AmWINS
Greenberg, Evan
32
ACE Group
O'Connor, Michael
Greenberg, Maurice
38
Starr Companies
O'Leary, Patrick
36
Trident Insurance Agency
Gulliver, Richard
34
HUB International Limited
Palotay, Michael
31
NAPSLO
Hamm, Adam
39
NetRate Systems
Pool, Brian
40
Lockton Companies
Hancock, Peter
38
AIG
Power, Matthew
42
Ryan Specialty Group
Hanuschak, Brian
37
Victor O. Schinnerer
Pritchard, Bill
28
Hays, Jim
42
Hays Companies
Beacon Hill Associates/PartnerOne
Environmental
Heffernan, Mike
32
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Pusey, Leigh Ann
36
American Insurance Association
Heinze, Bernd
46
AAMGA
Rao, Nag
28
EZLynx
Howard, John
32
BB&T
Reingen, Eric
26
CrossFit Risk Retention Group
Iordanou, Constantine
46
Arch Capital Group
Rice, Michael
40
JLT Specialty
45
Confie
Jinhong, James
31
NAS Insurance
Rico, Valeria
Jordan, David
35
NBIS
Riley, Tom
34
Assured Partners
Kelley, Brady
44
NAIC
Ryan, Patrick
31
RT Specialty
Kelley, Bruce
43
EMC Insurance Group
Ryan, T.J.
43
ISU Insurance Agency Network
Kelley, Kevin
27
Ironshore
Salvatore, Brian
32
Zurich Insurance
Kuzma, Thomas
35
Nautilus Insurance
Salzmann, Benjamin
40
Acuity
Largent, Edward
46
Westfield Insurance
Sampson, David
46
NSM Insurance Group
Larson, Donald
28
Great American Insurance Group
Scheider, Harrison
36
American Risk Management Resources
Lindeen, Monica
39
Meeker Sharkey Associates
Scotto, Ray
36
TMPAA
Lockton, David
46
Lloyd's North America
Sicard, Mike
41
USI Insurance Services
39
Meadowbrook
Cubbin, Robert
30
Marsh
Lucas, Bruce
32
Heritage Insurance Holdings
Skorupski, Richard
Dorow, Herb
39
Lonestar Integra Insurance Services
Luttrell, Roger
43
Combined Agents of America
Tomlinson, John
32
Lockton Companies
Dybdahl, Kari
46
American Risk Management Resources
Lyons, Carson
39
AIG
Trzos, Bill
44
Atlas General
Eastwood, Peter
26
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
Masiello, Jim
46
SIAA
Turner, Timothy
42
Risk Placement Services
Eppinger, Fred
26
The Hanover Group
Mattioda, Geno
28
Wolf Point Advisors
Volini, Dominic
28
Wolf Point Advisors
Foley, Brian
39
Corcoran & Havlin Benefits Group
McKernan, Geof
38
North Dakota
Wang, Qunbin
38
Fosun International
French, Reid
44
Applied Systems
Merrill, Toby
42
ACE Group
Watkins, Hank
34
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
Freudenthal, Dan
30
Agency Flood Resources
Miley, Richard
40
BroadStreet Partners
Williams, Gregory
43
Acrisure
Gallagher, J. Patrick
34
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Moore, Davis
35
Worldwide Facilities
Williams, Ray
44
SecureRisk
Gayner, Thomas
31
Maris Brown Rossell Insurance Group
Moore, LeConte
27
DeWitt Stern
Zimmer, Greg
36
Alliant Insurance Services
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
FRED EPPINGER
DENIS BRADY
Former president and CEO
THE HANOVER GROUP
President
BURNS & WILCOX BROKERAGE
Fred Eppinger took the reins as The
Hanover Group’s president and CEO
in 2003. Under his guidance, The
Hanover Group grew from a regional
company to one of the largest insurance
businesses in the United States. During his
tenure, Eppinger oversaw numerous
acquisitions, including specialty insurer
AIX Holdings, healthcare professional
lines writer The Campania Group,
chemical insurer Verlan and Professionals
Direct, which insures attorneys. In
October, Eppinger also assumed the role
of chief financial officer for the company
after the death of CFO David Greenfield.
Eppinger is set to retire later this year.
Denis Brady continues to prove that no challenge is too large. Since
taking the helm at Burns & Wilcox Brokerage in 2013, Brady’s bold
leadership and aggressive pursuit of the industry’s top talent have turned
the firm into one of the most highly regarded wholesale brokers in the
business. In 2015, Brady recruited more than a dozen new brokers to join
his expert team and opened the doors to three new locations. (Burns & Wilcox Brokerage now
operates across eight offices nationwide.) In 2015, Brady also was elected to serve as chair of the
Surplus Line Association of California.
PETER EASTWOOD
President and CEO
BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY SPECIALTY
INSURANCE
Even before taking the reins at Berkshire
Hathaway Specialty Insurance, Peter Eastwood
had an impressive resume. He began his career as an
AIG underwriter in 1991 and quickly moved up the
ranks. At AIG, he most recently served as the president
and CEO of the company’s property/casualty business
for the Americas. He also served as president and CEO
of Lexington Insurance Company, an AIG subsidiary,
before stepping into the top job at BHSI. This year,
under Eastwood’s guidance, BHSI expanded into
Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong and Singapore,
adding to its existing global presence in the US, Canada
and India.
ERIC REINGEN
Vice president
CROSSFIT RISK RETENTION GROUP
In 2009, the global CrossFit workout
craze was just taking off, and Eric
Reingen was fresh out of college. At the
time, he didn’t know much about insurance
– but he saw potential in CrossFit. Reingen
helped pioneer insurance coverage for the
CrossFit brand, and his vision has paid off:
Today, more than 11,000 CrossFit affiliates
have opened up gyms, and Reingen is now
the assistant vice president of CrossFit Risk
Retention Group – a community-owned
group that insures the majority of CrossFit
affiliates in the US – and vice president of
Nexo Insurance Services, which founded the
group and administers it.
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DAVID E. BOEDKER SR.
CHAD E. MUMFORD
CEO
KEYSTONE INSURERS GROUP
Producer
LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE GROUP
David Boedker Sr. joined Keystone in
1987 and took the reins as CEO in 1999.
Under his leadership, KIG – formed originally
as a cooperative arrangement between
agencies – changed to a franchisor model and
began an expansion that hasn’t stopped yet.
Since 2003, KIG has expanded from its home
base in Pennsylvania into North Carolina,
Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee,
Georgia, Illinois and, in 2015, Missouri. In
addition to his duties at Keystone, Boedker has
been a member of the board of directors of
Associated Insurance Management since 1986.
One of IBA’s top producers for 2015,
Chad Mumford specializes in personal
lines products for Liberty Mutual Insurance
Group. Mumford made impressive gains in
both revenue growth and client growth last
year; he cites a passion for continuous
education as one of the driving forces behind
his success. “Continually educate yourself so as
to deliver concise, expert advice to your clients
and to ask for referrals,” he says. “If your client
views you as an expert, they will feel more
confident in referring you to their family,
friends and coworkers.”
STACY BROWN
President and managing partner
FREBERG ENVIRONMENTAL
A part of the environmental
consulting and insurance industries
since 1989, Stacy Brown joined Freberg
Environmental in 1998 to develop the
company’s site-specific pollution and
petroleum storage tank programs. In 2015,
Brown significantly bolstered the company’s
underwriting depth and service capabilities
with the addition of key staff across the
country. Brown also has been instrumental
in the development of policy forms, rating
methods, reinsurance placements and
marketing efforts. With Freberg
Environmental founder Mike Hill, Brown
co-authored two award-winning loss
control books for environmental
consultants and contractors.
KEVIN H.
KELLEY
CEO
IRONSHORE
Under Kevin
Kelley’s
leadership, Ironshore has expanded its
international presence with a global
network of offices offering diverse
specialty insurances. The past year alone,
the company introduced more than 15
new products and programs and made
enhancements throughout its global
distribution platform. Ironshore was also
named a top E&S carrier and ranked as
an Advisen Pacesetter Innovator for the
fifth consecutive year. Kelley also guided
Ironshore through its $1.8 billion
acquisition by Fosun in November.
LECONTE MOORE
Managing director, entertainment and
media division
DEWITT STERN
With more than 20 years of experience,
LeConte Moore knows his way around
the insurance business. He’s also good at
designing insurance coverage for big events;
Moore arranged insurance for Pope Francis’
2015 visit to the US for the World Meeting of
Families. Before that, he insured Miley Cyrus’
“Wrecking Ball” video, Super Bowl XLVIII
and four presidential inaugurations. He also
handled claims for the canceled Super Bowl
and the Ryder Cup following 9/11, as well the
canceled Billy Joel/Elton John concert in
Vienna. Prior to joining DeWitt Stern in
2004, Moore spent 20 years as the head of
Marsh & McClellan’s entertainment practice,
which he launched.
.®
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
DOMINIC VOLINI AND GENO MATTIODA
Co-CEOs
WOLF POINT ADVISORS
Dominic Volini and Geno Mattioda partnered to purchase an
established brokerage in 2014. Since then, they’ve maintained
an average 30% annual growth rate, a 65% premium growth rate and
a 90% retention rate. Volini and Mattioda also launched a business
and educational partnership with tech incubator 1871 and are
developing a scholarship program for insurance and financial
management majors. Together with 1871, Wolf Point Advisors
recently launched a healthcare and employee benefits exchange. “I
like to think of our firm as being at the forefront of ushering in the
next generation of insurance professionals,” Volini says. “We strive to
think outside the box from the traditional brokerage model of
insurance in every way possible.”
ANNE ANDERSON
NAG RAO
President, US operations
INTEGRO
Founder and CEO
EZLYNX
As president of US operations for
Integro, Anne Anderson provides
oversight of the operations and infrastructure
of the company’s US offices, bringing her
strong brokerage background to bear. Integro
expanded its reach with several acquisitions
last year, including HealthCare Risk
Specialists, AFL Insurance Brokers’ aviation
division, and Lemme Insurance Group. Prior
to joining Integro, Anderson served as the
property and international practice leader at
Palmer & Cay and as a managing director and
group leader at Marsh.
Nag Rao is constantly pushing the
boundaries of innovation at EZLynx,
which has become the fastest-growing agency
management system and most popular
comparative rater. By methodically designing
the only single-platform solution for
independent agents, EZLynx has introduced
several game-changing features – such as
Retention Center, which helps agents to
manage policy renewals more proactively
with better retention results – that have
agents switching to EZLynx in record
numbers.
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Vice president and
division manager
GENERAL STAR
Matthew Brown runs
General Star’s new
delegated division, created when the company
combined its property/casualty and E&O
divisions under the same umbrella. Under
Brown’s guidance, all of General Star’s fully
delegated business will be managed in a single
division. Brown joined General Star in 2000 as
an underwriter in the casualty department, and
served as manager of the Los Angeles Casualty
Branch before taking over the new division.
BILL PRITCHARD
DONALD LARSON
President and CEO
BEACON HILL ASSOCIATES/
PARTNERONE ENVIRONMENTAL
President & COO
GREAT AMERICAN INSURANCE GROUP
Bill Pritchard is a third-generation
insurance professional who heads Beacon
Hill Associates, a wholesale insurance broker
and program administrator that specializes in
the placement of environmental insurance and other specialty
coverages. Last year, the company launched The Summit, a quarterly
e-publication that provides insurance professionals with discussion and
analysis of trends in environmental and energy insurance.
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MATTHEW
BROWN
In 2010, Donald Larson became president and COO of
Great American Insurance Group’s property and casualty
group, which writes more than $5 billion in premiums through 32
different niche specialty insurance businesses. A 42-year employee
of Great American and its parent, American Financial Group,
Larson has held positions of increasing responsibility throughout
his career. Under Larson’s leadership, Great American has
consistently received top marks for its performance: It is rated A+
by A.M. Best and has been named one of the 50 top-performing
P&C insurance companies by Ward Group.
W.H. “SKIP” COOPER
President
AMWINS
With more than 25 years of experience in the wholesale insurance industry, Skip Cooper has been a valuable addition to AmWINS
Group’s executive team since joining the firm in 2007. During that time, he has helped shape AmWINS’ strategic direction and further
position the firm as a global leader in the specialty insurance distribution arena. Last year, under Cooper’s leadership, AmWINS acquired The
III Group, an MGA and wholesale broker, and technology company Impact Interactive. Prior to joining AmWINS, Cooper served as executive
vice president of CRC Insurance Services, where he formed their property department, as well as AmRisc Underwriting. Prior to CRC, he
worked in various industry positions, including underwriting at Fireman’s Fund and internships at Lloyd’s of London.​
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
J. POWELL BROWN
DAN
FREUDENTHAL
President and CEO
BROWN & BROWN
MATT BANASZYNSKI
Executive vice president and CEO
INDEPENDENT INSURANCE AGENTS
OF WISCONSIN
Hired as IIAW vice president at the age
of 25, Matt Banaszynski was promoted
to executive vice president and CEO at just 27,
becoming the youngest IIA state executive in
the country. He led the IIAW to grow its E&O
book of business by 20%, increase its
membership base, and create new products
and services to help independent agents. He
also forged a partnership with the University of
Wisconsin-Madison to launch a new
professional development conference aimed at
creating better insurance leaders, and he
turned the IIAW’s government affairs program
into a nationally recognized and awardwinning initiative. Banaszynski was recently
named as an advisory board member for the
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Center for
Insurance and Risk Management.
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President
AGENCY FLOOD
RESOURCES
J. Powell Brown was elected president
of Brown & Brown in 2007. In that
capacity, he oversees the company’s
wholesale brokerage and public entity
operations throughout the country. Under
Powell’s leadership, Brown & Brown
completed several acquisitions in 2015,
including the Hall-Wright General Agency,
Liberty Insurance Brokers and Bellingham
Underwriters. Prior to taking the reins as
president, Brown served the company as a
regional executive vice president, the profit
center leader for the company’s Orlando
office, and as a sales producer and
marketing manager in Dayton Beach, Fla.
Brown also serves on the board of directors
of SunTrust Bank/Central Florida.
Flooding is the
most common –
and most costly –
natural hazard risk in
the US. Dan Freudenthal recognized that risk
and decided to do something about it,
launching a wholesale brokerage dedicated
exclusively to the private flood insurance
market. To build Agency Flood Resources,
Freudenthal assembled a team of experts to
help insurance pros understand their clients’
flood risks and help them design custom flood
insurance solutions, effectively creating a
one-stop shop for insurance agencies’
flood-related needs.
SAM BROWN
Vice president, human services division
RANCHO MESA INSURANCE SERVICES
After a stint in General Electric’s
insurance division, Sam Brown joined
Rancho Mesa Insurance Services, where he’s
worked to grow the company’s human services
product. In 2014, he became a stockholder in
the company and was named vice president of
its human services group. Brown was an IBA
top producer for 2015, and was the 2015
recipient of the IIABA Anthony J. DiBuduo
Award. “An agent has two roles: producer and
broker,” Brown says. “The producer in us must
continually research prospects, look for
opportunities, ask for referrals and make the
cold call. The broker side must understand the
market, manage client expectations, advocate
for clients and understand the insurance
coverage. Both roles are equally important and
always need tinkering.”
WILLIAM R. BERKLEY
ROBERT S. CUBBIN
Executive chairman
WR BERKLEY
President and CEO
MEADOWBROOK
William R. Berkley founded WR
Berkley as a small company in 1967,
and grew it into one of the nation’s top
commercial lines P&C insurers. By 2004,
WR Berkley had become a Fortune 500
company, and by 2007, it was generating
revenues of $5.5 billion. Last year, Berkley
moved into the role of executive
chairman, handing the CEO reins over to
his son, W. Robert Berkley Jr.
Robert S. Cubbin leads Meadowbrook
Insurance Group, a specialty nichefocused commercial insurance underwriter
and insurance administration services
company. Founded in 1955, Meadowbrook
today employs nearly 900 people and
generates about $750 million in gross written
premium each year. In 2015, Cubbin guided
Meadowbrook through its acquisition by
Fosun International.
NICOLE GOODWIN
MICHAEL PALOTAY
ROSS BUCHMUELLER
Chief underwriting officer
HISCOX
SVP of underwriting
NAS INSURANCE
President and CEO
PURE
As chief underwriting officer for Hiscox USA,
Nicole Goodwin has presided over skyrocketing
business; the company reported a near 13% rise in
gross written premium in the first nine months of
2015. Goodwin has held various positions at Hiscox;
most recently, she served as head of US claims, where
she was responsible for driving the strategic direction
of Hiscox’s industry-leading claims service.
Michael Palotay has been
instrumental in developing NAS’s
technology and cyber liability product,
recognized as one of the broadest in the
market. With NAS since 2009, Palotay
is a key leader in the company’s product
strategy, marketing, production
management and underwriting.
Ross Buchmueller founded PURE, a
specialist insurer serving high-networth individuals and families across the
US, in 2006. Last year, PURE was named
one of the best entrepreneurial companies in
the nation by Entrepreneur magazine. The
publication also recognized PURE for its
outstanding company culture. Prior to
founding PURE, Buchmueller launched
AIG’s Private Client Group and served as its
president for more than six years. He started
his career at the Chubb Group, where he
held several positions, including senior vice
president of Chubb Insurance Company of
Europe. Buchmueller serves on the board of
directors of the United Way of Westchester
and Putnam Counties. He was also a
founder of the Private Risk Management
Association and continues to serve on its
board of trustees.
PATRICK G. RYAN
Founder, chairman and CEO
RYAN SPECIALTY GROUP
Patrick Ryan is something of a legend in the insurance
world. In 2010, he founded Ryan Specialty Group – today
a global organization boasting a wholesale brokerage, a select
group of underwriting managers and other specialty services for
agents, brokers and carriers. And RSG isn’t even the first global
insurance company Ryan has started; he also founded Aon Corporation and served as its
chairman and CEO. When Ryan retired from Aon, the company had grown to more than
500 offices in 120 countries and was generating revenues in excess of $7 billion. Ryan is a
member of the International Insurance Society’s Insurance Hall of Fame and a recipient of
the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1987, Ryan
received the esteemed Horatio Alger Award, which honors those who are dedicated to the
principles of integrity, hard work, perseverance and compassion for others. He also has been
recognized as the College of Insurance’s Insurance Leader of the Year and is the recipient of
the Insurance Federation of New York’s Free Enterprise Award.
JIM JINHONG
EVP, underwriting and business development
NBIS
As executive vice president of underwriting for NBIS
Construction and Transport Insurance Services, Jim
Jinhong and his team are credited with increasing NBIS’
written premium by 40% in the last year alone. Jinhong has
more than 20 years of experience in underwriting and program
development, the last 10 years in heavy construction. Jinhong
currently manages NBIS Atlanta’s casualty and Chicago’s
property underwriting operations, which includes transport
liability, heavy equipment operators (GL), excess casualty,
pollution and workers’ compensation. “He and his team have
worked tirelessly to improve the product offering NBIS makes
available to the heavy construction industry,” says Lisa McAbee,
director of business development and marketing at NBIS.
THOMAS S. GAYNER
President and CIO
MARKEL
As a member of Markel’s threemember Office of the President,
Thomas Gayner oversees the company’s
investing activities, as well as the diverse
industrial and service businesses of Markel
Ventures. Markel was recently valued at
nearly $12 billion, and its stock has grown
at an average annual rate of more than
18%. The Motley Fool has called the
company a “mini Berkshire Hathaway.”
Gayner also serves as chairman of the
board for the Davis Series Mutual Funds
and on the boards of Colfax Corporation
and Graham Holdings. He’s a trustee of the
Community Foundation of Richmond and
a member of the Virginia Retirement
System’s investment advisory committee.
Prior to joining Markel in 1990, Gayner
served as vice president of Davenport & Co.
of Virginia.
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31
FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
BRIAN
SALVATORE
President,
specialty products
ZURICH
INSURANCE
As the
president of
Zurich North America Commercial’s specialty
products business unit, Bryan Salvatore
oversees the delivery of innovative insurance
solutions for more challenging risks. Last year,
Salvatore’s unit enhanced its cybersecurity
program and expanded its international
program to make coverage available to
companies doing business globally. Salvatore
has been with Zurich for almost two decades;
in 2007, he took the reins of the company’s
accident & health division, which, under his
guidance, expanded its book of business
through wider product offerings, new strategic
relationships and improvements in servicing
and tiered underwriting.
MIKE HEFFERNAN
JOHN HOWARD
President and CEO
HEFFERNAN INSURANCE BROKERS
CEO
BB&T
Mike Heffernan entered the
insurance industry as an intern for
Lloyd’s at the age of 22. At 29, he purchased
a struggling insurance brokerage with just
10 employees. That brokerage eventually
became Heffernan Insurance Brokers, a
firm that’s grown over the years to more
than 420 employees and nine branches; last
year, the company passed $100 million in
revenue. Heffernan has been recognized as
a Most Admired CEO by the San Francisco
Business Times. He also believes in giving
back; since its founding in 1988, Heffernan
Insurance Brokers has given more than $4
million to charity, and Heffernan employees
volunteer about 5,000 hours of their time
each year. In 2015, the company’s charitable
foundation launched a $100,000
scholarship partnership with College Track.
John Howard has some big shoes to
fill as he takes over for retired BB&T
Insurance Holdings CEO H. Wade Reece,
who guided the company to become the
fifth largest insurance broker in the US.
However, Howard is more than up to the
task. With 20 years of experience in
brokerage, underwriting and executive
leadership, Howard is stepping up from his
previous role as vice chairman and CEO of
the company’s wholesale and specialty
division. Prior to BB&T’s acquisition of
Crump Group in 2012, Howard served as
president and CEO of that company. He
also has served as president of insurance
services for BISYS, president of the
Prudential Select Brokerage unit of
Prudential Financial and president of the
Retirement Services strategic business unit
for Consesco.
JOHN TOMLINSON
Vice president
LOCKTON COMPANIES
John Tomlinson has been providing innovative
risk management solutions to the
entertainment industry for more than 15 years. He
spent his early career at his family’s firm in Nashville,
where he helped pioneer insurance for touring bands.
After relocating to Los Angeles, Tomlinson immersed
himself in the local music landscape, and now
represents some of the world’s most notable musicians
in EDM, pop, rock and hip-hop. For his pioneering
work in insurance for the entertainment industry,
Tomlinson was recently named one of Hollywood’s
New Leaders by Variety.
EVAN GREENBERG
BRUCE LUCAS
Chairman and CEO
ACE GROUP
Chairman and CEO
HERITAGE INSURANCE HOLDINGS
Elected to lead ACE Group in 2004, Evan Greenberg certainly
had a banner 2015. Under his leadership, ACE Group acquired
insurance giant Chubb for $28.3 billion, creating a global leader in
commercial and personal property and casualty insurance. In addition
to his leadership at ACE Group, Greenberg serves on boards for a
number of organizations, including the Coca-Cola Company, the
Council of the Americas and the National Committee on United
States-China Relations. He’s also chairman of the US-ASEAN Business
Council, serves on the Center for Strategic & International Studies
Southeast Asia Advisory Board and is a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations.
Bruce Lucas leads Heritage Insurance Holdings, which has been
the fastest-growing insurance company in the country for two
years running. Under Lucas’ leadership, Heritage increased its direct
written premium by 134% in 2014 – the largest growth for any P&C
insurer in the country. Known for his entrepreneurial and leadership
skills, Lucas had built an impressive resume even before coming to
Heritage. Prior to taking the lead there, he served as CEO of Infinity
Investment Funds and as an attorney with Weil, Gotshal and Manges,
where he represented large clients, including GE and Enron. In
addition to his leadership at Heritage, Lucas serves as a board member
for the Pinellas Educational Foundation.
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LAURIE BRANCH
President
THE IROQUOIS GROUP
Laurie Branch has shepherded The Iroquois Group since 1984. Under her leadership, the group has grown to include more than 2,250
member agencies in 41 states – including about 650 member agencies in the last five years alone. Branch has been recognized with the New
York State Women of Excellence Award. She also serves as president of the Olean School Board and is an associate professor and member of the
Board of Trustees at St. Bonaventure University.
www.ibamag.com
33
FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
TOM RILEY
MICHAEL J. O’CONNOR
President and COO
ASSURED PARTNERS
CEO
AON RISK SOLUTIONS
Tom Riley co-founded Assured Partners in 2011 and has acted as its president and COO
ever since. Under his guidance, Assured Partners has become the fastest-growing
independent insurance agency in the nation. In 2015, Riley guided the company through its
acquisition by Apax Private Equity. Prior to co-founding Assured Partners, Riley spent more
than 20 years with Brown & Brown, progressing from CFO to profit center leader to regional
president. During that time, Riley organically grew and acquired companies with more than
$350 million in revenue. His final position at Brown & Brown was as chief acquisition officer,
during which he was involved in more than 100 acquisitions.
Michael O’Connor heads up Aon
Risk Solutions, the global risk
management arm of Aon plc, a global giant
in risk advice and insurance. Under
O’Connor’s leadership, Aon Risk Solutions
was recognized as the Captive Manager of
the Year and the Employee Benefits
Specialist of the Year in October 2014.
Before joining Aon in 2008, O’Connor was
a partner at McKinsey & Company, where
he served as a leader for the North
American financial services practice and
the North American insurance practice. He
also serves on the boards of Chicago’s Rush
University Medical Center and Museum of
Contemporary Art.
HANK WATKINS
President
LLOYD’S NORTH AMERICA
Hank Watkins heads up market development and
operations at Lloyd’s North America. Under Watkins’
leadership, Lloyd’s has become the largest surplus lines insurer
largest non-US-domiciled reinsurer in the US. Lloyd’s writes 38%
of its global premium in the US – to the tune of $14.6 billion in
2014. Operating from nine offices, Watkins and his team work with syndicate underwriters,
coverholders and Lloyd’s brokers to maintain and grow the market’s share of the specialty lines
business that initiated the first relationships between London and North America more than
100 years ago. With more than 30 years of experience as an underwriter and broker at Chubb,
Barney & Barney, Johnson & Higgins, Marsh and HRH, Watkins actively promotes the
insurance industry to students and young professionals. Based in New York, he’s a member of
the Board of Overseers at St. John’s University’s School of Risk Management and serves on the
boards of the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation’s Northeast Division and the
International Insurance Society.
J. PATRICK GALLAGHER JR.
Chairman, president and CEO
ARTHUR J. GALLAGHER & CO.
As chairman, president and CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.,
J. Patrick Gallagher Jr. leads a global team of more than
21,000 employees in 31 countries. The insurance broker and
third-party claims administrator has grown substantially in recent
years, fueled by robust M&A activity, new business production, and
the sale of additional products and services to existing clients. In 2014, total revenues grew
more than 45% to top $4.6 billion, and adjusted brokerage and risk management revenues
grew 30% to nearly $3.6 billion. Gallagher completed 60 acquisitions in 2014 and another 29
in the first three quarters of 2015, expanding client-service capabilities and establishing
robust operating platforms throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and
Canada, in addition to the US. In 2015, the company was recognized by the Ethisphere
Institute as a World’s Most Ethical Company for the fourth consecutive year, and by Forbes
magazine as one of America’s best employers.
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www.ibamag.com
RICHARD GULLIVER
President
HUB INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Richard Gulliver has more than 35
years of experience in the insurance
industry. As president of HUB International
Limited, Gulliver oversees the company’s
mergers and acquisitions; during his tenure,
HUB has made more than 150 acquisitions,
representing more than $1 billion in
revenue. In January alone, Hub acquired the
assets of three US insurance companies –
RPG Solutions, Gathings Insurance Services
and Cowan Benefit Services. Gulliver began
his career in insurance in 1977, opening a
small, one-man shop in Leamington, Ont.,
which still exists today as a HUB
International operation. He also was
instrumental in the creation of Network
Solutions in 1995, and served as president of
that organization. Gulliver played a key role
in the creation of HUB International, and
has been a critical force in its development
and growth. “In the active pursuit of growth,
we never lose sight of our moral mandate
toward quality and fairness for our
customers and employees,” he says.
ANDREW CALDWELL
President
SMART CHOICE
TSUYOSHI NAGANO
THOMAS M. KUZMA
President
TOKIO MARINE
President and CEO
NAUTILUS INSURANCE
Tsuyoshi Nagano heads up Tokio
Marine, a Japan-based global
network that has grown dramatically in
recent years through multiple acquisitions.
Under Nagano’s leadership, Tokio Marine
has acquired a number of American
insurance companies, including a $7.5
billion deal to acquire HCC Holdings last
year, which set a record as the largest
acquisition by a Japanese insurer.
Thomas Kuzma joined Nautilus
Insurance Group – a leader in excess
and surplus lines P&C insurance – in 1986.
Since 1997, he’s served as the company’s
president and CEO, moving up from his
previous position as vice president of
underwriting. Last year, under his leadership,
Nautilus made several enhancements to its
coverage, including additions to its cyber
liability, commercial excess and contractors
insurance products.
Andrew Caldwell was named president
of Smart Choice, a network of more than
4,500 independent agents and 80 carrier
partners, in November 2014. Under Caldwell’s
leadership, the network saw its biggest growth
year on record in 2015, adding more than 700
new agents. As of the third quarter of 2015, the
company had posted personal lines growth of
56% and commercial lines growth of 101%.
That translates to about $400,000 per month
in new personal lines premium and $350,000
per month in new commercial lines premium.
Prior to taking the helm as president, Caldwell
served Smart Choice as director of commission
accounting, account director, vice president
and, most recently, executive vice president of
business development.
RANDALL GOSS
CEO
US RISK INSURANCE GROUP
Randall Goss founded US Risk Insurance
Group in 1986 with a single office and a
single product line. Today, the company has 16
offices across the globe, and is one of the largest
excess and surplus lines providers in the nation.
In January, the company acquired Texas-based
MGA American Underwriting Managers, and
last year acquired an ownership interest in
Strategic Program Managers. Prior to founding
US Risk, Goss worked as a certified public
accountant for Ernst & Young. He’s also the
co-author of the book Accounting and Auditing
of Financial Institutions.
DAVIS D. MOORE
DAVID JORDAN
CEO
WORLDWIDE FACILITIES
Owner
NETRATE SYSTEMS
Davis Moore heads up Worldwide
Facilities, a national insurance wholesale
broker with offices across the US. Last year,
Moore led the company’s recapitalization to
better position it for continued growth. He was
also elected to a three-year term on the
NAPSLO board of directors. In 2014, under
Moore’s leadership, Worldwide Facilities saw
record growth to more than $500 million in
premium volume.
David Jordan founded NetRate Systems
in 1998 to create a powerful system for
ISO-based commercial lines rating focused on
the MGA and program business space. Prior to
the founding of NetRate, Jordan served as
president of Continental Systems. Jordan, who
has more than 40 years of sales management
and software development experience, also sits
on the board of directors of Pershing
Resources.
www.ibamag.com
35
FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
LEIGH ANN PUSEY
President and CEO
AMERICAN INSURANCE
ASSOCIATION
A prominent player in the insurance
industry, Leigh Ann Pusey was
recognized by The Hill in 2015 as one of
Washington’s top lobbyists – her seventh
consecutive appearance on the list. She’s
also been recognized by the National
RAY SCOTTO
Executive director
TMPAA
Ray Scotto has
been the
executive director of
the Target Markets Program Administrators
Association since its launch in 2002. The
TMPAA now counts more than 30% of that
specialized marketplace as members. The
organization offers a host of resources,
including an online university, a web-based
program marketing portal, best practice
designations and two annual meetings. The
TMPAA also compiles valuable information on
the program space; recent research showed
program insurance premiums have nearly
doubled in the last five years, outpacing the
performance of the overall P&C market.
www.ibamag.com
PATRICK O’LEARY SR.
GREG ZIMMER
Producer
TRIDENT INSURANCE AGENCY
President
ALLIANT INSURANCE SERVICES
As president of Alliant Insurance
Services, Greg Zimmer is responsible
for implementing the strategic direction of
the company, as well as for mergers and
acquisitions. In 2015, Zimmer oversaw
several acquisitions, including Preferred
Concepts, Mary Roach Insurance Agency,
North Idaho Insurance, QBE US Agencies
and American Benefits Consulting. Before
joining Alliant in 1998, Zimmer and his
partners built a successful financial
services firm that was eventually sold to
GMAC, where he served as senior vice
president. He also served as vice president
at Security Pacific.
A veteran producer, Patrick O’Leary
has more than 30 years of insurance
experience. With a specialty in affluent
clients and million-dollar homes, O’Leary
easily snagged a spot as one of IBA’s top 10
producers in 2015. According to O’Leary,
the most satisfying thing about the job is
helping people to protect some of the most
valuable things in their lives. “In my
particular role, I get to see people see their
dream [of purchasing a home] come true,”
he says. “I ease the new homeowner
through the process of protecting their
dream; from there, we continue to build
the relationship through continuous
interaction.”
DOMINIC CASSERLEY
HARRISON W. SCHEIDER
CEO
WILLIS GROUP
Assistant vice president
AMERICAN RISK MANAGEMENT
RESOURCES
Dominic Casserley became the CEO of Willis Group in
January 2013 after nearly 30 years at global management
consulting firm McKinsey and Company. In that role, Casserley
consulted with the world’s leading financial institutions to help solve
strategic and operational issues. He also has written two books on
financial services, advised business leaders on the former UK Prime Minister’s Business
Council for Britain, and has served on the Confederation of British Industry CEO
Climate Change Task Force and the Lord Davies review on increasing women’s presence
on corporate boards. On this side of the pond, he worked on the Presidential Task Force
on Market Mechanisms under Ronald Reagan. Last year, Casserley was instrumental in
Willis Group’s $18 billion merger with risk management firm Towers Watson.
36
Journal as one of the most influential
women in Washington. Pusey is frequently
sought out by national media for her
expertise. Prior to leading the AIA, she
served as deputy assistant to President
George H.W. Bush in the White House
Office of Public Liaison, communications
coordinator for House Speaker Newt
Gingrich and deputy director of
communications for the Republican
National Committee.
In more than a decade in the insurance
business, Harrison Scheider has carved out a
specialty in environmental risk. His passion for the
business and conscientiousness in developing the
expertise to serve his clients well earned him a spot
among IBA’s top 10 producers in 2015. “The most
satisfying part of my job is solving problems,”
Scheider says. “Every day I have the opportunity to
develop creative risk management solutions and
educate my clients.”
BRIAN HANUSCHAK
President
VICTOR O. SCHINNERER
In September, Brian Hanuschak took the top job at Victor O. Schinnerer & Company, one of the world’s largest underwriting managers of
specialty insurance programs. Schinnerer currently handles nearly $500 million in premiums through a network of more than 9,600 active
brokers. Prior to his appointment as president, Hanuschak served as the company’s managing director of sales and distribution, spearheading
new program development, sales and marketing strategy, and the cultivation of broker and carrier relationships. Before joining Schinnerer,
Hanuschak – an industry veteran with more than three decades of experience – was a managing director in the treaty department at Guy
Carpenter. He’s also held senior management positions in subsidiaries of Travelers, GE Capital and General Reinsurance.
www.ibamag.com
37
FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
MAURICE GREENBERG
JUSTIN
BEIDLEMAN
Chairman and CEO
STARR COMPANIES
Maurice Greenberg is the chairman and CEO of Starr Companies, one of the largest
and fastest-growing insurance companies in the world. Under Greenberg’s leadership,
Starr has launched several new products (including fraud and impersonation coverage and an
umbrella product for small businesses), and has made inroads into the Chinese market with
the acquisition of Shanghai-based Dazhong Insurance Company. Until 2005, Greenberg was
chairman and CEO of AIG, which he led to become the world’s largest insurance and financial
services company. Greenberg also serves on Yale University’s President’s Council on
International Activities, as honorary vice chairman of the Council on Foreign Relations and as
vice chairman of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
WANG QUNBIN
Executive director and president
FOSUN INTERNATIONAL
TODD BIXLER
President and CEO
K&K INSURANCE GROUP
As president and CEO for K&K
Insurance Group, Todd Bixler oversees
nearly 300 employees in product
development, marketing, underwriting,
policy issuance and claims handling for one
of the leading provider of sports, leisure and
entertainment insurance products
throughout the US and Canada. Under
Bixler’s guidance, K&K has seen a total
growth rate of more than 65% in premium
and more than 50% in revenue over the last
five years. The company also introduced new
program coverage last year for resorts,
campgrounds, inflatables, Girl and Boy
Scouts, RV dealerships, and K-12 accident
coverage. Prior to becoming president and
CEO, Bixler served as controller, CFO, chief
administrative officer, executive vice
president and COO.
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Under the leadership of Wang Qunbin
China-based insurance giant Fosun
International raised $1.5 billion to fund
acquisitions in 2015, and acquired many
American insurers, including Meadowbrook
and Ironshore. In addition to his duties at
Fosun, Wang serves as a director of
Ironshore, Nanjing Nangang, Fosun
Insurance Portugal and other companies.
He’s also been a director of Fosun High Tech
since its establishment in 1994. Prior to
joining Fosun, Wang was a lecturer at the
Genetic Research Institute of Fudan
University. He’s the recipient of Enterprise
Asia’s Asia Pacific Outstanding Entrepreneur
Award and was named 2014’s Best Asian
Corporate Director by Corporate Governance
Asia. Wang also has been recognized by the
Harvard Business Review as one of the
world’s best-performing CEOs.
GEOF MCKERNAN
CEO
NSM INSURANCE GROUP
Geof McKernan leads NSM Insurance
Group, a leader in the development,
implementation, marketing and
underwriting of insurance programs for
Producer
ARBOR
INSURANCE
GROUP
Justin Biedleman has been in the
insurance business for just over five
years, but he’s already landed on IBA’s Top
Producers list. Specializing in captive
insurance solutions with a focus on the
construction and restaurant industries,
Biedleman says his drive and determination
have been key to his success. “Never give up,
and don’t let a ‘no’ discourage you from
obtaining a ‘yes,’” he says. “A producer can’t
be afraid to pick up the phone and begin
calling or hit the streets and begin walking
in and out of businesses.”
PETER HANCOCK
CEO
AIG
AIG’s Peter Hancock has weathered
a tough year. Not only did thirdquarter earnings come in well under
analysts’ expectations (and down about
60% from the third quarter of 2014), but
Hancock has also had to weather calls
from activist investor Carl Icahn, who
wants the company to separate its life
and mortgage insurance subsidiaries to
create three independent companies.
Hancock, however, has stood firm, saying
that removing AIG’s government
designation as a systemically important
financial institution would be a
distraction from his goal of growing the
company while cutting costs.
niche markets. Last year, McKernan helped
shepherd a deal in which AIG purchased a
controlling stake in the company, a move he
said “will power our acquisitions and
internal growth plans. Ultimately, AIG’s
investment enables us to continue to be an
entrepreneurial organization and to seek
new opportunities and programs.”
RICHARD
SKORUPSKI
Producer
MEEKER
SHARKEY
ASSOCIATES
HERB DOROW
Producer
MARIS BROWN ROSSELL INSURANCE
GROUP
IBA’s top producer for 2015, Herb
Dorow specializes in contractors’,
habitational and large property coverage at
Maris Brown Rossell Insurance Group.
Among IBA top producer nominees, Dorow
had the largest revenue growth and secondlargest client growth of 2014. The secret to his
success, he says, is a passion for helping his
clients. “Our clients have a business – and in
most cases, a passion,” he says. “They put so
much of themselves into creating this dream
or success. It’s rewarding to know that on
their worst day, we can be their best friend.”
One of IBA’s
top producers
for 2015, Richard Skorupski had the
highest total 2014 volume of any of the
nominees. Skorupski says his specialty in
insurance and risk management for
nonprofit organizations has become
extremely important to him. “Ultimately, I
felt if I was going to work with businesses,
I wanted to work with businesses that had
a social conscience and served individuals
in need,” he says. “Being an insurance agent
allows me to help these organizations meet
their goals by protecting their assets.”
MONICA J. LINDEEN
President
NAIC
As president of the National
Association of Insurance
Commissioners, Monica Lindeen leads the
organization’s efforts to establish standards
and best practices, conduct peer review, and
coordinate regulatory oversight among state
insurance commissioners. Lindeen also
ADAM HAMM
Insurance
commissioner
NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota’s
insurance
commissioner since 2007, Adam Hamm is an
active force in the National Association of
Insurance Commissioners. The NAIC’s
immediate past president, Hamm now chairs
the organization’s new Cybersecurity Task
Force, which this year released a consumer
‘bill of rights’ related to data breaches. Hamm
serves on numerous NAIC committees, and
was elected by his fellow insurance
commissioners to serve on the US Financial
Stability Oversight Council, a 15-member
body of the nation’s chief financial regulators,
where he represents the interests of state
insurance regulators across the nation.
serves as the securities and insurance
commissioner of Montana, where she’s
overseen more than $5 million in consumer
recoveries. She’s also worked hard to serve
insurance providers – the number of captives
domiciled in Montana has increased by more
than 500% during her tenure. Her office also
has reduced the approval time for new forms
from three weeks to one week. Lindeen is
also a recipient of the NAIC’s Excellence in
Consumer Advocacy Award.
CARSON LYONS
BRIAN FOLEY
Global product line manager
AIG
Producer
CORCORAN & HAVLIN BENEFITS GROUP
Carson Lyons has been a lifelong aviation enthusiast.
That passion has put him in good stead as AIG’s global
product line manager for aerospace – and it allowed him to
see a business opportunity in the burgeoning drone craze.
Last year, Lyons’ unit launched AIG’s stand-alone unmanned
aircraft insurance, which covers physical damage and
third-party liability in a way that’s tailored to the unique needs of commercial drone use.
As the use of unmanned aircraft grows across numerous industries, Lyons and his team
had to craft coverage that was versatile and innovative. And they certainly succeeded:
AIG won a 2015 Business Insurance Innovation Award for the program.
After nearly 20 years in the business,
Brian Foley knows insurance inside and
out. One of IBA’s top 10 producers for 2015,
Foley specializes in employee benefits. He was
also among the top producers in revenue from
new policies and policy growth in 2014. “This
business is not easy,” he says. “The most
important thing is to consistently bring value to
customers and prospective customers. You have
to let them know why you are different.”
www.ibamag.com
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: YOUNG GUNS
BENJAMIN M. SALZMANN
MICHAEL RICE
CEO
ACUITY
CEO
JLT SPECIALTY
Under Benjamin Salzmann’s watch,
Acuity has gained national
recognition as one of the best places to
work in the country – it was named the
best insurance firm to work for by Fortune
magazine. Acuity offers its employees
unlimited tuition reimbursement, no cap
on paid sick days and a 401(k) plan with an
8% company match – not to mention a
65-foot indoor Ferris wheel at company
head­quarters. With more than $1.2 billion
in revenue, Salzmann’s insistence on happy
employees is paying real dividends.
Michael Rice came to JLT Group in
2014 as the CEO of the US specialty
division, where he oversees the company’s
US operations and the expansion of its
specialized industry and product focus. Rice
is an acknowledged expert in D&O, fiduciary
liability, cyber and professional liability. Last
year, under his leadership, JLT Specialty
launched an entertainment and hospitality
division and a marine specialty practice. The
company also partnered with crisis
management firm Firestorm to conduct two
first-of-their-kind virtual cyber breach
exercises for businesses.
J. BRUCE COCHRANE
President
RENAISSANCE ALLIANCE
RICHARD MILEY
President and CEO
BROADSTREET PARTNERS
Richard Miley founded BroadStreet Partners a little over a
decade ago and has led it to become the 15th largest insurance
broker in the country, with offices from coast to coast. BroadStreet’s
unique co-ownership business model is one that appeals to a variety of partners, from
single-owner firms to complicated ESOPs. And it’s been a successful model: BroadStreet has
seen a compound annual growth rate of 21% since its founding. Miley’s unique vision for
BroadStreet connects the best talent in the industry under a proprietary partnership model
that addresses the reality of the industry’s demographics, while simultaneously responding to
how entrepreneurs want to pass the torch to the next generation of agency leaders. “Our
approach works best for a certain type of agency owner … the ones that are not done leading,
not done growing, not done building and not done mentoring,” he says.
J. Bruce Cochrane heads up
Renaissance Alliance, one of the
fastest-growing networks in the country.
Cochrane launched Renaissance Alliance in
1999. Today, the company consists of more
than 90 agencies writing more than $465
million in premium. And Renaissance
Alliance isn’t the only insurance innovation
Cochrane has pioneered: He also built some
of the first group property/liability programs
in New England, as well as risk funding
alternatives that include group captives,
rent-a-captives and self-insured groups.
ROBERT S. BENTLEY
BRIAN POOL
President, US and Canada division
MARSH
Producer
LONESTAR INTEGRA INSURANCE
SERVICES
As president of Marsh’s US and Canada division, Robert Bentley oversees US
core brokerage, Canada, and a portfolio of businesses that includes sponsored
programs, private client services and The Schinnerer Group, one of the world’s leading
underwriting managers of professional liability and specialty programs. In 2015,
Marsh was named North America Insurance Broker of the Year by Reactions
magazine. A 27-year veteran of insurance, reinsurance and catastrophe modeling,
Bentley also has served as COO and a board member at Risk Management Solutions,
where he took on global responsibilities for strategic execution across both internal
and client-facing operations. Prior to that, he spent 17 years at Guy Carpenter, where
he served as global COO, Western Region manager and the head of global analytics.
Brian Pool was one of IBA’s top 10 producers
in 2015. A producer for Lonestar Integra
Insurance Services, Pool says the secret to his
success is never forgetting his clients’ needs.
“Generate clients, not customers, and always pick
up the phone when it rings,” he says. “Relationships
and trust are a massive part of this industry, and
you must have both with your clients if you intend
to work with them long-term.”
MIKE SICARD
President and CEO
USI INSURANCE SERVICES
Mike Sicard took the helm at USI in 2007. In 2014, he oversaw one of the company’s largest deals ever – the acquisition of 40 brokerages
from Wells Fargo Insurance Services. Prior to his service at USI, Sicard served as COO for Willis Group. He also has held positions as the
director of strategic planning for Willis Group and the senior engagement manager for McKinsey & Co.
www.ibamag.com
41
FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
JIM HAYS
J. PAUL CONDRIN III
CEO
HAYS COMPANIES
President of commercial insurance
LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE GROUP
Jim Hays founded Hays Companies in 1994. Today, it’s a leading risk
management and employee benefits firm with more than 700
employees in more than 30 offices across the country, most recently in New
York. It’s now the 18th-largest insurance brokerage in the US, serving
industries as diverse as manufacturing, hospitality and aviation. The
company also has a long-standing history of giving back, supporting
charities such as the United Way and PARC, a nonprofit that provides
oppor­tunities for children and adults with developmental disabilities.
J. Paul Condrin III serves as executive VP and president
of commercial insurance at Liberty Mutual Insurance
Group, where he’s led the commercial insurance unit to
embrace emerging technology. Last year, Liberty Mutual was
the only carrier to receive Applied Systems’ Pinnacle Award
for advancing the adoption of automation. Condrin also has
served Liberty Mutual as president of commercial markets,
SVP and CFO, and a variety of other roles.
STEVE CATLIN
Executive deputy
chairman
XL GROUP
Steve Catlin has
been a force in
the insurance world for
decades since beginning
his insurance career in London in 1973. In
1984, he founded Catlin Underwriting
Agencies, and eventually transformed the small
agency into the Catlin Group, a multinational
insurance company with 2,300 employees in
25 countries. Last May, the Catlin Group was
acquired by the Ireland-based XL Group, and
Catlin became that company’s executive deputy
chairman. He was also inducted into the
prestigious International Insurance Society’s
Insurance Hall of Fame last year.
MATTHEW F. POWER
EVP and head of strategic development
LEXINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY
Matthew Power heads up strategic
development at Lexington, the largest
US-based surplus lines insurer. Last year,
Lexington introduced the innovative
Celebrity Product RecallResponse coverage,
which covers companies when a celebrity
endorser has a public fall from grace. Prior to
this role, Powers served as AIG’s chief
innovation and strategic relationship officer.
He’s also worked as president of Risk
Specialists Companies, a network of wholly
owned AIG brokerage subsidiaries.
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TOBY MERRILL
DAVE
O’BRIEN
Division senior vice president
ACE GROUP
CEO
ZYWAVE
Toby Merrill heads up ACE Group’s
Global Cyber Risk Practice, an
award-winning unit that’s pushing the
boundaries of cyber risk innovation. In
June, ACE Group won the Cyber Risk
Innovation of the Year Award for Loss
Mitigation Services, and Merrill himself was
named the US Cyber Risk Industry Person
of the Year. Merrill brings two decades of
experience to his position as the Global
Cyber Risk Practice’s division vice president.
Prior to taking the reins at the unit, Merrill
was ACE Group’s vice president and
national product manager for network
security, privacy and technology E&O
liability products in the US.
Under Dave
O’Brien’s
leadership,
insurance
technology
provider Zywave
has expanded its
business with the
introduction of new products and the
acquisition of several insurance
technology companies, including P&C
software provider Intygral, PLAN DOC
Builder and FutureOffice Network.
Zywave also has formed strategic
partnerships with other companies,
including TRICAST and Sitkins Group.
TIMOTHY TURNER
President and CEO
RT SPECIALTY
Timothy Turner, a 25-year veteran of the insurance industry,
heads up RT Specialty, Ryan Specialty Group’s wholesale
brokerage. Earlier this year, Turner oversaw RT Specialty’s acquisition
of A.J. Renner & Associates, a leading wholesale insurance broker in
the life science space – and the company where he began his insurance
career back in 1987. Prior to taking the reins at RT Specialty, Turner
served as president of CRC Insurance Services, at the time the largest
wholesale broker in the US. Before he entered the insurance industry,
he graduated from the Detroit Police Academy and served on the Wayne County SWAT Team
and as an undercover officer with the Michigan State Police’s Narcotics Cocaine Task Force.
T.J. RYAN III
DIANA GRANILLO
CEO
ISU INSURANCE AGENCY NETWORK
Vice president
LEAVITT UNITED INSURANCE
T.J. Ryan III has headed up the ISU
Insurance Agency Network since
1985. Under his guidance, ISU has grown to
become the second-largest agency network
in the US, boasting more than $2 billion in
written premium, more than 150 offices in
28 states and more than 1,600 full-time
employees. It provides its clients with
exclusive coverage, expert claims advice and
access to more than 350 insurance
companies and a nationwide database of
insurance knowledge.
ROGER LUTTRELL
Chairman
COMBINED AGENTS OF AMERICA
In 2015, Roger Luttrell took over as
the chairman of Combined Agents of
America. Founded in 1997, CAA has grown
from eight member agents to 52 members
who wrote more than $738.5 million in
combined property and casualty premiums
in 2014. In addition to his duties as CAA
chairman, Luttrell is a 35-year industry
veteran and a partner and owner of Benton
Luttrell Brown Insurance.
BRUCE G. KELLEY
President, CEO and treasurer
EMC INSURANCE GROUP
Bruce Kelley has been president of
EMC Insurance Group, one of the
world’s largest mutual and cooperative
insurers, since 1992.Under Kelley’s
leadership, EMC has been named one of
the most trustworthy financial companies
by Forbes. It also ranked among Chief
Executive magazine’s best companies for
leaders. Prior to his appointment as
president and CEO, Kelley served as
executive vice president of EMC and
Employers Mutual Casualty Company.
Diana Granillo began her insurance career in 1986 and has
worked for both insurance agencies and companies. She
joined United Valley in 2004, leading the daily operations of the
agency. In January 2006, the board of directors elected Granillo vice president. In addition
to the retail agency operations of United Valley, she also has managed the marketing,
services and programs departments of the membership organization. In 2014, the retail
agency was renamed Leavitt United Insurance, and Granillo has focused on building that
entity since its separation from United Valley. She is also an integral part of the merger
team, playing a key role in the more than a dozen acquisitions the agency has made over
the last 12 years.
GREGORY L. WILLIAMS
CEO
ACRISURE
An accomplished entrepreneur and business leader, Gregory Williams has
successfully founded and managed three companies in the course of his career.
In 2005, he co-founded Arcisure to invest in independent insurance agencies
throughout the US. Under Williams’ leadership, the company has successfully
completed more than 110 acquisitions since its inception. And with a compounded
annual growth rate of 81%, Arcisure has become one of the largest privately owned
insurance companies in the country. Williams also has been a board advisor to various
companies, including a top retail design firm, and he’s provided expansion consultation
to a production company that has produced more than 60 documentaries for A&E.
JOEL CAVANESS
CURTIS BARTON
President
RISK PLACEMENT
SERVICES
Co-founder and
president
VENTURE PACIFIC
INSURANCE
SERVICES
As president of
Risk Placement
Services, Joel Cavaness
heads up one of the nation’s largest
managing general agencies and fastestgrowing P&C wholesalers. His guidance
helps drive the company’s innovative
program design, commitment to long-term
relationships and high professional
standards to ensure continual growth.
Over the past two years, RPS has acquired
nine companies, including Monument
Insurance Services, Excel Insurance
Services and American Wholesalers
Underwriting.
In 1997, Curtis Barton co-founded
Venture Pacific Insurance Services, and
the company quickly grew to become one of
the country’s top independent brokerages,
providing commercial and personal lines,
benefits, surety, risk management, and
financial services. Under Barton’s guidance,
the company has maintained double-digit
growth each year, including a 33% revenue
increase last year. Barton also guided Venture
Pacific through the expansion of its proprietary
online niche platform and completed the
acquisition of two Southern California firms.
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
BROOKS CHASE
BRADY KELLEY
President, Distinguished Specialty
DISTINGUISHED PROGRAMS
Executive director
NAPSLO
A 30-year industry veteran, Brooks Chase leads Distinguished Specialty, a division
created by Distinguished Programs’ acquisition of Fulcrum, which combined with
Distinguished’s National Specialty Underwriters. The new entity, created in October
2015, specializes in the hospitality and real estate industries – industries on which Chase
is an acknowledged expert, having spent the majority of his career managing risk for the
resort and hotel industries. Prior to taking the lead at Distinguished Specialty, Chase
was president and CEO of the Resort Hotel Association, a member-owned organization
that provides insurance products and risk management support for resorts and luxury
hotels. He’s also served as president and CEO of the Resort Hotel Insurance Company,
and as a member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Risk Management
Committee.
RAY WILLIAMS
CEO
SECURERISK
REID FRENCH
CEO
APPLIED SYSTEMS
Reid French joined Applied Systems
in 2011 after seven years at Intergraph
Corporation, where he was instrumental in
growing revenue by 60%. As CEO, French
spearheads the development and fostering
of relationships in the Applied community.
Under French’s leadership, Applied Systems
is meeting the demands of an increasingly
global market by providing new technology
and expanded multinational capabilities.
And French’s vision is paying off: Three
Applied products were chosen by IBA
readers as top in their field in the 2015 ‘Best
of the Best’ rankings – more than any other
company.
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www.ibamag.com
Ray Williams has led SecureRisk
since 1995. One of the largest agency
partnerships in the nation, SecureRisk is
owned by nearly 100 independent agencies,
combining to write more than $2 billion in
premium for more than 200,000 clients;
last year, it was ranked the fourth-largest
agency partnership in the nation. In
addition to leading SecureRisk, Williams is
the CEO and principal of Williams, Turner
and Mathis, an insurance agency founded
by his father in 1970. His accolades include
the Independent Insurance Agents of
Georgia’s Past President Award and the
IIAGA Edgar Dunlop Award.
Since 2011, Brady
Kelley has served
as executive director of NAPSLO, where he
guides the organization’s staff activities,
member services and business operations.
Last year, under Kelley’s guidance, NAPSLO
pushed for and won several important
legislative victories, including the
modernization of surplus lines regulation and
taxation under the Nonadmitted and
Reinsurance Reform Act. Prior to joining
NAPSLO, Kelley served as the chief financial
and business strategy officer for the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners.
BILL TRZOS
President and CEO
ATLAS GENERAL
Under the leadership of Bill Trzos, Atlas
General has become one of the largest
privately owned program administrators in
the nation, and last year entered a strategic
partnership with Vanbridge General, an
insurance intermediary, capital advisory,
insurance and reinsurance management firm.
But smart business moves are nothing new to
Trzos. In 2001, he founded Cypress Point
Insurance Services, where he managed more
than $300 million in program premium.
Later, he headed the commercial division at
Arrowhead Financial, where he managed a
team that wrote more than $1.6 billion in
premium.
INGA BEALE
CEO
LLOYD’S OF LONDON
Inga Beale made history in 2013 when
she was appointed the first female CEO
in Lloyd’s of London’s 325+-year history. Prior
to taking the helm at Lloyd’s, Beale was group
CEO at Canopius Group. She’s also served as
group CEO at Convernium in Switzerland and
as a member of the Group Management Board
for Zurich Insurance Group.
VALERIA RICO
CEO
CONFIE
Valeria Rico has led the team since at Confie 2012. In four years, she more than doubled the company’s revenues from just under $200
million in 2012 to nearly $500 million at the end of 2015. In the same time, she has grown Confie’s reach to more than 680 offices in 17
states. Under Rico’s leadership, Confie has become the leading personal lines insurance brokerage in the US.
www.ibamag.com
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FEATURES
COVER STORY: HOT 100
BERND HEINZE
EDWARD LARGENT III
Executive director
AAMGA
President and CEO
WESTFIELD INSURANCE
Bernd Heinze is the executive director
of the American Association of
Managing General Agents, an organization
that represents the interests of MGAs before
regulatory agencies, elected officials and
other industry associations in the US,
Canada and Europe. Heinze is a staunch
advocate for AAMGA’s mission and is a
leading voice in the industry, making his
presence known in legislative matters like
TRIA and NARAB and helping to recruit,
train and retain the next generation of
insurance professionals. In 2015, Heinze
helped facilitate the entry of several
Canadian MGAs into the organization.
JIM MASIELLO
Founder, chairman and CEO
SIAA
Jim Masiello is a leading voice in the
insurance industry. In 1983, he
created the Satellite Agency Network and
grew it to 310 member agencies in New
England and eastern New York. That model
was replicated in 1995 as the Strategic
Diverse leadership roles in the property & casualty
industry have given Ed Largent unique
perspective as the head of Westfield Insurance. Largent
joined Westfield in 1986, has been president since 2011,
and was appointed CEO and president in July 2015.
Under his leadership, Westfield was named the Florida
Association of Insurance Agents’ Trusted Choice
Company of the Year. Throughout his career, Largent
has demonstrated success in leading teams focused on
operational performance improvements, strengthening
distribution management, investing in claims
capabilities, and enhancing the quality and depth of
data and analytics to improve business performance.
Largent’s diverse background is also exemplified in his volunteer activities; he serves on the
boards of several industry and civic organizations.
Insurance Agency Alliance [SIAA], which
has created more than 3,400 new
independent agencies since 2000. In 2015,
SIAA celebrated its 20th anniversary and
signed its 5,700th member. Members also
reached more than $6 billion in combined
in-force premium in 2015. Masiello is a
former president of the New Hampshire
Life Underwriters Association and the New
England Life Insurance Forum.
DAVID A. SAMPSON
CONSTANTINE IORDANOU
President and CEO
PCI
Chairman
ARCH CAPITAL GROUP
David Sampson heads up the Property
Casualty Insurers Association of
America, which represents more than 1,000
homeowner’s, auto and business insurance
companies that together write 39% of the
country’s property & casualty insurance.
Sampson spearheads the PCI’s advocacy
efforts on the state, federal and global
levels. That advocacy paid off with several
legislative victories last year, including the
inclusion of insurance provisions in
omnibus spending bills and a new law in
Ohio that helped close coverage gaps for
transportation network drivers.
Constantine Iordanou has been the
president and CEO of Arch Capital
Group since 2003 and chairman of the
board since 2009. Under his leadership, the
company’s stock shares hit a new 52-week
high in October. Prior to joining Arch,
Iordanou served in a variety of positions at
Zurich Financial Services and its affiliates,
including as senior executive vice president
of group operations and business
development for Zurich Financial Services,
president of Zurich-American Specialties,
COO and CEO of Zurich-American and
CEO of Zurich North America.
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www.ibamag.com
KARI A. DYBDAHL
Vice president and broker
AMERICAN RISK MANAGEMENT
RESOURCES
Although still young, Kari Dybdahl has
made a name for herself in the insurance
industry. She was one of IBA’s top 10 producers
for 2015, having grown her book of business by
more than 100% each year for the last five
years. She also created her own production
team last year and recently designed an
insurance program for a franchisor with more
than 300 franchises, as well as designing and
implementing a franchise division for
American Risk Management Resources.
DAVID LOCKTON
Chairman
LOCKTON COMPANIES
In 2003, David Lockton became
chairman of the company founded by
his late brother, Jack. Since then, Lockton
has guided the firm to become the world’s
largest privately held independent insurance
broker. Under his leadership, Lockton has
sustained its record of four decades of
continuous growth, as well as a 95% client
retention rate.
INDEX BY COMPANY
COMPANY
PAGE NAME
COMPANY
PAGE NAME
COMPANY
PAGE NAME
AAMGA
46
Bernd Heinze
EZLynx
28
Nag Rao
NAS Insurance
31
Michael Palotay
ACE Group
32
Evan Greenberg
Fosun International
38
Wang Qunbin
Nautilus Insurance
35
Thomas M. Kuzma
ACE Group
42
Toby Merrill
Freberg Environmental
27
Stacy Brown
NBIS
35
Jim Jinhong
Acrisure
43
Gregory L. Williams
General Star
28
Matthew Brown
NetRate Systems
39
David Jordan
Acuity
40
Benjamin M. Salzmann
Great American Insurance Group
28
Donald Larson
North Dakota
38
Adam Hamm
Agency Flood Resources
30
Dan Freudenthal
Hays Companies
42
Jim Hays
NSM Insurance Group
46
Geof McKernan
AIG
38
Peter Hancock
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
32
Mike Heffernan
PCI
31
David A. Sampson
AIG
39
Carson Lyons
Heritage Insurance Holdings
32
Bruce Lucas
PURE
30
Ross Buchmueller
Alliant Insurance Services
36
Greg Zimmer
Hiscox
31
Nicole Goodwin
Rancho Mesa Insurance Services
40
Sam Brown
American Insurance Association
36
Leigh Ann Pusey
HUB International Limited
34
Richard Gulliver
Renaissance Alliance
43
J. Bruce Cochrane
American Risk Management
Resources
46
Kari A. Dybdahl
Independent Insurance Agents of
Wisconsin
30
Matt Banaszynski
Risk Placement Services
42
Joel Cavaness
American Risk Management
Resources
36
Harrison W. Scheider
Integro
28
Anne Anderson
RT Specialty
31
Timothy Turner
Kevin H. Kelley
Patrick G. Ryan
W.H. "Skip" Cooper
27
42
29
Ironshore
Ryan Specialty Group
AmWINS
T.J. Ryan III
Ray Williams
Michael J. O'Connor
43
44
34
ISU Insurance Agency
SecureRisk
Aon Risk Solutions
Michael Rice
Jim Masiello
Reid French
40
46
44
JLT Specialty
SIAA
Applied Systems
Todd Bixler
Andrew Caldwell
Justin Beidleman
38
35
38
K&K Insurance Group
Smart Choice
Arbor Insurance Group
David E. Boedker Sr.
Maurice Greenberg
Constantine Iordanou
26
38
46
Keystone Insurers Group
Starr Companies
Arch Capital Group
Diana Granillo
Fred Eppinger
J. Patrick Gallagher Jr.
43
26
34
Leavitt United Insurance
The Hanover Group
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Matthew F. Power
Laurie Branch
Tom Riley
42
33
34
Lexington Insurance Company
The Iroquois Group
Assured Partners
Chad E. Mumford
Ray Scotto
Bill Trzos
26
36
44
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
TMPAA
Atlas General
J. Paul Condrin III
Tsuyoshi Nagano
John Howard
34
35
32
Liberty Mutual Insurance Group
Tokio Marine
BB&T
46
Inga Beale
36
Patrick O'Leary Sr.
Bill Pritchard
Lloyd’s of London
Trident Insurance Agency
Beacon Hill Associates/PartnerOne 28
Environmental
Lloyd's North America
46
Hank Watkins
US Risk Insurance Group
35
Randall Goss
Berkshire Hathaway Specialty
Insurance
26
Peter Eastwood
Lockton Companies
40
David Lockton
USI Insurance Services
41
Mike Sicard
BroadStreet Partners
40
Richard Miley
Lockton Companies
32
John Tomlinson
Venture Pacific Insurance Services
43
Curtis Barton
Brown & Brown
30
J. Powell Brown
39
Brian Pool
Victor O. Schinnerer
37
Brian Hanuschak
Burns & Wilcox Brokerage
26
Denis Brady
Lonestar Integra Insurance
Services
Westfield Insurance
46
Edward Largent III
Roger Luttrell
Herb Dorow
Dominic Casserley
43
31
36
Combined Agents of America
Maris Brown Rossell Insurance
Group
Willis Group
Wolf Point Advisors
28
Geno Mattioda
Confie
45
Valeria Rico
Markel
40
Thomas S. Gayner
Wolf Point Advisors
28
Dominic Volini
Corcoran & Havlin Benefits Group
39
Brian Foley
Marsh
30
Robert S. Bentley
Worldwide Facilities
35
Davis D. Moore
CrossFit Risk Retention Group
26
Eric Reingen
Meadowbrook
39
Robert S. Cubbin
WR Berkley
30
William R. Berkley
DeWitt Stern
27
LeConte Moore
Meeker Sharkey Associates
39
Richard Skorupski
XL Group
42
Steve Catlin
Distinguished Programs
44
Brooks Chase
NAIC
44
Monica J. Lindeen
Zurich Insurance
32
Brian Salvatore
EMC Insurance Group
43
Bruce G. Kelley
NAPSLO
31
Brady Kelley
Zywave
42
Dave O'Brien
www.ibamag.com
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