Insurance Business America issue 5.04

IBAMAG.COM ISSUE 5.04

TOP PRODUCERS 2017 The country’s 100 best producers revealed FROM THREAT TO OPPORTUNITY Five ways brokers can meet insurtech disruptors head-on

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THE STATE OF COMMERCIAL AUTO How this growing sector can put your business in the fast lane

THE DRONE INVASION

They’re taking over the skies – and they need insurance policies

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ISSUE 5.04

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CONTENTS

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UPFRONT 04 Editorial

The time is now to revamp the flood insurance market

TOP PRODUCERS 2017 COVER STORY

24

FEATURES

SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR

Commercial auto is a wide-ranging niche that brokers can’t afford to ignore

58

AGENCY INSIGHT

Lovitt & Touché’s Charles Touché explains how going against the grain has helped his agency prosper

Hiscox USA’s Ben Walter discusses how he’s preparing his company to meet the demands of the 21st century

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Is the deck stacked against private flood insurance?

09 Opinion

Five ways to disrupt the disruptors

10 News analysis

Inside the industry’s hottest new sector: drone insurance

14 Workers’ comp update

FEATURES

18

08 Head to head

This month’s big movers, shakers and new products

These 100 men and women represent the best of the best in the US insurance industry

INDUSTRY ICON

Consumers are driving the industry’s embrace of the Internet of Things

12 Intelligence

TOP PRODUCERS 2017

PEOPLE

54

06 Statistics

Opioid prescriptions for injured workers are declining – but not fast enough

16 Technology update

How automation will rewrite the future of corporations

PEOPLE 63 Career path

Alan Jay Kaufman has taken the family business to new heights

64 Other life

Broker Lisa Caraway puts on the greatest show on earth

FEATURES

60

HOW TO FIND UNTAPPED (NON)PROFITS

As the nonprofit sector faces a new round of challenges, it needs specialized brokers more than ever

IBAMAG.COM CHECK IT OUT ONLINE

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UPFRONT

EDITORIAL

The fractious future of flood

O

n March 23 at the Citrus Club Orlando, Insurance Business broke down the flood barriers with its inaugural Flood Risk event. Fast-forward just a few months, and we’re looking at the issue again – this time at CAT Risk 2017 California, a wider catastrophe-focused event designed for brokers and agents, which will take place in San Ramon, California, on July 12. As the world’s largest insurance magazine, hosting conferences like these is nothing new for us – but holding successive events so quickly on the same theme is something of a rarity. So why flood? And why now?

While many in the industry are debating the long-term impact of disruptive technologies, the transformation of the flood insurance market is not something that’s going to hit brokers and agents over the next five years – it’s happening right now. As of April 1, the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act and the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014 [HFIAA] have prompted a change to the National Flood Insurance Program. In an effort by FEMA to make the NFIP more actuarially sound, the change raised premiums based on updated rate maps and premium multiplier tables to address mounting flood losses.

The transformation of the flood insurance market is not something that’s going to hit over the next five years – it’s happening right now Simultaneously, critics of the NFIP, which incurred $23 billion in debt to the US Treasury following Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy, believe a move to greater collaboration on flood insurance between the government and the private sector will provide additional consumer choice, innovation and competition.

Indeed, at the time of publication, the entire future of the NFIP – due to expire on September 30 – is in doubt. In March, Senator Robert Menendez told FEMA that the agency, which manages the NFIP, needs to be more accountable to the people it is supposed to protect. There’s speculation that the program will only be renewed if serious changes are made.

All of this debate has left the future of flood insurance at a crossroads – and it’s up to brokers and agents to thoroughly examine the surfaces of the rocky roads ahead. If you didn’t join us in Orlando, we hope to see you in San Ramon so you can gain more of the expert knowledge that you, and your clients, will need to build your own flood defenses.

The team at Insurance Business America

www.ibamag.com MAY 2017 EDITORIAL Managing Editor Paul Lucas Journalists Sam Boyer, Jordan Lynn, Lucy Hook, Will Koblensky, Ryan Smith News Writers Lyle Adriano, Louie Bacani, Mina Martin, Gabriel Olano, Allie Sanchez Staff Writers Tim Garratt, Libby McDonald, Joe Rosengarten, Heather Turner Editorial Researcher Hannah Go Copy Editor Clare Alexander

CONTRIBUTORS Michael Lyman, John Mulhall

ART & PRODUCTION Design Manager Daniel Williams Designer Joenel Salvador Production Manager Alicia Chin Traffic Manager Monica Lalisan

SALES & MARKETING Vice President Cathy Masek Media Sales Managers Chris Wills, Chris Anderson, Megan Roth Mktg & Comms Manager Lisa Narroway

CORPORATE Chief Executive Officer Mike Shipley Chief Operating Officer George Walmsley Chief Information Officer Colin Chan Human Resources Manager Julia Bookallil

Editorial Inquiries paul.lucas@keymedia.com Subscription Inquiries subscriptions@keymedia.com Advertising Inquiries cathy.masek@keymedia.com, chris.wills@keymedia.com chris.anderson@keymedia.com, megan.roth@keymedia.com

Key Media 78O7 E. Peakview Ave., Suite 115 Centennial, CO 80111, USA tel: +1 720 316 0151 www.keymedia.com Offices in Denver, London, Toronto, Sydney, Auckland, Manila, Singapore, Bengaluru

Insurance Business America is part of an international family of B2B publications and websites for the insurance industry Insurance Business Canada john.mackenzie@kmimedia.ca T +1 416 644 874O Insurance Business UK jonathan.connelly@keymedia.com T +44 20 7193 0935 Insurance Business Australia peter.smith@keymedia.com.au T +61 2 8437 47OO Insurance Business NZ peter.smith@keymedia.com.au T +61 2 8437 47OO Insurance Business Asia peter.smith@keymedia.com.au T +61 2 8437 47OO

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Copyright is reserved throughout. No part of this publication can be reproduced in whole or part without the express permission of the editor. Contributions are invited, but copies of work should be kept, as the magazine can accept no responsibility for loss.

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UPFRONT

STATISTICS

Smart homes, smart consumers

A SNAPSHOT OF CONNECTED DEVICES The number of connected devices in use worldwide reached 8.7 billion in 2012; that’s projected to expand to 50.1 billion by 2020.

Meanwhile, there were 6 million developers working on connected devices or Internet of Things software in 2016, and their ranks are likely to more than double in the next 12 months. The regional breakdown of these developers shows a concentration in Asia-Pacific, with North America coming in a distant second.

Smart tech is propelling consumers to look beyond traditional channels for coverage THE MOST popular Smart Home devices include such items as door locks and smoke alarms, so perhaps it’s no surprise that NTT Data Consulting found that the main reasons why consumers upgrade to Smart Home devices are the same as those that lead to the purchase of homeowner’s insurance: safety, security and cost savings.

When upgrading to Smart Home technology, customers expect to be rewarded

for it: Two-thirds of consumers in the same survey said they’d be willing to switch carriers if it meant a discount on their policy for using Smart Home devices. And half of younger respondents said they’d be willing to take out a policy with carriers who are also providing services and advice related to Smart Home technology, even if those ‘carriers’ were not traditional insurance providers, but rather a bank or a major tech brand.

NUMBER OF CONNECTED DEVICES WORLDWIDE 2012

8.7 billion

2013

11.2 billion

2014

14.4 billion

2015

18.2 billion

2016

22.9 billion

2017

50%

of survey respondents expect to purchase Smart Home devices in the future

80%

of US consumers are concerned about security when sharing data from Smart Home devices

73%

of US consumers are concerned about privacy when sharing data from Smart Home devices

28.4 billion

2018

59%

34.8 billion

2019

of insurance carriers have made moves to leverage Smart Home technology

42.1 billion

2020

50.1 billion 0

20

40

60

Source: NTT Data Consulting

IOT INVESTMENT DRIVERS

IOT TECHNOLOGY AND THE GENERATION GAP

The chief motivation for carriers to adopt IoT-friendly policies is to improve relationships with customers, as the technology allows for a more personalized connection.

In NTT Data Consulting’s survey, two clear groups emerged amongst home insurance customers: Seekers, who are younger (72% fall between the ages of 25 and 34), early adopters, and value cost savings; and Keepers, who are older (twice as likely to be between 45 and 64), technology laggards, and value relationships.

WHY ARE CARRIERS EMBRACING THE IOT? 100%

Switched carriers with current home

80% 60%

Will change carrier if not innovative

40% 20% 0%

87%

83%

Improve the Create additional relationship value-added with customers services

83%

81%

80%

Attract potential customers

Improve ability to personalize offerings

Improve brand Source: NTT Data Consulting

6

35% 22% 46% 26%

Want carrier to 71% anticipate needs

59%

0%

20% Seekers

40%

60%

80%

Keepers Source: Swiss Re, December 2016

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NUMBER OF DEVELOPERS

6.21 million Currently working on IoT devices/software

24%

5.36 million

EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA

Plan to do this within six months

2.12 million

NORTH AMERICA

Plan to do this within seven to 12 months

27%

1.36 million

Plan to do this after 12 months

ASIAPACIFIC

41%

LATIN AMERICA

07%

WHERE DEVELOPERS ARE LOCATED Source: The Statistics Portal

CARRIERS VS CONSUMERS: THE PERCEPTION GAP When consumers were asked about insurance companies’ use of Smart Home device data, a telling gap emerged between what consumers thought and how their insurance companies guessed they would respond.

I feel protected by my policy

72% 30%

WHAT TECH-SAVVY CUSTOMERS WANT Younger consumers are ready for Smart Home programs from carriers, but they expect benefits such as premium discounts.

I think my insurance company cares 77% about improving my safety and security 26%

22%

My carrier does not see me as 63% a unique customer 33% My agent helps me understand how I 84% can optimize coverage 21% Price

42% 61%

26%

It sounds great – sign me up 55%

Interested in understanding the potential savings Believe that any investment that will reduce premiums is a good idea Are ready to sign up

52%

22%

0%

20% Carriers’ guesses

40%

60%

80%

100%

Consumers’ responses Source: NTT Data Consulting

Source: NTT Data Consulting

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UPFRONT

HEAD TO HEAD

What will it take to expand private flood insurance?

The government’s effort to expand the private market is just one piece of this complex puzzle

John O’Marra

Albert Slap

William Fleischhacker

Senior vice president, property RT Specialty

President Coastal Risk Consulting

Executive managing director and leader, US flood specialty practice group Aon Benfield

“Flood market conditions are hindering the expansion of private flood insurance.

Commercial insureds see flood as more of a luxury than a necessity and don’t purchase coverage. The client might not understand their exposure, and the price of coverage is viewed as prohibitive.

With limited demand, not many commercial insurance carriers will offer stand-alone flood coverage, particularly for the highest-hazard exposures. The carriers that do offer stand-alone flood coverage do not write enough policies to be able price the risk efficiently, leading to high prices. Limited supply and limited demand combine to hinder the expansion of private flood insurance.”

“NFIP underwrites government-based flood insurance policies using Flood Insurance Rate Maps [FIRMs], which have come under criticism for being backwardlooking and not adjusted for climate change and sea level rise. New technology can flood score every coastal property in the US at extremely high resolution using LIDAR elevation data.

After more than 40 years of servicing NFIP flood insurance using FIRMs, a clean break might be difficult for carriers offering private flood insurance. Flood maps will continue to be important for land use planning, zoning and emergency response, but the adoption of new technology will enable more accurate premiums.”

“Customer awareness is a significant obstacle in the US residential flood market, with many falsely believing they are already protected. Private-market insurers are increasingly pursuing the residential flood opportunity, and capacity is regularly coming on stream. This trend will continue as more carriers embrace the vendor flood models for inland and coastal flood exposure, supported as needed by ample reinsurance capacity.

We are bullish that, in the coming years, residential customers in low-risk flood zones will receive flood protection offerings – usually as part of a homeowner’s product – which will provide better coverage at affordable prices.”

THE FIGHT TO REFORM FLOOD Representative Jeb Hensarling was clear at the beginning of the year when addressing the congressional push to allow states to expand their private market coverages: “We will pass legislation that begins the transition to a competitive, innovative and sustainable flood insurance market that gives consumers real choices.” With the debt-addled National Flood Insurance Program set to expire in September, Congress is under the gun to reform it, and many see increasing competition in the private market as the logical step. Although the House made moves in this direction last year by passing the Flood Insurance Market Parity and Modernization Act, the Senate failed to take up the bill before it adjourned. (Insurance Business will facilitate further industry discussion of this issue on July 12 in San Ramon, California, at CAT Risk 2017 California.)

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UPFRONT

OPINION

GOT AN OPINION THAT COUNTS? Email iba@keymedia.com

The disruptors are coming Digital disruption could upend brokers’ crucial place in the industry, and adaptation is key to survival, write Michael Lyman and John Mulhall AS DIGITAL disruption continues to overturn traditional industries, insurance brokers are in line for a rude awakening. Having long enjoyed an indispensable role at the heart of the insurance industry, helping customers navigate complex decisions and provide services in times of need, brokers face a new reality where technology does the heavy lifting. As data and analytics become intelligent enough to determine risk and identify the best carriers more accurately and quickly than the most highly experienced broker, brokers need a definitive business model shift to maintain their relevance and purpose.

The trouble is, they are up against the clock. Dynamic new market entrants are disintermediating brokers by using the small and mid-sized enterprise [SME] market as a launchpad. Likewise, carriers and reinsurers are poaching larger accounts with directto-customer value-added services, such as analytics-driven aggregation.

The squeeze on brokers’ top lines has become intense. By 2020, Accenture Strategy estimates that disruptive models and digital platforms could account for as much as 15% to 20% of the P&C SME market. Furthermore, revenues from mid-sized and large customers could erode by up to 20%.

With so much at stake, brokers need to fundamentally change their business model – quickly. Moving fast could allow them to reap the rewards by setting new product and service offering standards. Banking and wealth management have shown the way forward – many leading companies are turning the threat of digital disruption into an opportunity to

raise competitive barriers. Vanguard Group’s ‘robo-human’ money management service combines algorithm-driven asset allocation and rebalancing with access to human advisors; the service attracted more than $7 billion in new assets after its launch in 2015.

As today’s insurance customers seek greater risk prevention, ease of service, customization and value-added services, platform business models can deliver greater value by enabling

to substantially enhance risk structuring and placement.

Outcome-driven loss prevention: Brokers can boost their risk advisory and loss prevention offerings by applying analytics to a robust and expanding universe of structured and unstructured data sources.

Risk marketplace with valued services: As trusted intermediaries with technology and analytics capabilities, brokers are uniquely positioned to aggregate multiple value-added services that holistically serve customers’ risk needs, and potentially their balance sheet management. By developing strategic partnerships with providers and enabling access through a common platform, brokers can enhance their value and boost customer loyalty.

Innovative carrier solutions: Brokers can capitalize on their access to data via customer proximity and diverse carrier relationships. This will enable them to develop high-impact offerings that synthesize information across transactions for insurers, reinsurers and alternative capital providers.

“Having long enjoyed an indispensable role at the heart of the industry, brokers face a new reality where technology does the heavy lifting” highly efficient transactions that are customized and scalable. Around 83% of insurance executives expect platform-based business models to become part of their growth strategy over the next three years. An additional 81% say platforms will bring organizations together in the digital economy.

While brokers won’t disappear, they will need to protect and defend their core business while launching new, value-creating strategies.

Platform business models can help them do both. While many brokers may need to buy or partner with others to create them, doing so will help secure their future relevance. Potential new business models to explore include: Next-generation risk placement: By making brokers better equipped to recommend the right carrier, products and insurance program structure for a given risk, automation and analytics have the potential

New risk services: Most new entrants lack core capabilities around risk assessment, transfer and prevention. Brokers can pre-empt disintermediation by partnering with new competitors and offering a suite of services that enhance their ability to offer risk-based services directly to customers.

By rethinking their core business model, brokers can formulate a transformational business strategy, maintain their relevance and set new standards for offerings and customer engagement.

Michael Lyman and John Mulhall are senior managing directors for Accenture Strategy, where they help clients in the insurance industry develop and implement business strategies that enable high performance.

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UPFRONT

NEWS ANALYSIS

The drone invasion As the usage of unmanned aircraft systems explodes worldwide – driven by growth in the US – IBA takes a closer look at how the expanding insurance market is responding

THE SALE and use of drones, or unmanned aircraft systems [UAS], has skyrocketed in the last few years in both the recreational and commercial space. Though drones are now widely used across the globe, the US is the main driver of that growth; in March, the Federal Aviation Administration projected that the number of small hobbyist drones will surge to more than 3.5 million by 2021, and that the commercial drone fleet will explode to 442,000, compared to 42,000 at the end of last year.

Those numbers are even more staggering when compared to the active general aviation fleet in the US, which currently stands at around 204,000, says James Van Meter, aviation practice leader at Allianz Global

to help with humanitarian missions, antipoaching and infrastructure inspection – the inconsistent regulatory landscape across the globe is often a hindrance. The US is largely setting the trend for drone usage, thanks to its active aviation market and comparatively lenient regulatory environment.

Many typically associate drones with the military, but the US commercial market is now using the aircraft across all kinds of industries, Van Meter says.

“We see all sorts of uses that you can’t even imagine – from delivering cocktails to wildlife control to industrial inspection,” he says. “We are insuring drones in almost every single industry at this point.”

Industry sectors with the highest drone

“We’re talking about [unmanned] aircraft eclipsing – just completely outpacing – the manned aircraft space” James Van Meter, Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty Corporate & Specialty.

“We’re talking about [unmanned] aircraft eclipsing – just completely outpacing, by huge factors – the manned aircraft space,” Van Meter says.

While there is huge demand in markets like Europe and Africa – where Van Meter believes there is growing potential for drones

10

usage include aerial photography – often for infrastructure inspection, especially in the energy and communications space – and construction, as well as media and production companies, says Chris Proudlove, senior vice president and manager of UAS risks at Global Aerospace.

“The one area that has been predicted as

being the largest of all – agriculture – has been slower to adopt drones,” Proudlove says, adding that this is primarily due to the quality of the end product versus the relatively high cost. “This gap will narrow significantly in the coming years, and agriculture still stands to be one of the dominant user industries,” he says, pointing to the fact that many companies are now outsourcing drone services rather than developing their own in-house capabilities.

Accordingly, the insurance market for unmanned aircraft is expanding. “Insurers are keen to enter the sector, but the relatively low policy premiums and high administration costs are deterring many from entering,” Proudlove says.

As a result, most operators, manufacturers and others in the drone industry rely on aviation insurance for broad policies that will cover their exposures. However, more insurers are beginning to look at the tech-

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RISE OF THE DRONES

56%

Percentage of research and development costs relating to drones incurred in the US

$82 billion

Projected economic growth relating to unmanned aircraft systems by 2025

100,000

Number of jobs the UAS industry will support by 2025

20,362 Number of remote pilots in 2016

281,300 nology and start developing products.

“It’s definitely gotten more competitive,” Van Meter says. “We do see standard, traditionally non-aviation markets getting into this space.”

significant claim with prolonged litigation?”

Having insured thousands of UAS, Allianz is now seeing claims trickle through.

“We’re insuring products and manufacturers who are manufacturing the aircraft

“The relatively low policy premiums and high administration costs are deterring many insurers from entering the sector” Chris Proudlove, Global Aerospace In these cases, claims expertise can be a big issue, he adds.

“These are aircraft,” he says. “This is a special field with special regulations, and it has the potential for catastrophic losses – both severe bodily injury and fatalities.

If you’re a corporate user of drones, do you really want to have a claims adjuster who isn’t an expert, adjusting what could be a

and components; we’re also insuring software developers – so, we are seeing claims,” Van Meter says.

Insurance is increasingly becoming essential in the drone space – startups that may have previously been uninsured are securing contracts that require them to purchase insurance, sometimes at significant limits, while others are obtaining investment with

Projected number of remote pilots by 2021 Sources: Livescience.com; US government; Federal Aviation Authority

the expectation that they are fully insured, Proudlove explains. “As the need for insurance develops, so will products and services to address those needs,” he says.

While annual policies are still the benchmark, some on-demand products, such as Verifly in the US, are starting to appear.

Insurer appetite will also be driven by evolving drone technology, which is making things like collision avoidance, parachute systems and other safety devices the norm.

“Those sort of tech advances are going to continue to advance the overall industry and improve the losses that we are seeing,” Van Meter says. “The drone insurance market is absolutely going to continue to grow.

This is probably one of the most explosive growth areas in aviation and in insurance in general.”

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14/04/2017 6:12:08 AM

UPFRONT

INTELLIGENCE CORPORATE ACQUIRER

TARGET

PRODUCTS COMMENTS

Alliant

Burkhardt Consulting

The agreement will give Alliant access to the Northwest market

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Nicoud Insurance Services

Nicoud is P&C and employee benefits broker with clients in healthcare, finance and automotive services

HUB International

BCI Group

HUB plans to leverage BCI Group's benefits technology experience to expand its portfolio

KKR and CDPQ

USI

The private equity firm and Canadian pension fund are purchasing the brokerage in a deal worth $4 billion

Risk Strategies

Terrell Insurance Services

The acquisition will give Risk Strategies private client capabilities

Travelers

Simply Business

Simply Business has more than 400,000 online customers and offers products from a broad range of carriers

GSR expands reach in energy and marine markets

Managing general underwriter Global Special Risks has unveiled a realigned product portfolio to address the changing needs of the energy and marine insurance markets. Leveraging its experience in the sector, the company is offering more specialized coverage solutions for its energy and marine clients.

“I am excited to announce the realignment of GSR’s products into five distinct underwriting units,” said Steve England, president and CEO of GSR. “Each critical unit is headed by a GSR subject-matter expert and staffed with dedicated underwriters who bring specialized product knowledge to their clients.”

Travelers to buy UK’s biggest business broker

Insurance giant Travelers has agreed buy the UK’s biggest online business insurance broker for approximately $490 million. The move will see Travelers acquire Simply Business from private equity firm Aquiline Capital Partners, which bought the brokerage in April of last year. Simply Business, which has more than 400,000 customers, offers products online on behalf of a broad panel of carriers, including Hiscox, AXA and Zurich. In the past three years, insurance premiums placed by the broker grew approximately 17.5% to total around $113 million in 2016.

“Simply Business is a profitable and growing technology company with impressive strategic digital capabilities, leading digital commerce talent and proven small business insurance expertise,” said Travelers CEO Alan Schnitzer.

“We look forward to working with our agent and broker partners as we seek to deploy Simply Business’ capabilities with them to make the small commercial insurance transaction easier, faster and more efficient.”

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New firm offers policies for Amazon sellers

An Amazon merchant has teamed up with two insurance agents to create a company called Well Insurance, which covers up to $1 million of lost income for sellers who have had their businesses suspended

by Amazon. For advice, the team turned to InsuraTech CEO Tim Craig, who took the policy to specialty underwriters at Lloyd’s of London. Lloyd’s agreed to underwrite the policies despite a lack of information on Amazon’s suspension rates or reinstatement terms. The policies were rolled out in March; Craig told Bloomberg he expects to sell at least 20,000 this year.

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14/04/2017 5:25:22 AM

PEOPLE Progressive signs up for Google devices

Progressive has become the first insurer to sign up for Google Home’s voice-activated Assistant service, providing auto and home insurance tips. Users can ask questions on a variety of topics, including buying cars and auto insurance, scouting for property, and smart home technologies. “While most people don’t think about insurance much, when they do have a question, Progressive wants to make it as easy as possible for them to get help by being available where, when and how they want to interact with us,” said Dan Witalec, Progressive’s customer acquisition leader.

Willis Towers Watson unveils cyber risk tool

Willis Towers Watson has launched a Cyber Risk Culture Survey tool to address the human element in managing cyber risk. Citing the fact that 90% of its cyber claims were the result of human error, the company designed the tool to identify links among human capital, workplace culture and cyber risk vulnerability. From there, it can enable behavior tracking, risk mitigation and the development of a culture to address vulnerabilities. “While technology has an important role to play, it really needs to be linked with an understanding of the human element,” said head of global cyber risk Anthony Dagostino.

State Farm partners with automotive giant

Major automotive firm Edmunds has announced a partnership with insurer State Farm to provide access to its online tools, including its extensive dealer network, expert car reviews, live shopper advice service and guaranteed pricing.

Edmunds said the strategic partnership will allow it to tap a shared customer base already familiar with both brands to jump-start its services. State Farm will be able to contribute to the Edmunds resource by adding value to its existing dealer network and listings for millions of vehicles.

NAME

LEAVING

JOINING

NEW POSITION

John Bruno

N/A

Aon

Chief operations officer

Roy Gordi

N/A

Manulife

President

Curtis Kochman

Ascinsure Specialty Risk

Allied American Underwriters

Vice president

Cyndee Morton

N/A

Safety National

Senior vice president of operations

Mitch Neuhaus

N/A

Safety National

Senior vice president of claims

Keith W. Newell

HUB International

Beecher Carlson Insurance Services

Managing director/producer

Thorsten Querfurt

Oliver Wyman

Willis Towers Watson

Global industry leader for natural resources

Kevin Rabinowitz

Marsh

Integro

Head of placement strategy and carrier engagement

Keith Rogers

N/A

Safety National

Senior vice president and chief actuary

Megan Smith

Grange Insurance

Ohio Insurance Agents

Company partners manager

Angie Strack

N/A

XL Group

Senior vice president and underwriting manager

Safety National announces three major promotions

St. Louis-based Safety National Casualty Corporation has promoted three employees to senior management positions. Cyndee Morton (left) is now the company’s senior vice president of operations, responsible for overseeing its policy services administration and information systems department. Safety National also named two other senior vice presidents: Mitch Neuhaus will lead the company’s claims department, while Keith Rogers will head up its actuarial department.

“We are thrilled to welcome three important new members to the senior management team, all of which will bring additional strength to Safety National’s strategic planning and development,” said Safety National CEO Mark Wilhelm.

Ohio Insurance Agents Association adds partnership manager

The Ohio Insurance Agents Association has appointed Megan Smith as company partners manager to build and maintain relationships with its carrier partners. In her new role, Smith will explore how the OIA can leverage carriers’ collective resources to deliver meaningful programs and resources to agents.

Smith has a wealth of experience helping independent agents grow their businesses, including advising on digital marketing, perpetuation and customer experience best practices. She was previously a personal lines underwriter for Western Reserve Group and a sales manager at Grange Insurance.

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14/04/2017 5:25:27 AM

UPFRONT

WORKERS’ COMP UPDATE

Opioid use falling, but still problematic Prescriptions for injured workers are down in several states, but long-term use remains a major concern

used the drugs long-term. California, New York and Pennsylvania also reported high rates of protracted opioid use; rates were lowest in Missouri and New Jersey.

Significantly, the report observed that few injured workers who were using opioids over the long term received psychological evaluations or treatment. Texas, which provided the most psychological support services, only had one in three injured workers undergoing psychological evaluation.

Opioid addiction results in $55 billion in health and social costs every year

A new study by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute [WCRI] found that the use of prescription opioids among injured workers in the US fell in several states between 2009 and 2014. The study found significant decreases in the amount of opioids given to workers suffering from injuries – from 21% to 30% – in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oklahoma, North Carolina and Texas.

Still, opioid use remained prevalent among non-surgical claims that registered more than

NEWS BRIEFS

seven days of lost work time. Around 65% to 80% of injured workers in most study states still received opioids, the report said.

Louisiana, New York, and Pennsylvania dispensed the highest amounts of opioids.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin, Iowa and Missouri registered an increase in average amounts of opioids per claim, but their rates remained lower compared to the median, WCRI added.

Long-term opioid use was most prevalent in Louisiana, where one in six injured workers

Report shows WC claims down in Minnesota

A newly released report on the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation System has revealed that the number of paid workers’ compensation claims fell 53% relative to the number of full-time equivalent [FTE] employees from 1997 to 2015. Specifically, the number of paid claims per 100 FTE employees dwindled to 4.1% in 2015, compared to 8.7% in 1997. The study also noted that while higher benefits were paid per claim, costs have gone down relative to payroll because of the downward trend in claim rates.

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The Department of Human and Health Services has made sustained efforts to combat the US opioid epidemic through its Opioid Initiative. HHS data reveals that opioid addiction results in $55 billion in health and social costs every year, and another $20 billion in emergency department and inpatient care for opioid poisonings. To address the problem, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released prescribing guidelines for patients. The CDC has also awarded more than $30 million to 29 states to encourage safe prescribing practices.

“While actions to address prescription opioid abuse must target both prescribers and high-risk patients,” HHS said, “prescribers are the gatekeepers for preventing inappropriate access and providing appropriate pain treatment.”

WCRI launches redesigned website and logo

The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute [WCRI] has announced the redesign of its website and the launch of a new logo. Among other features, the new website has a cleaner design and navigation, improved search capabilities, and an e-commerce feature that allows users to purchase studies and register for events.

“One of my goals at WCRI is to improve how we communicate our research and what we offer, especially to policymakers and others system stakeholders,” said John Ruser, president and CEO of WCRI.

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Q&A

Rich Ives VP of workers’ compensation, claim organization TRAVELERS

Years in the industry 17 Fast fact Predictive severity modeling such as Travelers’ Early Severity Predictor can help reduce costs by providing customized care and getting employees back to the workplace over shorter periods of time

How predictive modeling leads to better outcomes How are medical costs affecting workers’ comp in the US? Will this put pressure on pricing?

Medical costs have outpaced, and continue to outpace, the rate of general inflation. Given that roughly 63% of our workers’ compensation costs are attributed to medical, this means our customers’ costs for workers’ compensation claims continue to increase.

past decade that are part of [our programs] are helping to provide significant benefits to our customers and their injured employees. Claim capabilities like our Early Severity Predictor, which is producing up to 50% better outcomes, and concierge nurse service, which helps injured employees return to work 35% faster, are just two examples.

What effect would a potential repeal of Obamacare have on workers’ compensation?

Can you talk a little more about the Early Severity Predictor?

It’s too early to understand the changes that could be coming our way, but we will analyze proposals as they are put forward.

What are the notable effects of insurtech on workers’ compensation?

We are excited about the possibilities new digital technology provides us. We have begun leveraging the latest advancements to improve our processes and will continue to roll out new, innovative capabilities that streamline and enhance the claim experience. We have much to say about this area, and we look forward to sharing more in the future.

How will Travelers deal with the expected challenges in the market this year – particularly rising medical costs and “deteriorating prices,” as Fitch Ratings put it?

We believe the innovations we have developed over the

Chesapeake names new security director

Maryland-based Chesapeake Employers’ Insurance Company has tapped Stephen Friedman as its director of security and privacy. He was previously a senior internal advisor at the company. In his new capacity, Friedman will ensure that the firm complies with laws and regulations applicable to the privacy and security of policyholder and claimant information. He will also help in the development of policies and procedures to protect company data, as well as facilitate the creation of disaster and incident response schemes.

Travelers created a patent-pending predictive model called the Early Severity Predictor that identifies injured employees who are at high risk of developing chronic pain, which often includes being prescribed painkillers like opioids, as part of their recovery.

With our Early Severity Predictor, we can identify injured employees who have the propensity to develop chronic pain early in the duration of their treatment – within weeks, rather than many months later, and before a harmful addiction to pain medications like opioids occurs. Historically, 75% of these at-risk injured workers would have had surgery as part of their treatment. With the [risk modeling platform], these surgeries have been reduced by more than 25%, thus reducing the injured employee’s exposure to opioids.

As a result, the Travelers program has improved claim outcome costs – which average approximately $40,000 per injury – by up to 50%, and our approach has helped to measurably reduce the use of prescribed opioids in our workers’ compensation claims.

Pinnacol Assurance issues $50 million in dividends

Colorado-based Pinnacol Assurance is remitting $50 million in workers’ compensation dividend checks to its policyholders for maintaining safe workplaces. The distribution benefited around 53,000 employers throughout the state, or around 94% of the company’s policyholder base. “This dividend is possible because of our policyholders’ commitment to the safety and well-being of their employees, Pinnacol’s financial stability and strength, and a vibrant Colorado economy,” said Pinnacol president and CEO Phil Kalin.

Ohio BWC rewards workplaces for safety

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation has presented Safety Innovation Awards to five employers in the state who designed innovative solutions to prevent workplace injuries. “Sometimes a solution to a safety hazard isn’t readily apparent, and it takes extra effort and ingenuity to address a company’s unique needs and challenges,” said BWC administrator and CEO Sarah Morrison.

“That’s just what each of these employers did, and we applaud them for going above and beyond to protect their workers.”

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UPFRONT

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE NEWS BRIEFS Vertafore study shows customers still prefer humans

According to a new study from Vertafore, 78% of consumers still prefer to work with a human agent when reporting an insurance claim, while 72% said they would be uncomfortable purchasing insurance through a chatbot. Meanwhile 60% of consumers said they worry that artificial intelligence could automatically deny coverage that would otherwise be approved by a human agent. “Technology investment is absolutely crucial to the success of the insurance industry,” said Vertafore vice president of industry relations Bruce Winterburn. “However, it’s important to remember the vital role agents play in the process.”

Tech firm provides new forensic weather data service

EagleView Technology has announced the availability of a weather forensics service aimed at helping carriers respond to post-event claims. The firm already provides aerial imagery, data analytics and geographic information; its new weather forensics feature, called EagleView Onsite, was developed via a partnership with HailStrike, which also specializes in weather forensics.

EagleView said the service allows post-storm property and weather data to be delivered directly to the claims adjuster so they can “determine the most efficient and effective way to settle property claims.”

Amazon, Apple and Tesla have ‘opportunities in insurance’

According to a report by Morgan Stanley and Boston Consulting Group, tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Verizon and automaker Tesla are in a good position to sell car insurance as part of a ‘shared

16

mobility’ program in anticipation of the ubiquity of self-driving cars. The report noted that tech companies can leverage their data capabilities, upon which the emerging usage-based insurance [UBI] is largely based. “We think it is possible to envisage a credible entry strategy for tech giants that leverages driver data collected by navigation apps such as Google Maps, Waze, or Apple Maps services,” the report said.

Insurance still risks being left behind by technology

Insurance has been slower than other industries to adopt and incorporate technology, and while the gap is closing, those that fail to keep pace risk being marginalized, according to Fitch Ratings.

The firm said that while improved computer processing capabilities, along with the proliferation of internet use and the development of smart devices, have created new opportunities for insurers, the industry has lagged behind other sectors. However, Fitch believes external pressure from disruptors is spurring insurers to close the gap – in some cases by investing in or partnering with insurtech startups.

Insurers will have “more interesting work” in the age of automation

Insurance professionals might worry about losing jobs to machines, but London School of Economics professor Leslie Willcocks says automation will likely alter jobs instead of eliminating them. “In the longer term, [automation] means people will have more interesting work,” Willcocks said in an interview with McKinsey & Co. “The evidence is that it’s not whole jobs that will be lost, but parts of jobs, and you can reassemble work into different types of job. It will be disruptive, but organizations should be able to absorb that level of change.”

Automation to change corporate structures A new report predicts corporations will evolve into autonomous units as technology advances Blockchain. Robotic process automation. Chatbots. Comparison shopping sites.

Insurance brokers might just be becoming familiar with these technologies, but the way they do business could soon get a total makeover as consumers continue to demand that products and services – insurance included – be made available through these platforms.

In a recent article circulated by the International Insurance Society, Andrea Potter, insights director at EYQ, poses the question: “[In the future], will companies as an organizing force even be necessary?”

Potter argues that technologies – particularly artificial intelligence and blockchain – “will have profound implications for the way markets work. Machines will transact autonomously with other machines, as well as directly with people – automatically requesting service, triggering inventory replenishment or bidding for power.”

Potter also argues that value creation will move from traditional corporate structures to the open environment of a world connected by the internet.

“The future unit of funding might become specific projects and ideas – or even virtual networks of connected entrepreneurs – and not companies,” she said. “The future could see decentralized autonomous organizations that run on blockchains enter into contractual relationships with other people or machines, build networks of autonomous agents that

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n

interact with one another, and perform specific objectives.”

As technology pushes the corporate organization to adapt, leaders must think about prioritizing innovation and creativity, Potter said, adding that “building unique services into products and bespoke experiences into services will be the differentiator.”

“Building unique services into products and bespoke experiences into services will be the differentiator” Potter also predicted that efficiency will become the de-facto standard in the delivery of products and services, and creativity and the ability to generate value will be highly prized among individuals and organizations.

Another imperative for surviving the next wave of technological advances is focusing on leadership strategy.

“Managers must be liberated from operations to become strategic programmers of the business machine,” Potter said.

Survival will also require a strategy to retain the best talent, she added.

“Every company should also reposition itself as a dynamic learning community, made up of people who are committed to it despite having the option to contribute anywhere and everywhere,” she said. “At the end of the day, the best and brightest people will build their affiliations with enterprises that can make them smarter and more capable by a prolonged association.”

Q&A

Harald Felgner IoT architect

Technology: a threat and a tool

AXA SWITZERLAND

Years in the industry 6 Fast fact In a connected insurance model experiment, AXA was able to lower auto premiums by 20%

What are the current applications for the Internet of Things in the insurance industry?

IoT is a big challenge to our current business model of insuring ‘dumb’ objects in the property & casualty business line. Think of autonomous cars as an evolution of today’s cars driven by humans, or consider connected tools preventing wrong use. The majority of experts agree that both property and liability claims risks will decrease. The insured will have to be less and less the private individual and more and more manufacturers and service businesses.

IoT devices have the capability to gather and transmit information from homes, cars, even people in real time. How do you see this capability changing the way insurance is priced and delivered?

Our working assumption is that the prevention of losses will increase, claims will go down as a result, and insurance prices will go down for those policyholders with reduced risks. Those policyholders willing to subscribe to a connected offer, on the other hand, might additionally shift risk selection, at least during a period where connected insurance offers exist in parallel to non-connected classic offers.

What are the security issues with such capabilities?

Internet security is a major challenge, as we saw last October when an IoT botnet was responsible for flooding DNS servers in North America and Europe with traffic, disrupting access to popular websites for all of us. Today, security is part of the user experience of computers and smartphones, as well as the limited range of devices that are connected to the internet.

How can these security issues be addressed?

In order to ensure security of an exploding number of separate devices, the security administration, and maybe the device administration overall, has to be shifted to the device vendors or some sort of service layer built into the overall upcoming IoT standards. Maybe there has to be a next step where software administration is no longer in the hands of the consumer, but part of an ever-evolving solution.

Do you think technology is more of a threat or a tool for traditional insurance companies?

Technology, in and of itself, is both: threat and tool. Those traditional insurance companies that will not be able to embrace the change – using technology innovation as a tool for new customer experiences – they will be threatened by the current trends. Those insurance companies standing still with their current offers will fall behind sooner or later.

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PEOPLE

INDUSTRY ICON

TAILORED FOR SUCCESS Ben Walter, CEO of Hiscox USA, discusses the challenges of leading a specialty insurance provider and keeping up with the digital revolution

OVER THE last decade, Ben Walter has amassed diverse experience across the financial services, from working as a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group to serving as chief of staff for the COO of Barclays Global Investors. When he decided to make the move into insurance, it was entirely based on his experience with Hiscox.

“I had never considered the insurance industry before,” he says. “When I met the team at Hiscox, I was particularly blown away by two things: one, how interesting specialty insurance was as a sector of financial services, and second, how differentiated and special the culture was in the business model of Hiscox.”

The opportunity to be part of a business that was new and growing cemented the deal for Walter, and he became COO of Hiscox Group in 2011. Just 12 months later, he took the reins as CEO of its US division, Hiscox USA. According to the company’s strategic report for 2016, Hiscox USA delivered growth of 30% between 2015 and 2016.

“Growing and scaling this business in a way that I think is economically sustainable for the long term and delivers real shareholder value [is something] I’m

18

very proud of,” Walter says. “I think that’s always been the goal, and that’s what we’ve been able to achieve.”

Walter believes there are a few things that distinguish Hiscox from its competitors. “We bring Lloyd’s-style specialty underwriting – meaning creative, innovative, solution-oriented underwriting – onshore to the States,” he says. “We do it with a model that is not only high-touch

We deliver that service to our key distribution partners and clients with an emphasis on speed and quality.”

Another important differentiating factor is the fact that Hiscox takes the claims process very seriously.

“We have a saying around here: ‘If it’s gray, we pay,’” Walter says. “If it’s not covered, it’s not covered. But if it’s not clear, we are on the side of the customer, because

“There are plenty of coverages out there that aren’t bought. I think it’s because the industry doesn’t necessarily do the best job at telegraphing why coverage is valuable and how it can make our economy run more smoothly” and high-service, but also tailored to the customer segments we serve, both with respect to the industry they’re in and the size they are, which is a very important segmentation factor. A 10-person company is looking for something very different than a thousand-person company, just like a manufacturer is looking for something different than a professional services firm.

that’s what they’re buying – a promise to pay – and we take that promise seriously.

We try to have anybody who has a claim, who’s going through a bad experience, have a great experience with us.”

The hurdles As discussion turns to industry challenges, Walter mentions how insurance has been

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PROFILE Name: Benjamin A. Walter Company: Hiscox USA Title: CEO Based in: New York City Years in insurance: 10 Fast fact: Walter has an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis

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PEOPLE

INDUSTRY ICON

that are very well tailored to the segment – that just aren’t bought.”

Times ahead In terms of the emerging risk landscape, Walter says what interests him most is the significant shift that’s currently happening in the workforce.

“We insure an increasing number of, broadly speaking, gig economy workers, and that is fundamentally changing the relationship between supplier and buyer, between employee and employer,” he says.

“Despite legal and legislative efforts to try to minimize that shift, it’s happening and

“[The shift to the gig economy] is inevitable, and I think coming up with new, innovative coverages that respond to the way people work and the way that companies buy their services today is a huge opportunity” out how to efficiently and effectively blend different sources of capital, which might have different return hurdles, into the riskbearing marketplace,” he says. “That will be solved by continual experimentation and, frankly, a Darwinian competition.”

And then there’s the issue of underinsurance. “There are plenty of coverages out there that aren’t bought,” Walter says.

“I think it’s because the industry doesn’t necessarily do the best job at telegraphing why coverage is valuable and how it can make our economy run more smoothly.

“Small business is chronically underinsured,” he continues, “and frankly, small businesses are the ones that really need insurance. There are plenty of small businesses that don’t have a basic general liability or BOP policy. We’re talking about coverages that have existed for 50 years –

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HISCOX GROUP

BY THE NUMBERS

FIVE -S

slow to become digitally literate.

“In a world where every other industry has become digital at a much faster pace, I think the industry has been slow,” he says. “I think embracing new distribution models, new ways of trading, [and] new ways of interacting with customers [and] brokers … is what we can do to solve it, but I think that’s a huge challenge for the industry.”

Walter also touches on other challenges insurance is currently facing, including the shortfall of young talent and the sourcing of capital.

“The industry is still trying to figure

it’s inevitable, and I think coming up with new, innovative coverages that respond to the way people work and the way that companies buy their services today is a huge opportunity.”

So what steps is Hiscox taking to prepare for tomorrow’s insurance industry?

“Despite the fact that our US business is only 10 years old, we are starting a process to rip out all of our core technology and replace it,” Walter says. “We are relatively modern for an insurance company – we’re 100% paperless, our workflow is all electronic, yet to keep up with what’s happening in the marketplace, we’re taking what we’ve got and we’re ripping it up and we’re rebuilding it so that it’s scalable, it’s cyber-secure, [and] it can deliver change at a faster pace for a lower cost. That’s a scary but, I think, important thing to do.”

TA

BR C

1901

Year in which the company that became Hiscox Group got its start, underwriting marine insurance as a member of Lloyd’s

2006

Year in which Hiscox opened its first US office

$3.01 billion

Total gross written premium for Hiscox Group in 2016

2,300

Approximate number of Hiscox Group employees worldwide

13

Number of countries in which Hiscox Group’s employees are based

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IBA Fiv

S BROKERS ON CARRIERS

7 201

FIVE -S

R CARRIE A R T

WHO ARE THE BEST SPECIALTY INSURANCE CARRIERS? Insurance Business America is rating specialty carriers in this important annual survey, starting May 8th.

Participate in the survey by emailing Heather Turner at heather.turner@ibamag.com or enter online at www.ibamag.com

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SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE

SALES

Three steps to becoming a sales-driven agency If you want to increase your agency’s sales volume, there are three things you must focus on, as EZLynx’s Brenna Johnson outlines

“IF YOU don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there,” goes the common saying. While the right technology can get you there faster, it may not be where your business needs to be. Efficiency is not an end game; it is the tool that helps you reach your agency goals.

You must be making sales to achieve growth and profitability, and to retain top producers.

While many agencies are leveraging technology to gain efficiencies, this is only as effective as the culture and processes in your agency.

The best technology in the world will fail if the sales task, customer selection and producers are not aligned with the business strategy.

Many independent agencies flounder when it comes to strategic planning for marketing and sales. To build a business strategy, you need to understand your target customer and goals. For example, if your agency understands how to successfully write dentists and represents the best markets, your business strategy should stem from this niche. Once the course is set, it’s the culture, process and technology that drive results.

Step 1: Culture Cultivating a sales culture that is pervasive throughout an entire agency can be a challenge. Every independent agency relies on sales to grow and remain profitable; however, when it comes down to it, most agencies are not sales environments. Frequently, producers are segregated from the rest of the agency by technology. Pipeline data is collected and managed in one management tool, and policies are serviced in another. Sales teams focus on new leads and prospects in isolation from

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the rest of the agency. Too often, the sales process is isolated and completely focused on brand-new prospects.

Picture this: An agency purchases or receives a lead from a mortgage company.

The producer works that lead and picks up the home policy; however, the client is not interested in moving her auto policies until the renewal in three months, but says the producer can follow up at renewal to see if they are competitive. The producer makes a note somewhere in the pipeline management tool, calendar or even on a notepad. Three months go by, and the producer forgets to follow up.

In a better scenario, the producer does follow up, but he is missing information about the home policy because it is not in the same system. Each of these scenarios can leave the insured with the impression that the agency is not working in the best interest of the client, which can cause sales opportunities to slip through the cracks.

In the day-to-day activities of servicing policies, agency owners can lose track of the big picture – the need for proactive prospect and client contact. A culture of sales that aligns with the business strategy should be the mindset of not only the sales team, but every single person in the agency.

The independent insurance agent’s core competency is the ability to be a trusted advisor to the insured. This means identifying gaps in coverage, communicating those gaps and aiding the consumer in making the right policy decision. In most agencies, it is the customer service representatives who have the most contact with existing clients.

Opportunities to pick up an additional line of business or fill a gap in coverage are more likely to be identified by someone servicing the policy, but due to the separation, the CSR may never think to ask the right questions. To cultivate a culture of sales, everyone in the agency must feel as responsible for generating sales opportunities as your star producer.

Step 2: Process A true sales organization is larger than a single producer. It is a culture of sales driven by a process that is greater than any one employee.

To achieve scalability and growth, a successful agency owner must develop a sales team and build a process that supports the business and marketing strategy.

Relying on a single producer to send marketing material, follow up and set appointments will work for a while, but eventually things will begin slipping. Selling new business, especially commercial lines, is timeintensive. These accounts are touched by people throughout an agency during the sales process. A well-defined process for targeting and managing opportunities through the entire customer life cycle ensures that opportunities do not get lost in the shuffle.

A well defined process covers more than just the sales funnel – it should feed from the agency’s culture and define things like questions that should be asked during policy servicing to identify opportunities or how cross-sell opportunities should be targeted at renewal. Each of these should also align with and support the business strategy. Once the business strategy and process are defined, an

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agency can focus on the sales team.

Getting staff buy-in on new philosophies and processes is difficult. When it comes down to it, none of us like change. This can be particularly challenging for successful producers.

It is often difficult for them to embrace new processes that will benefit the agency as a whole when it differs from their existing way of doing things. It is important to demonstrate how the process aligns with and supports the agency’s goals – and remember that actions speak louder than words.

Step 3: Technology An agency’s technology should not detract from the culture or process, but rather help support and sustain the direction for the business.

Technology is the engine that powers an agency to drive its process forward. Each tool should aid in tracking and enabling the sales process throughout the customer’s life cycle, but the technology should not eradicate relationships.

Agencies that manage their sales pipeline, policy servicing, websites and communication tools through different vendors will have a

difficult time presenting a unified experience to the customer or prospect. While technology integrations are the industry standard, working from multiple systems can leave gaps that cause inconsistencies for agencies. The ideal technology will support the entire customer life cycle from a single platform. Agencies need technology that facilitates the process for five main areas: website, marketing, sales, policy servicing and renewal management.

In today’s world, an agency’s website is its storefront to the world. It will be visited by current customers as well as leads. The need for a strong local marketing strategy for effective search engine optimization [SEO] is more important than ever. This should be optimized for keywords that support the business strategy.

The marketing tools used to drive the lead-generation process can come in a variety of forms. The important part is to keep everyone in the agency on the same page. Managing these through different vendors or integrations brings the risk of missing something or someone at the agency not having a full picture of the agency’s communication to a prospect.

A pipeline management tool is essential for any agency that is serious about increasing sales. The market is saturated with vendors offering great tools that can track anything you want to sell. A successful agency will choose one that aligns with its business strategy to support its culture and process. In insurance, Sales Center, the newest addition to EZLynx’s productivity-focused products, enables any CSR to send sales opportunities directly to the sales team so that the entire agency is working toward a common goal of increasing sales.

The more a producer knows about an opportunity, the more cohesive the message.

Technology is an important tool to track and monitor the process, but the technology should support and assist the process and culture of an agency. This ties into the process of policy servicing and renewal management.

The technology vendor you use should help put your entire agency on the same sales page.

Each touchpoint for a customer provides a new chance to be a trusted advisor, which, with the right culture and a defined process, will produce a higher-volume sales funnel.

Working from a centralized product helps agencies find money in their existing systems.

It’s common knowledge that past contacts make the best prospects; however, if all of your sales or quote data is maintained in a separate system, producers can miss these prospects too.

In the words of management guru Peter Druker: “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things.” In order for an agency to effectively drive sustainable profitability, its culture, process and technology must be in alignment with the business strategy. Any agency that gets these three key factors working together will position itself to become a sales-driven organization and overcome many of the challenges that other independent agents and brokers face.

EZLynx prides itself on increasing agency efficiency effectively through One Platform solutions. The company’s newest product addition is Sales Center, an insurance-focused pipeline management tool to help agencies align their culture, process and technology effectively. It was announced for limited release in October 2016 and will be available for general release in spring 2017.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS

TOP

PRODUCERS 2017

Discover the 100 producers who are leading the insurance pack

FOLLOWING AN overwhelming response from producers across the country, the nominations for 2017’s Top Producers were culled into this list of 100 of the industry’s top-performing professionals. To celebrate those producers who rose to the top of the pack, this year’s list

also features the Platinum Producers Club, which gives special recognition to producers with books worth $3 million or more.

So what does it take to be a Top Producer in 2017? This year’s winners come from all walks of life and all regions of the country. Experience

counts, but it’s not everything: Nearly 44% of our Top Producers have been in the business for 10 to 25 years, while 24% have been in it for less than 10 years. Impressively, two of this year’s Top Producers made their mark on the industry in under five years.

TOP PRODUCERS INDEX COMPANY

NAME

COMPANY

NAME

COMPANY

42

Chuck Jennings

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

30

Marcia Hahn

Diversified Risk Solutions LLC

30

Paul Gaglioti II

Acentria Insurance

41

Kendall McEachern

Acentria Insurance

43

Kevin Mason

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

34

Mark Gresser

Donald F. LaPenna Associates Inc.

42

Donald LaPenna

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

50

Michele Centeno

Donald F. LaPenna Associates Inc.

40

Michael DeStasio

Acentria Insurance

48

Shawn Budney

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

30

Mark Purfield

Eagan Insurance Agency

38

Christopher F. Trapani

Advanced Comp

40

Fielding Dickey

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

51

Peter Reilly

Eagan Insurance Agency

34

Marcus Eagan

AHT Insurance

36

Peter Dean

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

32

Richard Terlecki

Eagan Insurance Agency

48

Zachary Fanberg

AHT Insurance

39

David Schaefer

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

50

Scott Wightman

Esser Hayes Insurance Group

30

Tamara Knight

AHT Insurance

33

George Forrester

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

48

Tyler LaMantia

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

27

Brian Johnson

AHT Insurance

34

Jamie Madonna

Atlantic Insurance Group

34

Stephen Milwicz

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

32

David McKinnon

AHT Insurance

33

Mark Ganley

Atlantic Insurance Group

49

Steve McDonald

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

37

Jason J. Young

AHT Insurance

40

Michael Tomasulo

Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners

50

Matt Hammer

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

47

Jerry Horner Jr.

AHT Insurance

34

Ned Sander

Bolton & Company

36

Jonathan Schreter

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

46

Jim Armstrong

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

44

Bob Gorman

Bolton & Company

44

Matt Chase

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

33

Robert C. McLendon

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

26

Daniel R'bibo

Bouchard Insurance

44

Eric Beck

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

32

Rod Hurston

Arthur J Gallagher & Co.

31

David E. Schawe Jr.

CAL Insurance & Associates Inc.

28

Joseph DeLucchi

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Inc.

42

Sam Sackler

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

51

Iva D. Giddiens

Cook Maran & Associates

36

Brian Scrocca

Foundation Insurance Group Inc.

52

Patricia Hartness

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

47

Justin Dove

Dean, Heckle & Hill Inc.

28

Richard Heckle

Frank H. Furman Inc.

51

Robert P. Foote

Acentria Insurance

24

PAGE

PAGE

PAGE

NAME

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

THE METHODOLOGY Applicants who had a personal book of business worth $750,000 or more (net commissions) in 2016 qualified as a Top Producer. Each nominated producer was required to provide specific details about his or her book of business to be eligible.

Those whose books of business exceeded the $3 million mark are members of the Platinum Producers Club, recognizing their impressive achievement in this industry.

WHAT DOES A TOP PRODUCER LOOK LIKE?

539

Average number of clients

558

Average number of policies written

10 to 25 years

Most common tenure in the industry

COMPANY

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RYAN VON HADEN

MIKE GALE The Buckner Company Ogden, UT

In 2006, Mike Gale became part of The Buckner Company, where he specializes in construction and surety bond clients. Prior to joining the company, Gale spent many years establishing a solid book of business of his own as a property & casualty insurance and surety bond agent.

Gale is a member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers and the Utah Surety Association, and was the convention chairman of the Associated General Contractors of Utah. He has served as a board member for the alumni association at his alma mater, Weber State University, and on the advisory council of WSU’s business school.

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Tricor Insurance Sauk City, WI

After getting a taste of insurance in high school while working at his family’s insurance agency, Ryan Von Haden joined the industry full-time in 2004 as an underwriter for West Bend Mutual.

Since joining Tricor Insurance in 2006, Von Haden has been the leading property & casualty producer at the firm. By focusing on building relationships with clients, he has been able to grow his book of business to more than $1.1 million in revenue and more than $10 million in premium volume.

Last year, Von Haden was the recipient of PIA’s National Young Agent of the Year Award, as well as the Wisconsin Insurance Agent of the Year Award.

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GS Insurance Solutions Inc.

30

Anthony Miller

Insurhaus Inc.

27

Aurelia Balza

The Buckner Company Inc.

47

Béat Koszinowski

Gulfshore Insurance

43

Leroy Christiansen

IOA Insurance Services

46

Alka Manaktala

The Buckner Company Inc.

38

Brad Nielson

Gulfshore Insurance

28

Ryan Schmidt

Klinger Insurance Group

50

Robert Klinger

The Buckner Company Inc.

49

Brett Nilsson

Harding Brooks Insurance Agency

42

Mike Peplinski

Lechner and Stauffer Inc.

37

David Kauffman

The Buckner Company Inc.

34

Dustin Thome

Higginbotham

28

Brent Aycock

Lockton Companies

52

Alex Michon

The Buckner Company Inc.

25

Mike Gale

Higginbotham

46

Brian Schneider

Lockton Companies

27

Chris Keith

Tricor Insurance

25

Ryan Von Haden

Higginbotham

43

Curtis W. Page

37

Adam Hermsen

28

James Zales

Logan Lavelle Hunt Insurance and Wealth Management

TrueNorth Companies

Higginbotham

40

J. Trent Hunt

TrueNorth Companies

33

Bill Zenk

Higginbotham

37

Mark N. Lee

MGM Associates Insurance

42

Michael Montag

TrueNorth Companies

48

Devin Pipkin

Higginbotham

47

Ryan Edgmon

NFP Property & Casualty Services

45

Sara Von Tersch

TrueNorth Companies

38

Matt Evans

Ryan Moss

Owen-Dunn Insurance Services

27

Thea Curiel

TrueNorth Companies

49

Peter Berg

Tami Rodgers

Russo Insurance Agency

39

Richard Russo

TrueNorth Companies

44

Stuart Haker

26

Allen Hudson

Higginbotham Higginbotham

36 32

HUB International

48

Allen Chapman

Sahouri Insurance

TrueNorth Companies

32

Trent Tillman

HUB International

52

Clinton Anderson

Shepherd Insurance

38

Steven Smith

Willis Towers Watson

26

JC Beckstrand

HUB International

26

D. Scott Garrison

SOLV Risk Solutions

46

Frank Barbella

Willis Towers Watson

52

Scott Meyer

HUB International

28

Ed McConnell

Suhr Risk Services

40

Jed Dershimer

Robert Jellen

33

Coy Sunderman

Wood Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers

George Reisch

51

Texas Associates Insurors

44

HUB International

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS D. SCOTT GARRISON HUB International Tulsa, OK

DANIEL R’BIBO

JC BECKSTRAND

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Los Angeles, CA

Willis Towers Watson Minneapolis, MN

Daniel R’bibo specializes in entertainment insurance, specifically for feature films and television productions. With more than 16 years of experience in this industry, R’bibo has put a priority on keeping up with the times, and he now delves into social media to stay attuned to clients’ activities and interests, and to reach prospective clients.

It’s no surprise that the entertainment industry is exciting and thus rewarding for R’bibo. “I enjoy helping my clients get out of a bind, [such as] when an actor needs some special coverage for piloting their own plane during production or [when] working on multiple projects simultaneously,” he says. “It can get pretty tough, but getting the right insurance in place to allow the actor to do both projects makes my job pretty rewarding when it all works out in the end.”

Before joining Arthur J. Gallagher in 2013, R’bibo was with the Liberty Company Insurance Brokers, where he oversaw a major acquisition, as well as the company’s entertainment operations. He started working on entertainment insurance in 2002 with Aon, where he served independent film producers and large studios, and handled a number of insurance lines, including production insurance, financial and cyber policies.

JC Beckstrand leads the large law and healthcare practices at Willis of Minnesota, handling corporate risk management and professional liability, as well as transaction liability currently worth more than $6 billion in deal value. His extensive leadership experience in global risk and insurance, coupled with his responsibility in managing cross-functional teams, enables him to creatively address client risk issues in a constantly changing business environment.

The large-scale nature of the business has not deterred Beckstrand from relying on traditional methods to bolster his business. “I grow my business through a commitment to excellence, collaborative team leadership and referrals from existing clients, and I still make old-fashioned cold calls,” he says. He finds it most fulfilling being able to help clients “manage through the stress and anxiety of high-drama loss situations” and foster their resilience.

Beckstrand started his insurance career as a sales leader at Fred S. James (which was eventually acquired

by Marsh), after which he set up the Minnesota risk management practice for Towers Perrin’s Tillinghast division.

He went on to lead a Fortune 1000 group, where he introduced large-scale reinsurance analytics and brokerage to non-insurance corporates.

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With more than 28 years of experience in the insurance industry, D. Scott Garrison has held a variety of roles, including regional manager for an insurance carrier, broker and excess liability underwriter. Today, Garrison focuses on large commercial accounts with complex insurance and risk-transfer needs.

“Learning what the client concerns are and coming up with a solution that makes sense” is what Garrison finds most rewarding about his career. “I always try to put myself in my clients’ situation and think, ‘What would I do if it were my money?’” he says. “My goal is to be part of the client’s team and gain trust to help in any situation.”

ALLEN HUDSON Sahouri Insurance McLean, VA

Allen Hudson’s role at Sahouri Insurance has been critical in the development of the agency’s proprietary niche market programs, including IT, international, real estate, construction and government contracting. With more than 15 years of experience in the industry, Hudson has managed the growth and development of a small commercial unit into a 15+-person team with revenue growth of more than 800% in five years.

Hudson has already crossed the threshold of $1 million in gross revenue at the age of 33, a feat he has achieved by strategically using technology to automate basic marketing functions.

“My advice to those new to the business: Don’t let old-school sales managers pressure you into producing immediate results,” he says. “Instant gratification and small wins distract you from the game plan.

If you have a sound strategy, can explain how and why it will work, and set realistic expectations, you will succeed.”

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

AURELIA BALZA

CHRIS KEITH

Insurhaus Oakbrook Terrace, IL

Lockton Companies Philadelphia, PA

“If you were to ask my co-workers to say one thing about me, they would say: ‘Aurelia knows everything,’” says Aurelia Balza.

“OK, so I may not know everything – I’m not a genius – but nine times out of 10, I know the answer if it’s insurance-related.”

After spending time waiting tables, Balza found her calling when she received a job offer to work at an insurance agency. Today, six years later, she relishes her job and the challenges that come along with it. She retains a focus on transportation and garage insurance, although she has experience in all aspects of P&C insurance.

“Although some say insurance is boring, it’s really not,” Balza says. “Sometimes you are like a psychologist, listening to your customers’ problems while gathering the information needed to quote. Other times, you’re an investigator when you stumble upon a fraudulent claim. Always, you’re a student, as the industry is ever-changing.”

THEA CURIEL Owen-Dunn Insurance Services Sacramento, CA

With 28 years of experience in the insurance industry, Thea Curiel has served in many capacities on both the carrier and agency sides. After working as a commercial lines supervisor, she got a breakaway opportunity when she was invited to join the production team. With a passion for the industry and the ability to help her clients with every aspect of their businesses, she thoroughly

Clients turn to Chris Keith for his insights and exceptional advisory services.

As president of Lockton’s Philadelphia operation, Keith focuses on business development for both property & casualty and employee benefits clients, advocating on their behalf and using his business leadership to understand their challenges.

Keith joined Lockton in 2014, and has since been one of the top-producing insurance professionals in the country. Clients seek his expertise in alternative risk financing structures, including domestic and foreign captive insurance companies and large-deductible programs. For his nonprofit healthcare clients, Keith has used creative alternative risk financing structures to help create additional streams of unrestricted revenue. Keith regularly shares his thoughts on healthcare risk management and ownercontrolled insurance programs through publications and speaking engagements.

enjoys what she does on a daily basis.

Curiel joined Owen-Dunn Insurance Services in 2005, where she specializes in captive insurance programs and educating business owners on how to control their insurance costs. Focusing on the construction, auto dealer, waste management, hospitality and property management industries, she has helped her clients turn their insurance premiums into an asset rather than an expense. This year, Curiel was honored as Owen-Dunn’s Top Net New Business Producer for the second year in a row.

“I love working with my clients and getting to know them, from a business perspective as well as on a personal level,” she says.

“I truly care about their success and appreciate being an integral part of that.”

BRIAN JOHNSON Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Jackson, MS

After beginning his career with Trustmark National Bank as a management development associate, Brian Johnson joined Fisher Brown Bottrell as a producer in the commercial property & casualty insurance group, where he is now senior vice president.

A native of Madison, Mississippi, Johnson is a graduate of the Leadership Mississippi Class of 2010, the Leadership Greater Jackson Class of 2011-2012 and the National Alliance Producer School, where he finished in the top five in his class.

In addition to being an active member of several insurance organizations, Johnson is also part of the MS Road Builders Association, the Minority Contractors Association of Mississippi and the National Association of Surety Bond Producers. He is also active in many community-based organizations, including the Mississippi Minority Business Alliance, the 100 Black Men of Jackson and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS RICHARD HECKLE Dean, Heckle & Hill Matthews, NC

Richard Heckle’s insurance career began in 1971 when he joined Continental Insurance Company. Ten years later, he became vice president of Dean, Heckle & Hill, where he has remained ever since.

Throughout his career, Heckle has passed along his knowledge to the next generation of insurance professionals, teaching the AAI course at the Institute of Insurance and various courses for the Independent Agents of North Carolina. In addition to his teaching roles, Heckle has held various officer and director positions with both his local and state Independent Insurance Agents associations.

JAMES ZALES

Gulfshore Insurance Fort Myers, FL

Higginbotham Tyler, TX

As partner and commercial lines client advisor at Gulfshore Insurance, Ryan Schmidt specializes in providing insurance coverage to contractors, developers, large medical groups and the club industry.

Schmidt has more than a decade of insurance experience, previously serving as assistant vice president of national accounts for The Jacobson Group, a national insurance talent consulting firm.

Praised by his clients, Schmidt strives to go beyond insurance placement to become an outsourced risk manager to help mitigate his clients’ risks.

CAL Insurance & Associates San Francisco, CA

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2017

RYAN SCHMIDT

JOSEPH DELUCCHI

Starting at CAL Insurance as part of a summer internship in high school, Joseph DeLucchi worked his way up the ranks into a leadership role. Now as president of the firm, DeLucchi continues to see himself as a broker in the truest sense of the word: purchasing policies and programs from different carriers to best meet his clients’ needs. DeLucchi primarily focuses on serving the nonprofit/school, real estate, and food and beverage industries.

He believes that building a practice through a referral-based program is imperative for long-term success.

“Networking and eventually developing a friendship over time with key strategic partners such as attorneys, accountants, bankers, other insurance professionals, interim CFOs/COOs, management consultants and the like is extremely important,” DeLucchi says. “I don’t do ‘quotes’ or ‘bids’; I’d rather do client partnerships.”

TOP

PRODUCERS

ED MCCONNELL HUB International Chicago, IL

With more than 10 years of professional insurance experience, Ed McConnell heads up the national staffing and PEO practice at HUB International. Along with his business partner, Clinton Anderson, another 2017 Top Producer, McConnell has created a unique approach to servicing a niche clientele.

“Clint and I are one of only a handful of team consultants across the country,” McConnell says. “Our industry has traditionally been composed of single producers with a support team. Clint and I teamed up nearly three years ago and have created millions of dollars in revenue with the unique dynamic our team approach creates.”

After working in transportation management for almost a decade, James Zales decided to go into insurance, joining a Dallas-based direct writer in 1979. He went on to become part of a high-profile oil & gas insurance firm in Denver before returning to Texas and setting up his own branch of the company in 1989. Eventually his agency merged with another company, then sold to Willis and finally to Higginbotham, where he now serves as managing director.

As a producer, Zales offers a wide range of expertise, covering the oil & gas, heavy contracting, transportation and environmental industries. In addition to insurance analysis and programs, his expertise includes risk management and client education, coupled with industry application.

BRENT AYCOCK Higginbotham Lubbock, TX

Brent Aycock has more than 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, including more than three years as a commercial underwriter and over 28 years as an agent. As a property & casualty producer, Aycock holds a CIC designation and maintains a significant book of business in Lubbock, Texas, and the surrounding area.

Outside of his duties at Higginbotham, Aycock is active with the Lakeridge United Methodist Church, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a local group of businessmen known as Payday.

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS TAMARA KNIGHT Esser Hayes Insurance Group Naperville, IL

A former teacher, Tamara Knight boasts nearly 20 years of insurance experience.

Her unique background has allowed her to “ take the complexity out of insurance with a no-nonsense approach.”

These days, Knight focuses on four main areas at Esser Hayes: construction contract compliance for risk reduction and management, complex insurance accounts, medical facilities, and the nonprofit program.

ANTHONY MILLER GS Insurance Solutions San Francisco, CA

Anthony Miller is the founder and president of Golden State Insurance Solutions [GSI]. He was also the chief sales officer and part of the founding team of a technology startup, which has

PAUL GAGLIOTI III MARK PURFIELD Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Medford, NJ

Mark Purfield is responsible for new business development at Arthur J. Gallagher. In that role, he is a primary contact for prospective clients and manages the process of seamlessly integrating new companies into the organization. Purfield joined the company in January 2011 after serving as vice president of Wells Fargo Insurance Services, a post he held for five years.

Prior to Wells Fargo, Purfield held several sales executive and underwriting roles in the Philadelphia region. Outside of AJG, Purfield is involved in several area nonprofits, including the Ronald McDonald House of Southern New Jersey.

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Diversified Risk Solutions Hoboken, NJ

Frustrated with the way the insurance industry operated, Paul Gaglioti III founded Diversified Risk Solutions [DIVRISK] in 2011 at the age of 25 with the goal of combining superior customer service with custom solutions. At DIVRISK, Gaglioti focuses on servicing hard-toplace business, product recall, companies with more than $10 million in annual gross sales and private client solutions.

MARCIA HAHN Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Chicago, IL

As national practice leader of Arthur J. Gallagher’s senior living practice, Marcia Hahn has been providing risk management solutions for her clients

been listed among the top companies shaping insurtech globally and driving customer engagement.

Given the plethora of insurance brokers in the market, Miller finds it crucial to grow his business by “continually learning to be a specialist in specific industries, while aligning myself with strategic partners in these spaces.” He has built a strong position for himself within the real estate industry by looking after the risk concerns of apartment owners and property managers. Miller sees a good culture as the most rewarding aspect of his business, as it fosters a harmonious and successful working relationship with team members and partner clients.

Prior to establishing GSI, Miller was a principal at HUB International, where he managed the program division and marketing partnerships, and received the company’s prestigious Sharp Award three years in a row for stellar performance in sales and leadership. He also had leadership stints with Hobbs Group and Willis, and has worked on nearly every aspect of insurance and risk management within the property market.

Thanks to DIVRISK’s proprietary agent platform, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning, Gaglioti has been able to grow his business by streamlining processes. “Through this platform, DIVRISK brokers spend more time learning about and helping their clients and less time doing redundant paperwork,” he says.

Gaglioti completed a 4,800-mile, cross-country motorcycle trip from San Francisco to New York in 10 days.

FUN FACT

for more than 35 years, dedicating herself solely to senior living for the last 14 years.

Hahn is responsible for one of the largest senior living managers in the country and also serves as advisor to a group of for-profit and nonprofit continuing care retirement communities.

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

DAVID E. SCHAWE JR. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Cincinnati, OH

As area vice president of Arthur J. Gallagher’s Cincinnati office, David Schawe Jr.’s expertise includes helping organizations integrate risk management into their business and strategic processes. Schawe provides a full range of services, including risk identification and prioritization of enterprise-wide risks, as well as assessment and development of the tools, processes and structures needed to build a robust and sustainable risk management program. His experience and focus is on large private or publicly traded companies with global risk management needs. For the past three years, Schawe has been recognized as the top producer in his local office and was named one of AJG’s Top 20 Producers in 2016.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS

RICHARD TERLECKI Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Orlando, FL

Richard Terlecki joined Arthur J. Gallagher’s public sector division in 1999.

Prior to that, Terlecki spent nearly 10 years as a municipal occupancy specialist and account vice president of sales for

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Arkwright Mutual Insurance Company’s public entities group.

Terlecki has served as a consultant for the City of Boston when it decided to seek coverage after 50 years of self-insurance, and he has been responsible for the placements of large intergovernmental risk pools in numerous states. In all, Terlecki has helped more than 5,000 public entities get insurance coverage throughout his career.

Terlecki is one of the few individuals in the US insurance industry who has dedicated his time to becoming an expert in public entity business. He frequently speaks at industry events and conferences, and has also penned several articles dealing with public entity insurance, including a recently published, first-of-its-kind business interruption worksheet designed specifically for public entities.

DAVID MCKINNON

ROD HURSTON

Fisher Brown Bottrell insurance Jackson, MS

Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Pensacola, FL

David McKinnon is a senior vice president and producer with the construction insurance group at Fisher Brown Bottrell, where he began his career in 2006. Within just 10 years in the business, McKinnon achieved the milliondollar revenue mark. Recently, he was elected to the board of directors of the Subcontractors Association of Mississippi, and he remains extremely active in the construction industry throughout Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, Tennessee and Texas.

McKinnon is also involved in several philanthropic endeavors, including the Phoenix Club of Jackson and Young Businessmen of Jackson, of which he was a founding member.

After spending nearly 10 years working for a large industrial painting contractor, Rod Hurston joined Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance in 1986; he currently serves as a vice president at the firm.

TRENT TILLMAN TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

As practice leader of TrueNorth’s transportation team, Trent Tillman designs and implements ERM strategies specifically for the independent contractor model, followed by asset-light transportation companies and their IC capacity providers. In the early 2000s, the company was already creating a first-generation administrative tool to facilitate the automation of spreadsheets with a common interface. TrueNorth has maintained its technological focus by partnering with EBE Technologies in 2014 to create a paperless insurance enrollment solution for motor carriers, a project Tillman was heavily involved in.

TAMI RODGERS Higginbotham Fort Worth, TX

With 33 years of experience in the insurance business, Tami Rodgers joined Higginbotham in 2000 as a commercial marketing manager and broker. Just seven years later, she was named managing director for the firm; that same year, her expertise and accomplishments were recognized when she became a member of the Higginbotham Million Dollar Club.

Focusing on P&C insurance in large, sophisticated commercial operations, both domestic and international, Rodgers has implemented complex programs for a broad range of industries, including manufacturing, distribution, energy, construction, real estate development, retail, restaurants and healthcare.

“My strategy is simple … to provide the absolute best service to my clients,” Rogers says. “I firmly believe the very best compliment is a referral from an existing client, and I have been blessed to build much of my book of business with that philosophy.”

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

ROBERT C. MCLENDON Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Panama City Beach, FL

Robert McLendon has been with Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance for almost his entire career, presently serving as executive vice president of commercial insurance production. Previously, McLendon served as fidelity surety bond underwriter at USF&G Insurance.

McLendon serves on the Florida advisory board for Trustmark Bank and was director of the Florida Association of Insurance Agents from 2011 to 2014.

COY SUNDERMAN Texas Associates Insurors Austin, TX

Coy Sunderman specializes in solutions for construction businesses, oil & gas operations, manufacturers and distributors/wholesalers. He worked as an agent for a major insurer for four years before joining Texas Associates Insurors, where he serves as a partner and insurance advisor and works with clients to design risk management, insurance and bonding plans through a multi-phased approach that proactively addresses risks.

MARK GANLEY AHT Insurance Seattle, WA

Leading the sales team at AHT Insurance’s Seattle office is Mark Ganley, who has been a leader in developing AHT’s expertise and practice growth in life

GEORGE FORRESTER AHT Insurance Leesburg, VA

George Forrester leads the manufacturing practice at AHT, and also serves the legal, technology, and property and hospitality management industries. He is a leading expert on product liability risk management and was the primary architect of a product liability risk assessment methodology template that is commonly used among manufacturers.

Prior to joining AHT, Forrester worked for a regional insurance brokerage, specializing in property & casualty and risk management consulting, with a specialty in manufacturing. sciences and technology while assisting clients in various industries with their management liability exposures.

Ganley first joined AHT in 1999 after holding positions with a Canadian insurance broker, a federal government contractor specializing in office systems and a computer services firm. This varied background gives Ganley a unique understanding of the broad range of challenges facing AHT’s clients. Ganley also serves on the insurance firm’s board of directors.

Furthering his involvement in the technology industry, Ganley is a former board member and past chairman of TechAssure, a nonprofit organization for risk management professionals engaged in technology products and services.

BILL ZENK TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

As principal and senior transportation specialist at TrueNorth, Bill Zenk’s mission is to address risk challenges in the industry through strategies that cover four core areas: legal and compliance, risk transfer, safety and driver capacity, and technology and administrative efficiencies. Zenk manages a team that serves motor carriers with large independent contractor fleets by supporting their risk management efforts.

The team’s business model/approach has equipped them to work with more than 200 motor carriers and 35,000 independent contractors across the country. In March, Zenk participated as a speaker at the American Trucking Association Executive Leadership Forum, where he shared his knowledge on automating and simplifying business processes to manage independent contractors.

Zenk develops and manages Affordable Care Act-compliant and contractorcompliant benefit programs as well, which includes guarantee issue major and limited medical insurance placement and ancillary lines, contractor retirement programs, wellness programs, and coaching on healthcare reform strategies.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS DUSTIN THOME The Buckner Company Denver, CO

For Dustin Thome, following one simple rule has led to his success in insurance. “I try to treat every customer as if they are family, “ he says. “No customer is too big or too small.” At The Buckner Company, Thome focuses on helping companies manage and effectively transfer risk by putting customers first. He believes success comes from listening closely to customers and working hard to deliver solutions to satisfy their expectations.

“I like helping people and making people happy,” Thome says. “Insurance is not always the most exciting project to work on, but I enjoy talking with customers about their risk and putting an affordable plan in place so they can go through life knowing that their most important assets are protected.”

Apart from insurance, Thome is active in the Apartment Association of Metro Denver and the Community Association Institute, and contributes to the Colorado Real Estate Journal. He has also contributed to numerous other publications and podcasts.

NED SANDER AHT Insurance Seattle, WA

Since leading the formation of AHT’s Seattle office in 1999, Ned Sander has been instrumental in the office’s growth into one of the top brokerages in the Pacific Northwest for the technology and life sciences industry.

Sander heads the global services practice at AHT, where he is responsible for strategic relationships with leaders in key foreign insurance markets, including London, Bermuda, Hong Kong and Singapore. He focuses his business on growth-oriented global operations with less than $750 million in revenue in the technology, life sciences, manufacturing, nonprofit, financial institution, real estate and legal sectors.

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MARK GRESSER Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Waite Park, MN

MARCUS EAGAN Eagan Insurance Metairie, LA

A fourth-generation insurance professional, Marcus Eagan has been a vital member of his family’s agency, Eagan Insurance, since joining the business in 2002. In 2004, he earned his CIC designation, following it up with a Certified Risk Management designation four years later.

Today, Eagan specializes in risk management and insurance placement with an emphasis on large property risks, marine and construction clients.

“The most rewarding aspect of the business is being able to analyze and solve problems for the clients so that they can move forward on potential/future projects,” he says. “I also love being part of so many different types of businesses, as every day is different from the next.”

Outside of the office, Eagan serves as treasurer of the board of the Insurance Agents of Greater New Orleans.

FUN FACT

In college, Eagan was a three-time All-American in sailing.

Mark Gresser is an executive vice president in Arthur J. Gallagher’s Waite Park, Minnesota, office. He is a recent merger partner with Gallagher, and he leads the construction team for the Minnesota marketplace. Gresser started his professional career as a CPA with an international accounting firm and was later recruited to the construction industry, where he held the positions of CFO and COO at a highway heavy contracting firm.

Gresser has 20 years of experience in surety and construction insurance, and works with some of the top construction firms in the Upper Midwest.

STEPHEN MILWICZ Atlantic Insurance Group Timonium, MD

Stephen Milwicz and his partner, fellow Top Producer Steve McDonald, co-lead the team at Atlantic Insurance Group. Formed in 2014 from the merger of Brooke McDonald & Associates and Milwicz Insurance Group, Atlantic Insurance Group has more than 250 years of combined experience among its personnel.

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

JAMIE MADONNA AHT Insurance Seattle, WA

Jamie Madonna has extensive experience in creating insurance solutions primarily for the aviation, manufacturing and technology industries, and currently serves as property & casualty principal at AHT Insurance. After gaining 11 years of experience in a diverse range of industries, Madonna joined AHT’s Seattle office in 2003; he also previously served eight years in the US Marine Corps Reserve.

Madonna remains up-to-date with industry changes and advancements through his membership in professional organizations and associations specific to his expertise, such as the Center for Advanced Manufacturing Puget Sound, the Washington Technology Industry Association and the Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association, as well as global groups like the National Business Aviation Association and the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS RYAN MOSS Higginbotham Friendswood, TX

As managing partner for Higginbotham’s South Texas region, Ryan Moss and his team have comprehensive knowledge in helping middle- and large-market clients manage, analyze, control and finance risk.

“At the core of my success is a talented, dedicated, hard-working team that delivers an exceptional customer experience in the maritime, energy and construction silos,” Moss says. “Working with such gifted partners makes my job incredibly rewarding.”

JONATHAN SCHRETER Bolton & Company Pasadena, CA

Last year, Jonathan Schreter managed to grow his book of business by a significant margin, which earned him a spot on IBA’s Top Producers list. He has sustained that

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PETER DEAN AHT Insurance Leesburg, VA

As the national practice leader of AHT’s real estate division, Peter Dean looks after the needs of institutional real estate investors and owners. During his tenure at AHT, Dean has been involved in more than $10 billion worth of real estate transactions, ranging from single-asset purchases to the acquisition of overseas hospitality and habitational assets. Apart from developers and private fund owners, he regularly works with investment advisors, hedge and debt funds as well.

Before coming to AHT, Dean worked with a national carrier, where he began to see the importance of competitive pricing on the part of carriers in order to meet brokers’ expectations, which gave him a greater appreciation for the broker’s role. “When I decided to work as a broker, I called AHT because I knew it was one brokerage that really looked out for its customers,” he says.

Since becoming part of the AHT team, Dean has been working hard to make sure the company maintains its flexible process and tailored solutions in order to address the persistently complex and evolving needs of its clients.

stellar performance this year, thus keeping his spot on our list.

Schreter manages P&C risks for charter and independent schools and higher education clients, as well as for middlemarket businesses in the technology, manufacturing and entertainment industries. As a producer, his priority is to remain “a true insurance educator, develop dynamic new niches, and leverage personal and professional relationships … without being too heavy-handed.” Schreter believes it’s invaluable for producers to be able to reframe a buyer’s perception of insurance, adding that it’s important for producers to go the extra mile and explain that managing risk isn’t as simple as “saving 15% on insurance in 15 minutes.”

Schreter’s extensive background in marketing and advertising fuels his creativity in drafting risk management solutions for his clients. His experience has also taught him to think beyond insurance and focus on giving back to his school and community in order to gain people’s trust.

In 1993, Schreter was the account executive on the advertising team that created the Coca-Cola polar bear commercial.

FUN FACT

BRIAN SCROCCA Cook Maran & Associates Marlton, NJ

Brian Scrocca’s work entails more than just being an insurance professional; it’s really about being a resource and advisor to his clients, and effectively an extension of their businesses. He understands that earning a client’s trust to be able to help them manage evolving risks is something that takes time.

“I develop a 12-month plan with clients to ensure we’re constantly assessing their business, and recommend solutions to any new challenges or opportunities we identify,” Scrocca says. “I take accountability very seriously. When clients see our passion and execution of a plan, they trust our commitment to the partnership.”

In this industry, Scrocca says referrals are still key, describing them as “the ultimate compliment” and the mark of a successful career. He makes sure he always stays ahead of the game and demonstrates a lifestyle that’s in tune with the old saying, “the early bird catches the worm,” which makes both clients and colleagues eager to work with him.

www.ibamag.com

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PRODUCERS

2017

MARK N. LEE Higginbotham Houston, TX

Under the mentorship of his father, Mark Lee began his insurance career in 2005 at Swantner & Gordon. Since that time, Lee has become a managing director at Higginbotham, focusing his attention on accounts in the oil & gas, construction and manufacturing industries. Through the years, Lee has been recognized for his success in the industry, including being named an IBA Top Producer in 2016. His advice to other producers aiming for a similar level of success is to “maintain and grow relationships, but don’t be afraid to knock on a few doors and meet people.”

Prior to his insurance career, Lee helped start a company focused on commercial HVAC equipment design, installation and sales for various construction projects, including hospital, school and office building jobs throughout Texas.

ADAM HERMSEN TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

DAVID KAUFFMAN Lechner & Stauffer Pennsburg, PA

Since graduating from Temple University as a risk management specialist, David Kauffman has been working at Lechner & Stauffer for 19 years, currently serving as vice president. Previously, he was an intern for American Re and an account manager for an insurance agency in Philadelphia.

“I pride myself on being a generalist being able to help various types of businesses of all sizes,” Kauffman says.

“My goal is not just to sell a policy, but rather to strive to teach my clients the business, ultimately becoming their trusted advisor.”

Since 2002, Adam Hermsen has been a transportation specialist with TrueNorth, where he works to develop enterprise risk management and insurance solutions for small transportation companies.

Hermsen points out three key factors that have contributed to his success in the insurance industry: “Identifying ‘right fit’ clients early in the process, working at a firm committed to value creation and growth, and having a great team of people with common goals.”

A graduate of the Iowa Motor Truck Association’s Leadership Program, Hermsen is active in the state trucking association. He is also committed to his community as a dedicated fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and a volunteer teacher for Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa.

JASON J. YOUNG Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Jackson, MS

This year, Jason Young celebrated his 25th year in the business, and with Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance. After serving on the staff of US Senator Trent Lott, Young joined the insurance firm, where he has built a career in managing contractors’ bond and risk management programs, including captives and other loss-sensitive programs. During his career, he has been presented the Surety Information Office’s Award for Promotion of Bonding to Private Owners. In addition to contractors, Young also works in professional liability, placing large multi-layered placements, quota share placements and complex risks.

Outside of his role at Fisher Brown Bottrell, Young is an active member of the National Association of Surety Bond Producers Tiger Trust, is president of the MRA Athletic Booster Club and is a member of the Mississippi State University Bulldog Club.

www.ibamag.com

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS STEVEN SMITH

MATT EVANS

Shepherd Insurance Carmel, IN

A transportation insurance specialist, Steven Smith joined Shepherd Insurance in 2016, bringing nearly four decades’ worth of commercial risk management experience with him. In addition to being the lead producer for Shepherd’s transportation practice group, Smith also oversees accounts in the construction, service and manufacturing industries.

Outside of his role at Shepherd, Smith serves on the board of directors for the Indiana Motor Truck Association and Conexus Indiana Logistics Council. He is a member of the CNA Insurance Agents Advisory Council and St. Paul Insurance Central Region Agency Council.

CHRISTOPHER TRAPANI Eagan Insurance Agency New Orleans, LA

In October 1989, Christopher Trapani received his insurance license and began extensive underwriting training with a number of major companies, including CNA, Aetna, Travelers and The Hartford.

He earned his CIC designation in 1993, and has since been engaged in all phases of commercial P&C insurance placement.

As an EVP at Eagan Insurance, Trapani handles a number of complex programs and is skilled in generating the best solutions for his clients.

Trapani was recognized as a Top 50 Money Maker in 2013 by New Orleans CityBusiness, and has also been an Employee in the Spotlight at Eagan Insurance. He is actively involved in the business community as well, having served as president of sales and marketing for Executives of New Orleans and East Jefferson Business Associates, and has taken on various leadership roles in other nonprofit organizations and school advisory boards. Outside of work, Trapani is part of the Bay Waveland Yacht Club, where he was commodore in 2010.

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www.ibamag.com

TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

Matt Evans’ team approach, innovative energy and focus on creating solutions for his clients have all contributed to his success as the leader of the professional liability resource group at TrueNorth. Evans has been a professional liability specialist since 2008; today, he focuses on healthcare and cyber liability within the space.

“Our team is well versed in specific risk factors in the healthcare and E&O world,” Evans says. “We understand what our CFOs, CEOs and administrators face on a daily basis. It goes beyond the placement of insurance – we are considered a valued member of their team.”

Outside of TrueNorth, Evans is an active member of the Iowa Medical Group Managers Association, which assists medical offices and managers in developing effective and efficient practices, enhancing the provision of quality healthcare services within Iowa. He is also actively involved with several physician hospital organizations throughout Iowa and is a member of NALS, the association of legal professionals. Evans also sits on the board of the Young Parents Network, the United Way Young Leaders Society and is involved with many civic projects throughout the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor.

FUN FACT

Evans once played one-on-one with Dick Vitale – and won!

BRAD NIELSON The Buckner Company Idaho Falls, ID

Brad Nielson has nearly four decades’ worth of insurance industry experience – as producer, sales manager and agency manager – under his belt. It’s no surprise that Nielson, who was born and raised on a potato farm and cattle ranch in Idaho, has dedicated his career to insuring the agriculture sector.

“Idaho is a small market, so it is hard to specialize,” he says. “You have to know something about many types of businesses; however, my specialty is anything to do with agriculture – farm and ranch policies, including crop insurance, commodity transportation, processing, fuel, fertilizer and chemical distributors, fertilizer and chemical applicators (including aerial applicators), and farm and industrial equipment manufacturers.

I am surrounded by the best team anyone could ever have.”

Nielson became president of The Buckner Company’s Idaho operation in 2010. He has also been part of the board of directors of the Idaho Independent Agents Association for 12 years, where he has worked on Make-A-Wish, Young Agents and Community Insurance Education. Nielson remains deeply involved in agriculture, tending a very large garden every year with his wife and giving away the produce to family and friends.

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PRODUCERS

2017

RICHARD RUSSO Russo Insurance Agency Roseville, CA

Richard Russo first started his career as a fitness director before he entered the insurance industry as an entrepreneur by setting up his own agency in 1984. He invites all prospective clients to “get to know us before you need us,” and this open-door policy, along with a business model built around relationships and trust, have kept Russo Insurance Agency thriving for more than three decades.

Outside of his company, Russo has remained an active member of the Community Association Institute since 1989. He became the president of its California North chapter in 2015, during which he did his best to encourage all members to become “community builders” and active volunteers for the association’s social service projects.

DAVID SCHAEFER AHT Insurance Leesburg, VA

At the helm of AHT Insurance is president and CEO David Schaefer, who also leads the agency’s technology and government contractor insurance practice groups. He became a principal at AHT in 1991 and then EVP in 2007 before being promoted to his current role in 2015. Under Schaefer’s leadership, AHT has achieved national recognition for its technology and management liability programs.

Schaefer has numerous accomplishments under his belt, including leading the development of the agency’s proprietary D&O loss prevention program, which has kept price increases on these types of policies to a minimum. He also helped design an insurance certificate management and compliance system for real estate and multinational risks, which tracks tenants’ and subcontractors’ compliance with contractual insurance requirements.

Schaefer is a co-author of “Understanding Insurance and Risk Management for Government Contracts,” a research project funded by Chubb Group. This led AHT to create a special contract risk management training program, and also resulted in a new underwriting methodology from Chubb.

Schaefer is a founding member and past chair of TechAssure, the first nonprofit organization for risk management professionals engaged in tech products and services. Prior to joining AHT in 1987, he worked in the IT services group of a major corporation and as a legislative assistant to a US Congressman.

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PRODUCERS

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14/04/2017 5:30:03 AM

FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS MICHAEL DESTASIO

J. TRENT HUNT

The Insurance Centers/Donald F. LaPenna Associates Iselin, NJ

Logan Lavelle Hunt Insurance New Albany, IN

Michael DeStasio is EVP at The Insurance Centers by Donald F. LaPenna Associates, where he oversees its transportation division. He is part of the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey [PIANJ] and currently serves as director for the New Jersey Young Insurance Professionals, a PIANJ affiliate. Previously, DeStasio was an intern in Travelers’ construction department, where he was exposed to the underwriting side of the industry, which helped him develop a clear understanding of how key insurance professionals – agents, underwriters and risk managers – work together to effectively address clients’ needs.

Logan Lavelle Hunt Insurance Agency traces its roots back to 1919 with the founding of Lavelle Insurance Agency; it became Logan Lavelle following a merger in 1996. A year later, Trent Hunt joined the firm as a partner and has been part of its New Albany, Indiana, office ever since.

After completing a degree in marketing and forensic studies at Indiana UniversityBloomington, Hunt pursued a career in insurance, where he has accumulated 23 years of experience. He is a past board member of the Home Builders Association of Southern Indiana and was named the 2010 Associate Member of the Year for the Southwestern Indiana Home Builders Association.

MICHAEL TOMASULO AHT Insurance Jersey City, NJ

JED DERSHIMER Suhr Risk Services San Jose, CA

A trusted advisor with Suhr Risk Services, Jed Dershimer started his career in human capital management at ADP. Now, as a certified risk professional and certified workers’ compensation specialist, Dershimer provides his services to a range of industries, including nonprofits and professional services.

Outside of the office, Dershimer is an active member of the Northern California Human Resources Association and is a two-time Volunteer of the Year Award recipient from Community Options, a nonprofit that helps people with developmental disabilities.

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FIELDING DICKEY Advanced Comp Lakeland, FL

Fielding Dickey oversees Advanced Comp, a subsidiary of Acentria Insurance and a highly specialized agency with a risk management platform that uses a multidisciplinary approach to effectively lower workers’ compensation costing.

Dickey first joined the industry as a loss control professional with a national workers’ compensation carrier after earning a degree in criminal justice at Florida Southern College. Outside of his duties at Advanced Comp, he is active with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lakeland and Mulberry.

Having worked with hundreds of companies to place directors & officers liability insurance, Michael Tomasulo now leads the management liability practice group at AHT Insurance.

“D&O and management liability appeals to me because there’s nothing cookiecutter about it,” he says. “It’s a small, specialized industry, and very few people fully understand it. It’s important to craft each package specifically for the client.”

Prior to joining AHT in 2010, Tomasulo was a senior vice president and team leader at Aon Risk Services; he was also a founding member of the NASDAQ Insurance Agency, NASDAQ’s own full-service insurance brokerage, where he was responsible for the East and Central regions until he assisted in the sale of the agency to Aon. Tomasulo is also a regular speaker at conferences such as the ROTH Capital Conference and Marcum Microcap Conference on topics such as IPO readiness, up-listing, Reg A+ and governance.

www.ibamag.com

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PRODUCERS

2017

KENDALL MCEACHERN Acentria Insurance Destin, FL

A risk and insurance specialist serving the real estate and construction industries, Kendall McEachern holds a well established position in the Southeast market. His team has arranged coverage for more than 400,000 multi-family units and 4 million square feet of commercial office space and real estate. McEachern is co-founder and CEO of Acentria Insurance, and also serves as chairman for Tower Hill Insurance Group’s Agency Council.

Prior to founding Acentria, McEachern held various leadership roles at Insurance Office of America. Under his leadership, the company’s Destin office was recognized as the fastest-growing and most profitable office for four consecutive years. Outside of insurance, McEachern’s involvement in the community includes actively participating in his local church and in the American Heart Association, for which he has served as chairman.

www.ibamag.com

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14/04/2017 5:30:18 AM

FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS MICHAEL MONTAG

DONALD LAPENNA

MGM Associates Insurance Penfield, NY

The Insurance Centers/Donald F. LaPenna Associates Clark, NJ

In 1984, Michael Montag founded MGM Associates Insurance in hopes of becoming a truly effective independent agency. He quickly grew the business into what it has become today by following the mission statement “large enough to service you, small enough to care.” He clearly has met that goal: In an article written for the company’s 30th anniversary, Montag described the company as “the smallest of the large agencies, but the largest of the small.”

MGM was named an IIABA Best Practices Agency from 2007 to 2012.

Montag continues to train the next generation of insurance professionals to build relationships with clients, especially those who are still not ready to get policies off the internet because they require more nuanced advice that only a broker can provide.

MIKE PEPLINSKI Harding Brooks Insurance Agency Liverpool, NY

Michael Peplinski started his career in the banking industry at HSBC Bank, but after 10 years, he decided to move into the more personal, client-driven field of insurance, where he quickly found that the repossession industry was his forte. Today, Peplinski is vice president of Harding Brooks Insurance Agency, the largest agency specializing in repossession insurance, which insures more than 300 collateral recovery companies nationwide.

To build his business, Peplinski has partnered with the repossession industry’s largest trade association, the American Recovery Association. He is also the preferred insurance agent for other national and state associations.

In 2016, Peplinski started an exclusive repossession insurance program for Harding Brooks clients, the only A-rated nationwide repossession program.

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One of the largest insurance agencies in the country, Donald F. LaPenna Associates, operating under the name The Insurance Centers, is a full-service agency that specializes in business insurance coverage, as well as benefits, estate planning and financial services. At its helm is Donald LaPenna Jr., who has more than three decades’ worth of experience in the industry and thousands of national and regional clients in his portfolio. He has managed a successful growth track record for the past 20 years, and works hard to maintain that ability to provide tailored programs for clients.

In recognition of his successes, LaPenna has received the Director of the Year Award from the Professional Insurance Agents of New Jersey. He served as the organization’s first vice president in 2015-16 and as vice president of its committees for government affairs and political action before being elected president in 2016.

SAM SACKLER Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Hattiesburg, MS

CHUCK JENNINGS Acentria Insurance Brandon, FL

Few people can say they’ve been in the industry for as long as Chuck Jennings, who now has more than five decades’ worth of insurance expertise. As VP at Acentria, Jennings specializes in law firms and agriculture, and continues to uphold the importance of building meaningful, lifelong relationships with his clients.

Born in Arkansas and raised in Mississippi, Jennings completed a degree in business administration and joined the US Navy shortly after graduation.

He entered the insurance industry as a claims adjuster and eventually moved into sales, where he thrived by sticking to the basic principles of integrity, honesty and hard work, all of which have contributed to his success.

A firm believer in the significance of continuing education in the insurance industry, Sam Sackler holds both CRM and CIC designations. A commercial insurance consultant for Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance, Sackler has more than 20 years of experience providing coverage for companies of all sizes in the construction, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate and hospitality industries.

Involved in many community and professional groups, Sackler has served on the boards and committees of various organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America and the Hattiesburg Historic Downtown Association, for which he served as president. Sackler has also been asked to teach the Mississippi Development Authority’s annual Model Contractor Development Program to educate emerging contractors in South Mississippi on topics involving bonds and insurance.

www.ibamag.com

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PRODUCERS

PRODUCERS

2017

2017

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CSI also is the exclusive partner of the Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), the premier trade association representing the broad interests of companies engaged in the manufacturing, formulation, and distribution of specialty chemical products.

Program Highlights Ø Commercial General Liability & Umbrella (including Products Coverage);

KEVIN MASON Acentria Insurance Destin, FL

As co-founder and head of Acentria Insurance, Kevin Mason’s top priority is developing solutions that will strengthen the company’s position in the market. This year, Acentria took two more companies into its fold as part of its long-term goal to become the leading independent insurance agency in Florida.

Mason has been in the industry for nearly a quarter of a century, specializing in multifamily protection and coverage for national condominium associations.

Previously, he was branch manager for Insurance of America, where he progressed from being Rookie of the Year to Agent of the Year in three years’ time. He eventually became managing partner of its North Florida operations before venturing out on his own. Mason gives back to his community by serving on the board of the Destin Charity Wine Auction Foundation.

LEROY CHRISTIANSEN Gulfshore Insurance Naples, FL

A former engineer captain in the US Army, where he managed the risk mitigation and safety programs for more then 600 soldiers, Leroy Christiansen switched gears when he joined the insurance industry in 2013.

As a commercial lines client advisor

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CURTIS W. PAGE Higginbotham Austin, TX

An Austin native, Curtis Page oversees the customer service, sales operations and growth initiatives of Higginbotham’s Austin office as managing director. Page has more than 34 years of experience in property & casualty, professional liability, cyber liability, directors & officers and employment practices coverage lines, as well as expertise in healthcare and the nonprofit and social services sector.

Outside of Higginbotham, Page has served many local civic organizations in various capacities, including a stint as president of the Young Men’s Business League, sponsor of the Austin Sunshine Camps and chairman of the Capital Area Alzheimer’s Association.

with Gulfshore Insurance, Christiansen services a broad range of business clients in the Southwest Florida area, delivering commercial property & casualty solutions as well as strategic risk management. Christiansen has particular expertise in government contracting and general construction, and he remains active in those industries as member of the Collier Building Industry Association.

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14/04/2017 5:30:22 AM

FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS STUART HAKER

ERIC BECK

TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

Bouchard Insurance Clearwater, FL

Stuart Haker heads the risk management division’s large account unit at TrueNorth, where he specializes in developing workers’ compensation programs for mid-sized to large employers. He has created a unique workers’ compensation process called the S.A.F.E. Culture System, which acts as the blueprint for businesses to create a culture of safety and control workers’ compensation costs.

Haker considers “the combination of creating a positive impact on the lives of [his] clients’ people, as well as the ability to maintain a work/life balance” as the most rewarding aspects of his career in insurance.

Haker has been with TrueNorth since 2005, and has been recognized as one of Corridor Business Journal’s 40 under 40.

He is part of several local organizations that work to promote leadership and growth in the Cedar Rapids area, including the United Way, YMCA and Rotary. He has also contributed to several business publications, writing pieces on workers’ compensation and enterprise risk mitigation.

GEORGE REISCH Wood Gutmann & Bogart Insurance Brokers Tustin, CA

George Reisch specializes in creative insurance solutions that take risk management to a new level. Drawing on his experience at a Fortune 500 insurance carrier and one of the nation’s largest insurance brokerages, Reisch uses his expertise to help industrial clients lower their insurance costs and treat insurance funding as an investment rather than an expense.

With the majority of his business focused on the construction sector – from specialty trade contractors to distributors of building materials – Reisch takes the time to understand his clients’ business and contractual requirements to make sure he is able to best position their insurance programs to support their growth.

BOB GORMAN Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Chicago, IL

As executive vice president and Midwest risk solutions practice leader at Arthur J. Gallagher, Bob Gorman leads a team of senior client executives who manage some of the firm’s most complex and challenging risk management accounts. He oversees risk management programs for clients with up to $7 billion in revenues, including global manufacturing, food and transportation companies. A licensed engineer, Gorman specializes in large property & casualty programs that include captives, alternative risk financing, large deductibles and significant international exposures.

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Eric Beck is vice president of the health and human services division at Bouchard Insurance. Beck first joined the brokerage in 2003 and was invited into the ownership group in 2007; he is now one of the majority shareholders and a board member for Bouchard. Specializing in providing insurance and risk management solutions to the social service and nonprofit industries, Beck worked in many social service settings prior to joining Bouchard, including residential group homes and as a teacher of severely emotionally disturbed middle-school children.

Active in many nonprofit organizations, Beck is currently the endorsed insurance agent for the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and Health Choice Network. He also regularly speaks at nonprofit seminars on ways to reduce insurance costs and how to develop a sound risk management program.

MATT CHASE Bolton & Company Pasadena, CA

In early 2008, Matt Chase became vice president at Bolton & Company, one of the largest employee-owned brokerages in the US. Chase joined Bolton in 2004 as a commercial lines specialist and now serves as head of the construction practice group while also working on other sectors such as distribution, manufacturing and nonprofits. He works with CEOs and CFOs on a regular basis, helping them manage and mitigate their loss exposures, and is the alternative risk/ captive specialist for the agency.

Chase is an endorsed broker for three contractors’ associations at the state and national level. He has been a recipient of the Bolton Eagle Award, which recognizes top brokers, for 10 consecutive years.

www.ibamag.com

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14/04/2017 5:30:26 AM

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PRODUCERS

2017

SARA VON TERSCH NFP Property & Casualty Services Glendale, AZ

As senior vice president for NFP Property & Casualty, Sara Von Tersch provides risk management solutions to commercial clients, specializing in building programs for various franchises. She is responsible for the growth and enhancement of several proprietary insurance programs at NFP. After joining the firm, Von Tersch went on to earn her CIC designation, which she keeps current with continuing education. Von Tersch started at NFP Property & Casualty in 2006 as an account executive and continues to be the lead in production for the Southwest.

www.ibamag.com

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS FRANK BARBELLA SOLV Risk Solutions Austin, TX

BRIAN SCHNEIDER Higginbotham Fort Worth, TX

JIM ARMSTRONG Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Jackson, MS

Jim Armstrong started his insurance career as a surety underwriter trainee in the early 1970s at the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, and he hasn’t looked back since. Nearly 40 years ago, he joined Dan Bottrell Agency; today, at Fisher Brown Bottrell, he continues to specialize in surety, with a particular focus on providing surety bonds and insurance for contractors and related industries.

Having worked in Tennessee, Ohio and his home state of Mississippi, Armstrong has had the privilege of experiencing various markets throughout the years, building on his four decades of success.

“I don’t have a particular strategy for growing my book, but having been in this business for almost 40 years, I rely on my reputation, knowledge of the industry, my integrity and positive referrals from satisfied customers,” he says. “The most rewarding aspect of this business is the lasting friendships I have made with industry people and loyal customers.”

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Making his second appearance on IBA’s Top Producers list, Brian Schneider serves as a managing director at Higginbotham in Fort Worth, Texas.

Before joining Higginbotham in 2010, Schneider worked at State Farm Insurance & Financial Services, where he consistently ranked in the top two for production in its agency training program.

While at State Farm, he managed multiple offices in North and South Texas and assisted State Farm corporate.

Executing his goals has been Schneider’s main strategy for success: “Exceed client expectations, and provide innovative solutions for risk management and risk transfer,” he says. “Referrals continue to be the main growth strategy, by maintaining a strong work ethic and putting clients’ interests first.”

Frank Barbella has chosen to specialize not in a particular line of insurance, but rather in a specific group – entrepreneurs and business owners who want to enhance their bottom line by improving their risk profiles. His main strategy revolves around “a private-equity-quality diligence process” that allows him and his team to examine all risk management aspects of a business before proposing long-term strategies. The hard work pays off every time: “Prospects are so thankful for the level of detail and passion our team puts into these projects, which makes us all feel good that we are truly helping our clients improve, not just with price but real value,” Barbella says.

Barbella started out on the carrier side, both as an independent agent and with Universal Underwriters. His passion for entrepreneurship brought him to Market Financial Group, a small independent agency that he helped grow from less than $3 million in revenue to more than $15 million in less than nine years. He went on to launch several insurance-related startups before finally setting up SOLV Risk Solutions in the hopes of disrupting the stagnant nature of the insurance broker model.

In 2005, Barbella threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game against the Houston Astros.

FUN FACT

ALKA MANAKTALA IOA Insurance Services Ontario, CA

Formerly a Burger King franchisee, broker Alka Manaktala brought more than two decades of experience in quick-service and fine dining to IOA Insurance Services’ restaurant group. In her previous job at a large national brokerage, Manaktala was one of its top 10 producers in 2013, and then the top producer the following year, out of 375 producers across 125 offices.

Manaktala’s client portfolio includes big names such as Wendy’s, Carl’s Jr., Papa Johns and many other restaurants, for which she arranges coverage for P&C, workers’ compensation and employment practices liability.

www.ibamag.com

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14/04/2017 5:30:33 AM

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PRODUCERS

2017

RYAN EDGMON Higginbotham Odessa, TX

JUSTIN DOVE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. San Francisco, CA

Justin Dove has been at Arthur J. Gallagher for nine years, specializing in property & casualty placements for real estate owners, developers and property managers with portfolios in excess of $100 million. Dove also represents homebuilders, general contractors and other professionals related to the real estate and construction industries. His clients – both for-profit and nonprofit – own, develop, build, manage and invest in real estate. He has specialized expertise in real estate development and construction projects, currently leading the placement on 20 development projects representing more than $2 billion in insurable values.

JERRY HORNER JR. Fisher Brown Bottrell Insurance Ridgeland, MS

Raised in the oil boomtown of Odessa, Texas, Ryan Edgmon has spent his entire life around the oil & gas industry, paving the way for his career today. Originally set on becoming an airline pilot, Edgmon switched paths and went to work at his family’s insurance agency. After the agency merged with Higginbotham, Edgmon became the youngest managing director in Higginbotham’s history at the age of 27. His first initiative was to develop a team that specializes in oil & gas insurance. Thanks to Edgmon’s efforts, Higginbotham’s energy division is now well recognized within the sector.

“We support our clients by understanding their insurance needs and being there after placing the insurance coverage,” Edgmon says. “It’s what we call Day Two Services, because we deliver everything they need to limit their risks, manage their plans and control their costs throughout the term of their insurance policies.”

Now an executive vice president and construction team leader at Fisher Brown Bottrell, Jerry Horner Jr. began his insurance career at the agency in 1986.

Horner primarily focuses his business on construction insurance and surety.

Outside of Fisher Brown Bottrell, Horner is a past vice president and trustee for Canton Academy, has served on the board of directors for Clifton Plantation and the Mississippi Road Builders Association, and is a member of the Insurance Company Leadership Council, Associated General Contractors Association, Associated Builders and Contractors, American Subcontractors Association, Mississippi Road Builders Association, and Mississippi Asphalt Pavers Association.

BÉAT KOSZINOWSKI The Buckner Company Salt Lake City, UT

The number-one producer at The Buckner Company, one of the oldest and largest independent insurance agencies in the nation, Béat Koszinowski specializes in construction and real estate insurance, including HOAs, commercial property and apartments.

Prior to joining Buckner, Koszinowski worked for a large insurance company in Switzerland, where he was in charge of client services and insurance in Interlaken and the Bernese Oberland territory.

His strategies for success are simple: building strong networks and his team.

“Networking in centers of influence that will build beneficial relationships that lead to referrals and having a team composed of the right people” have been essential to the growth of his business.

A Certified Insurance Counselor and Community Insurance Risk Management Specialist, Koszinowski is also an active board member at the Salt Lake Home Builders Association and a member of the education committee of the Utah Chapter of the Community Associations Institute, as well as a past board member.

Born in Switzerland, Koszinowski is fluent in four languages and is a classically trained French chef.

FUN FACT

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS ZACHARY FANBERG

ALLEN CHAPMAN

Eagan Insurance Agency New Orleans, LA

Zachary Fanberg specializes in commercial and personal P&C insurance, and has an extensive background in real estate, particularly property sales and accounting management for large commercial apartment complexes.

He is one of Eagan Insurance’s condo insurance experts, having written coverage for a large percentage of condominiums and condo conversions in New Orleans.

Outside of insurance, Fanberg is an avid competitive sailor who has won the United States Men’s Sailing Championship, the Mallory Cup, three times in recent years. Fanberg also participated in the annual St. Baldrick’s

Day head-shaving event to raise money for childhood cancer research, and has given his time and talent to the American Cancer Society event Bras for a Cause, sponsored by the Women’s Council of Realtors.

TYLER LAMANTIA

DEVIN PIPKIN

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Rolling Meadows, IL

TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

A specialist in public entity risk pooling, Tyler LaMantia is an executive sales leader within Arthur J. Gallagher’s public entity and scholastic team, and also serves as director of pool administration for Risk Pool Administrators. He currently leads a team of seven pool administrators/producers.

LaMantia is a member of AJG’s divisional leadership team and the intern program leadership team. A seven-time member of the company’s elite Presidents’ Club, LaMantia recently captured the 2016 John P. Gallagher Award for the producer of the year. In addition, he recently graduated from Harvard University’s Breakthrough Leadership Program.

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HUB International Mobile, AL

As a construction risk specialist and trusted advisor, Devin Pipkin’s work covers multiple areas, ranging from contracts and certificates of insurance to safety/loss control and even human resources and succession planning. Pipkin focuses on helping companies “put controls in place to create scenarios where they are less likely to have to use the insurance they carry.”

In addition to a CIC designation, Pipkin also has an OHSA 10-hour certification and multiple construction-specific continuing education hours. He is a member of the Master Builders of Iowa, where he sits on the Associate Council. He is also part of the Association of General Contractors, which helps him stay attuned to the many issues that contractors face in their businesses today.

As an executive vice president at HUB International, Allen Chapman works closely with business owners to provide expertise and assistance in implementing an insurance program that is tailored to their specific needs. With 14 years of experience in the industry, Chapman strives to maintain strong working relationships with his clients by providing reliable risk management and insurance solutions.

Today, he focuses his business on large coastal property risk, public entities, healthcare, manufacturing and aviation – a growing sector that has had a major impact on his success.

SHAWN BUDNEY Acentria Insurance Jacksonville, FL

Shawn Budney believes the true ‘art of the deal’ is in relationship-building, which is also the key to success in this industry. Specializing in multifamily, commercial real estate and high-hazard risk management, Budney is an expert on carrier negotiations, specifically on matters such as thresholds and attachment points to layer programs, assessment of proper insurable valuations, and ultimately the best pricing for proper coverage of his clients’ risks.

Budney immediately hit the ground running after entering the industry; he received the Top Gun Award multiple times from his previous employer, and he was recently awarded Acentria’s Running of the Bull Award for his outstanding performance.

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

BRETT NILSSON The Buckner Company Ogden, UT

For Brett Nilsson, the most rewarding part of his insurance career of 35-plus years is “seeing American ingenuity at its best,” given all of the entrepreneurs emerging in the industry. Nilsson started out in insurance by writing policies for homeowners and small businesses, and has since grown his range of specialties to include manufacturing and construction. He has clients in multiple states and various countries, and makes the effort to develop long-term friendships with his customers.

Deeply involved within the industry and his community, Nilsson has served as the national chairman of the board of directors of the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America, on the board of directors of the World Federation of Insurance Intermediaries and has been part of various other committees within both state and national organizations.

ORDINARY PEOPLE GETTING THE TOP PRODUCERS EXTRAORDINARY DONE 2017

PETER BERG TrueNorth Companies Cedar Rapids, IA

Peter Berg started as an intern at TrueNorth while finishing his finance and risk management degree at the University of Iowa. After a decade of experience in the transportation and logistics industry, Berg has developed a niche in the final mile/last mile space.

He advises clients on how to manage their risks in light of the tremendous growth in e-commerce sales and on-demand delivery, particularly by focusing on events that disrupt and jeopardize the ‘non-asset’ operating model. In terms of his personal growth strategies, he follows an analytical approach and regularly leverages case studies to demonstrate his skills.

Outside of TrueNorth, Berg is an active member of the National Home Delivery Association, American Moving and Storage Association and Intermodal Association of North America.

STEVE MCDONALD Atlantic Insurance Group Timonium, MD

One half of the partner leadership at Atlantic Insurance Group, Steve McDonald is a certified property & casualty underwriter who is making his first appearance on IBA’s Top Producers list. Atlantic Insurance Group services a wide range of clients in Maryland and surrounding states, from single buildings and homeowners to real estate operations in excess of 125 locations.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS

THE PLATINUM PRODUCERS CLUB With books of business worth more than $3 million, these producers are the best of the best

MICHELE CENTENO Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Boca Raton, FL

An industry veteran with more than two decades’ worth of experience, Michele Centeno has worked in New York City, Boston, Atlanta and South Florida, delivering risk transfer solutions to numerous Fortune 500 companies. Today, Centenco serves as SVP of Arthur J. Gallagher’s risk management services group, focusing on complex P&C and management liability.

Prior to joining AJG, Centeno was with Crystal & Company, where she led the growth initiative for the firm’s risk management practice, introduced analytics and modeling to assist clients with managing insurance costs, enhanced deliverables and capabilities, and formed a Client Advisory Council, which enabled risk managers and insurance buyers to share intellectual capital to improve underwriting and brokerage services.

Centeno has also served as managing director at Beecher Carlson and at Marsh, where she led the Southeast FINPRO practice, responsible for key relationships with clients such as The Coca-Cola Company, Home Depot, Tyson and others.

In addition to her role at AJG, Centeno is vice chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative with the Urban Land Institute, is an advisory council member of the Urban Land Institute Association and is a prior board member of Catholic Charities of Atlanta.

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MATT HAMMER Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Tampa, FL

A previous IBA Top Producer, Matt Hammer has been with Baldwin Krystyn Sherman since 2010 and was named top producer within the company from 2012 to 2015. Hammer specializes in real estate and construction, which entails “working with national builders to mitigate construction defect risk while designing programs to enhance their revenue base.”

Since becoming an owner at BKS in 2014, Hammer has been integral to the growth of the company by effectively educating entrepreneurs on holistic risk management and tailoring solutions to clients’ constantly evolving needs. He also actively mentors new advisors and conducts training sessions to further technical knowledge and teamwork. Outside of his duties at BKS, Hammer is also a pastor who actively serves on mission trips around the world.

ROBERT KLINGER

SCOTT WIGHTMAN

Klinger Insurance Group Germantown, MD

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. St. Louis, MO

Founder, president and CEO of Klinger Insurance Group, Robert Klinger is a US Army combat veteran who completed his last tour of duty as an infantry commander for the 1st Infantry Division under the Big Red 1. In 1993, he formed his agency, which offers comprehensive insurance programs for a number of industries, including fabricare/dry cleaners, hair salons, contractors, restaurants, technology, the beer/wine/liquor industry and more. Klinger Insurance Group is able to service a variety of customers thanks to a multi-lingual team that is fluent in English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Spanish and Russian.

First beginning his career with Arthur J. Gallagher as a summer intern, Scott Wightman returned to the company 18 years ago, and now is an executive vice president and serves on the national practices of higher education, public sector and enterprise risk management.

Boasting 33 years of experience in insurance and risk management, Wightman previously worked as a risk manager for a regional discount department store chain and then Saint Louis University. He is a certified trainer in ERM for two national associations and has earned his ARM-E designation from The Institutes.

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TOP

PRODUCERS

2017

PETER REILLY Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Boston, MA

Peter Reilly has extensive knowledge and experience in healthcare, including more than 25 years of work with risk advisory and healthcare risk management systems. In addition to his work with hospitals, long-term care facilities and medical practice groups, he has a particular focus on rural healthcare providers and their unique risk management needs. Before joining

ROBERT FOOTE Frank H. Furman Pompano Beach, FL

Robert Foote is president of Frank H. Furman, an independent agency established in 1962 to cater to middle-market private companies. Looking after the insurance needs of underserved highhazard industry groups has compelled Foote to perform more due diligence to ensure customized solutions.

“When focusing on more difficult-toplace risks, it requires self-discipline to separate our submissions and clients from the average enterprise within the market segments we serve,” he says.

Gallagher in 2005 to lead the firm’s healthcare practice, Reilly held previous leadership positions with Johnson & Higgins, Marsh and several other large independent brokerage firms.

A member of the Professional Lines Liability Underwriting Society and the American Society of Healthcare Risk Managers, Reilly is also a founding member of the Center for Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania. Reilly has also been a guest lecturer at the Wharton School, has been a regular speaker at the NRHA’s Critical Access Hospital Conferences since 2008, and is the author of several articles and white papers on a wide range of healthcare risk and financial management issues.

“We must have an intimate understanding of the risk profile and internal strengths of our clients to clearly communicate attributes of our clients’ operations to the insurance marketplace.”

In terms of the agency’s growth strategies, Foote points to its decision to stay “within our core industry groups. This enables us to forecast and predict the risk needs of our clients before they experience financial loss.” He also mentions the value of specializing: “The benefit of being a subject-matter expert in select industries is that it allows us to integrate into our clients’ operations as a stakeholder rather than just a vendor or service provider.”

In his youth, Foote had a standing job every winter as a bat boy at the New York Yankees spring training facility in Fort Lauderdale FUN FACT

IVA GIDDIENS Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Dallas, TX

An area managing director with Gallagher, Iva Giddiens designs, places and manages multi-layered insurance programs for a variety of real estate, hospitality, private equity, manufacturing and distribution portfolios. Giddiens possesses expertise in multifamily portfolios, including market rate, affordable, tax credit, subsidized and student housing areas. Prior to AJG, Giddiens held various roles with ORIX USA Corporation, Travelers and Chubb Insurance.

ROBERT JELLEN HUB International Encino, CA

Not many people can say they have been credited on-screen for providing production insurance for a movie – but Robert Jellen can, and he was the first. For more than 40 years, Jellen has provided insurance solutions to major studios, television networks, independent film and television producers, and Fortune 500 advertisers and advertising agencies, including Fox, Walt Disney Company, United Artists, Netflix and more. Today, he leads HUB’s Entertainment Industry Solutions division as managing director.

Over the past seven years, Jellen has insured more than 2,400 scripted and unscripted television productions and has changed the way television producers purchase insurance, such as creating the film tax incentive in 2009 so filmmakers can protect themselves and insure the tax incentive/rebate they expect to earn on their productions. “[I] am very creative and have developed many insurance products over the years for the motion picture and television industry,” Jellen says. “I don’t accept ‘off the shelf’ policies and am able to negotiate many enhancements in coverage that my clients benefit from.”

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FEATURES

TOP

COVER STORY: TOP PRODUCERS

PRODUCERS

2017

PATRICIA HARTNESS Foundation Insurance Group Falls Church, VA

Patricia Hartness grew up in Arlington, Virginia, graduated from high school in 1995 and joined Foundation Insurance Group in 2000. “I started working in the insurance industry when I was 21 years old while taking some classes at NOVA,” she says. “I started working at Foundation Insurance Group as a receptionist/file clerk, and a few months later, I got my P&C license … I did customer service, account management, and now I’m a sales producer.”

Since then, Hartness has been writing personal and commercial insurance, and has developed expertise around the latter, specifically for contractors, restaurants and garages/gas stations. She has also established active working relationships with a good number of state and national carriers.

Hartness was named the number-one producer at Foundation Insurance Group for 2015 and 2016, and is the only female sales producer thus far in the agency. Being bilingual has also allowed her to serve the Latino community more effectively.

C C

CLINTON ANDERSON HUB International Chicago, IL

Together with fellow 2017 Top Producer Ed McConnell, Clinton Anderson has written more than $3 million in new revenues since he joined HUB International in mid-2016. As president of HUB’s specialty practice, Anderson focuses on building the contingent workforce space globally, including in the restaurant, retail, hospitality, staffing, PEO and home health industries.

Anderson attributes his great success to his team dynamic with McConnell.

He counts “working in a dual-producer model successfully, but also building a close-knit account management and support team” as a few of the most rewarding aspects of the business.

“We split all responsibilities, accounts and commissions, and we have very different backgrounds, personalities and expertise,” he adds. “This has allowed us to bring different perspectives and ideas to each of our clients and to stay ahead of a rapidly changing business environment.”

ALEX MICHON Lockton Companies Sacramento, CA

Alex Michon is no stranger to helping clients find solutions to business challenges. He has more than two decades of industry experience, with a focus on managed care. Prior to joining Lockton in 2016, Michon worked as a vice president at Aon for 23 years.

Michon and his team at Lockton use analytics to study and understand the business risks their clients are facing.

His statistical expertise and attention to detail recently helped an international aid client understand recent travel ban restrictions when launching a new aid program. Through collaboration with his team, the client, underwriters and coverage counsel, he was able to successfully define the risk for the client and come up with options based on various scenarios.

H h u d c

SCOTT MEYER Willis Towers Watson Chicago, IL

As an executive vice president and managing director with Willis Towers Watson, Scott Meyer leads the firm’s corporate insurance practice. In 2005, Meyer joined the company as a managing director, and is responsible for the service delivery to key strategic clients, spearheading new client development and overseeing client service teams.

Meyer spent the first five years of his career at Arthur J. Gallagher before joining Aon, where he rose to the position of executive vice president and managing director, responsible for some of Aon’s largest and most complex clients.

In addition to his current role, Meyer serves on the board of directors of HFS Chicago Scholars and the Western Golf Association, and is chairman of the board of Embrace Living Communities.

D o C b a

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Cannab

TOP

PRODUCERS

CANNABIS COVER 2017 JULY 13 CALIFORNIA 2017

SAN RAMON, CA

Home to the nation's first legal cannabis industry, Colorado hosted Cannabis Cover 2017 on April 27. The inaugural event united industry thought leaders for the most comprehensive panel discussions and expert presentations investigating the unique commercial risks and insurance needs of cannabis businesses.

Due to demand, this timely masterclass will come to California on July 13 to explore what 2018 legalization will mean for the Californian insurance market, and how underwriters, specialty brokers and retail agents can mitigate risk and position clients ahead of perils.

Join Insurance Business in San Ramon on July 13 for Cannabis Cover 2017 California to access the latest perspectives on this exciting topic, and for the unique opportunity to network with the country’s most innovative insurance leaders.

Register today!

• Access timely, expert content on the complex risks and coverage needs of the cannabis industry • Discover how perilous gaps in coverage can be closed by specialized policies • Network with innovative underwriters, brokers and retail agents

Visit cannabis.ibamag.com/california for more information or contact ATHEENA LOPEZ 303 800 5877

Atheena.Lopez@keymedia.com

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13/04/2017 5:31:09 5:20:24 14/04/2017 AMAM

FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: COMMERCIAL AUTO

Shift into high gear As a space that is benefiting from positive economic performance, commercial auto represents a major opportunity for brokers looking to drive growth

A LEGAL requirement for thousands of domestic companies, commercial auto insurance is a vast, rapidly evolving market segment. It’s a space that encompasses organizations in various parts of the economy and is a top priority for any regulated transportation firm that requires a financial

– would need a commercial auto policy,” says Megan Wicks, senior underwriter of transportation and garage at Gorst & Compass Insurance.

The reputational and financial costs associated with an auto incident can have a devastating impact on an organization

“Dash cams, along with cameras outside of units, have proven to be a great solution in preventing frivolous claims, which trucking operations seem to be an easy target for” Mark Sullivan, Midlands Management Corporation responsibility filing, whether that’s state, federal or PUC. Truckers, charter buses and moving companies all fall under that umbrella, but commercial auto coverage is also required for any organization that owns, leases or rents cars, trucks and other vehicles.

“Any businesses that own or operate a vehicle for business use – whether it shuttles customers, transports its own goods or just simply runs errands and picks up supplies

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of any size, and as a result, most US-based companies are prepared to pay for adequate coverage. Most commercial auto policies cover damage to all areas of the vehicle, medical expenses and other associated property damage. Policies are designed to minimize business interruption and enable clients to get back on the road as soon as possible with a minimum of fuss.

The burgeoning space represents a good

opportunity for ambitious brokers to grow their books of business, but there are many types of coverage and potential risks that brokers need to be familiar with. In addition to standard commercial auto and non-owned/ hired policies, inland marine policies are an important option for any contractor who regularly moves expensive materials, equipment or supplies from job site to job site.

“This way, in the event of an accident, the goods or materials being shipped are protected separately, and fixed auto insurance coverage limits for property damage are not applicable,” says Jack Coleman, vice president at Midlands Management Corporation.

“There may also be the need for an additional insured to be added to the policy when there are co-titled or leased vehicles, or the vehicle owner is not the named insured. Trailer liability may be needed, or even a garage policy if you are an auto dealer, auto repair shop or car rental agency.”

Technology’s role Emerging technology is revolutionizing many industries, and the commercial auto space is no different. The increasing popularity of ridesharing companies like Uber and Lyft has forced the insurance industry to adapt and find ways to provide coverage for individuals who use their personal car to make money on a part-time basis.

“The ridesharing idea has moved to delivery services such as On-Trac and DHL,” Wicks says. “They now have UBEROnTime, and others are trying to start up similar operations in nearly every segment of transportation.”

With competitive pressures driving insurers to find ways to cut business costs and improve both productivity and efficiency, telematics technology is also beginning to make its mark in North America. Whether in a cell phone, dongle, black box or smart tag, telematics sensors collect data on driver and vehicle behavior such as acceleration, braking, cornering,

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driving time and distance. The collected data is then supplemented with contextual data such as weather and road type, and analyzed to provide insights to the insurer.

Telematics is the technology underlying usage-based insurance, automated first notice of loss, crash reconstruction and touchless claims management. It’s being used by insurers to improve policyholder risk modeling, reduce costs, and better attract and retain policyholders.

In the commercial trucking space, many transportation companies are switching from paper logs to electronic logs [ELDs] in an effort to prevent drivers from inputting falsified data. The ELD is linked to the truck’s engine and monitors the truck’s movements

Corporation. “Also, dash cams, along with cameras outside of units, have proven to be a great solution in preventing frivolous claims, which trucking operations seem to be an easy target for. Autonomous semi trucks, I feel, will be common in 20 years.”

A growing niche As the wider economy continues to improve and corporate earnings rise, companies in the commercial auto space are reaping the benefits. Tonnage levels are up, and so, therefore, is the amount of insurable exposures. Before this recent boost, insurance offerings had tightened significantly – many of the commercial insurers left the space due to depressed pricing and poor industry

“Many insurers are now using massive amounts of historical data to develop predictive pricing models to better segment and select risk, making future profitability within the commercial auto insurance space a real possibility” Larry Defrances, Interstate Insurance Management and how long the trucker has been operating the vehicle. By law, truck drivers are only allowed to drive for a maximum of 11 hours each day; by keeping tired drivers off of the roads, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates ELDs will prevent 1,844 crashes and save 26 lives each year.

Starting in December 2017, the use of ELDs will be a mandatory requirement for all companies in the trucking industry.

“Hours-of-service violations are one of the top violations I have seen throughout the years, and [ELDs] seem to assist in preventing them,” says Mark Sullivan, a commercial broker at Midlands Management

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results. Although those tough times aren’t too far in the past, commercial auto insurance is now considered a growth area.

“Those insurers who have remained in the space have tightened their underwriting appetites pretty significantly, and that has brought pricing up, and it has been increasing for several years,” says Larry Defrances, EVP of auto underwriting at Interstate Insurance Management. “Many insurers are now using massive amounts of historical data to develop predictive pricing models to better segment and select risk, making future profitability within the commercial auto insurance space a real possibility.”

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: COMMERCIAL AUTO

COMMONLY INSURED COMMERCIAL VEHICLES Passenger car or van Passenger bus Minivan Agricultural truck Box or straight truck Cargo van Car carrier

WHAT DETERMINES A COMMERCIAL AUTO INSURANCE RATE?

Flatbed truck

Age and personal driving record of all drivers

Catering truck

License type of all drivers

Cement mixer

Vehicle make and model Type of cargo the vehicle carries

Delivery van Hearse

Number of passengers the vehicle transports Annual mileage

Despite the positive outlook, Defrances does believe additional rate increases are needed in order to keep up with everincreasing claims costs – but that tide could soon turn, thanks to the growing influence of technology. “Recent regulations and technical

56

innovations within the trucking industry, including electronic log devices, telematics monitoring systems, front- and rear-facing dash cameras, lane departure warning signals, and GPS tracking systems should improve safety across the industry and help to stabilize

insurance rates over time,” he says.

Although Defrances says the commercial auto space offers plenty of opportunities, he advises brokers to show a willingness to specialize if they want to be considered a serious player in the segment. Many specialty brokers are going the extra mile and providing industry-specific services the average broker cannot, such as loss control services, DOT compliance assistance and driver training programs, as well as management tools that allow fleet managers to monitor DOT inspections and claims.

“Brokers who have those skills help the fleet manager make driver intervention decisions,” Defrances says. “A lot of those services are provided by brokers who are serious about being in this sector, and we find we have good success working with that type of broker.”

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IT ALL COMES DOWN TO EXECUTION. AND OURS IS UNRIVALED.

If your client has a complex risk situation, you don’t have to go it alone. Our specialty risk professionals have deep experience with the toughest risk placements. We not only design creative solutions for all size accounts but repeatedly out-execute the competition.

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FEATURES

AGENCY INSIGHT

Lovitt & Touché Lovitt & Touché CEO Charles Touché explains how a community focus has helped his company push through hard times to become the largest insurance brokerage in the state of Arizona

IBA: When was Lovitt & Touché established?

Charles Touché: Lovitt & Touché was founded in Tucson, Arizona, as a result of the merger of four independent agents: Marvin Snodgrass, Jack Downey, Mac Lovitt and my father, Carlos Touché, and Tucson Realty Insurance Agency. In fact, Tucson Realty was selling insurance before Arizona became a state – our history goes back to 1911, and Arizona became a state in 1912. Today, we are the largest independent insurance brokerage in Arizona.

IBA: How has Lovitt & Touché kept up an award-winning workplace culture?

CT: We consistently rank as one of the best places to work in Arizona in the Phoenix Business Journal and Ranking Arizona, and we have received other awards recognizing our workplace culture and operations. I think the key is that we are a family-owned business without layers of bureaucracy. I have an open-door policy and so does my brother, the president of the agency, Steven Touché.

We offer flexible work schedules, wellness programs, a generous benefits package, educational seminars and more for our employees. We have a weekly management meeting, and one of the first questions I ask is, ‘Tell me the feeling of the floor – what can we do to make it better?’ Although we don’t do everything that is proposed, it’s an open

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forum, and we try to make decisions quickly to help improve our workplace.

IBA: What is Lovitt & Touché’s Learning Academy, and how did it come about?

CT: A good friend of ours at an agency in Chicago mentioned the Learning Academy concept as something successful they did.

At Lovitt & Touché, the Learning Academy provides ongoing education by presenting topics relevant to insurance that our clients want more information or help with.

The topics range across all lines of insurance. Most recently, we held a session on cybersecurity and what business owners can do to protect their operations from being hacked. During the implementation of Obamacare, we had numerous seminars on compliance, and with the expected changes in healthcare, we expect that to be another

big topic this year. In total, we do about 85 of these sessions a year in the Phoenix area and Tucson.

IBA: What has been the key to your agency’s success?

CT: We are not afraid to try different things.

Because we are not a public company, we can do some things differently without worrying about outside shareholders. Profit is important, but it is not the most important thing. We are not afraid to fail, so we try to be innovative and experiment with new ideas.

IBA: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve overcome as an agency?

CT: During the recession, Arizona was hit very hard, and most of our competition was letting people go to reduce their costs. We didn’t lay off anyone. In fact, we hired during the recession. If we were a public company,

LOVITT C.A.R.E.S. Through Lovitt & Touché’s C.A.R.E.S. community program, the agency provides support and services for various Arizona nonprofit organizations with time, talent, services, donations and sponsorships. Last year alone, Lovitt & Touché donated more than $500,000 to local charities and professional associations.

“We feel that it is important to be involved in our communities,” says Charles Touché. “Each month, we select a different charity to support through employee drives. In fact, we rebranded our firm’s slogan to ‘business minded, community focused’ because of our commitment to our communities, and that is something we are very proud of.”

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FAST FACTS: LOVITT & TOUCHÉ

Top P&C programs Construction Social services Assisted living Fast food Professional services

Year founded: 1911

“Because we are not a public company, we can do some things differently without worrying about outside shareholders.

We are not afraid to fail, so we try to be innovative and experiment with new ideas” we would have had to protect profit margins, but we felt that maintaining our service culture and adding market share was more important. That allowed us to grow during the recession, which has been the most challenging period of my career.

Many consultants criticized us by saying we were making the wrong move, that the right move was to reduce payroll and expenses, but we said no. We did a few things that were counterintuitive to what everyone else was doing at that time, but in

the end, it worked out.

IBA: How do you plan to grow in the future?

CT: Our agency has always had a large presence in construction, but during the recession, construction was hit very hard. We knew that construction would eventually come back, but the question was what do we do in the meantime? We had a fairly strong presence with nonprofits in Tucson and decided to put together a nonprofit group

Offices: Tucson, Phoenix and Las Vegas Number of employees: 220 Yearly premiums: $400 million+ Leadership team: Charles Touché, CEO; Steven Touché, president; Dave Wilder, executive vice president; Magdalena Osborn, vice president and general counsel in Phoenix at that time, and now we are the largest nonprofit insurance writer in the metro region. Our strategy is to constantly look for new areas to move into.

Twice a year, we conduct planning meetings with our managers, and one of the first topics we discuss is what new area we can go into. The most recent area we have moved into is healthcare, specifically assisted living and aging facilities. It’s a growth sector, and it’s become another area where we’ve added expertise.

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: NONPROFITS

How to find untapped (non)profits Brokers who take the time to get educated on the world of nonprofits have an opportunity to build a solid book of business in this niche THE WORK done by nonprofit organizations, social services agencies and charities to support those in need should not be underestimated. Although these agencies mostly operate away from the public spotlight – at least until

good long-term opportunity for those who put in the time to become industry specialists.

“In the mid-1980s to late ’90s, there were only two or three markets specializing in nonprofits, Charity First being one of them,”

“Some of the cuts proposed by Trump could cause some organizations to not only work on limited budgets, but to close their doors completely. Everyone is interested to see how it plays out” Vince Terlaje, NIF Pacific something goes wrong – they work tirelessly to provide services to the less fortunate.

For insurance brokers, the nonprofit space offers two opportunities: the ability to make a real difference and the chance to build a book of loyal clients in a fast-growing segment.

The number of nonprofit and social service agencies continues to grow, and because the vast majority of brokers do not specialize in dealing with nonprofits, the space represents a

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says Riley Binford, EVP at Charity First Insurance Services. “Today, there are at least seven or eight very strong nonprofit programs available, and this should only continue to grow. So you have a great combination for brokers: a growing industry segment, and a healthy and willing insurance market.”

Brokers operating in the nonprofit space need to display a level of understanding and empathy that is not required in other

segments. Every agency has its own mission and group of people it’s seeking to help, but for most nonprofits, insurance isn’t a top priority.

Although certain risks, such as property, general liability, automobile and workers’ comp are easy for nonprofit leaders to comprehend, others, like D&O or EPLI, are less obvious.

“Probably the most common D&O claim is mismanagement of funds and/or directed donations,” Binford says. “If you have employees and you elect not to carry EPLI, you are exposing the organization to employment practices claims such as wrongful termination, harassment and discrimination.”

Any organization that works with minors or mentally disabled adults also needs to protect itself by carrying sexual abuse and molestation coverage. In addition, Binford advises that “if you are a nonprofit with residential exposures or bus/van exposures that expose several lives to injury at one time, umbrella liability coverage is essential, as one bad loss could easily exhaust the underlying limits.”

Necessary coverage Although polices and coverages in the space differ between carriers, there is a general bucket of liability insurance coverages available to nonprofit organizations and charities.

Commercial general liability coverage is a fundamental requirement for most nonprofits and covers a range of events that could result in bodily injury, personal and advertising injury, or property damage to a third party.

“The most common occurrence covered by this policy is slip and fall,” says Pamela Davis, founder, president and CEO of the Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group. “This coverage should be provided on an occurrence policy and not a claims made policy.”

Volunteer accident insurance provides coverage for injury to a volunteer or participant on a no-fault basis. “Accident insurance typically pays regardless of fault, and may engage prior to an individual’s health insurance or in excess of it, depending on the

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particular policy,” Davis says.

Property coverage is another essential; in addition to covering all physical assets, it can be customized to cover property in transit, mobile equipment, fine arts, etc.

Finally, directors & officers liability covers damages resulting from the wrongful acts of a nonprofit’s directors and officers and extends to damages not covered under the commercial general liability policy.

“A good D&O policy should include broad coverage for all types of employment-related actions, including allegations of wrongful termination, harassment, discrimination and

“You have a great combination for brokers: a growing industry segment, and a healthy and willing insurance market” Riley Binford, Charity First Insurance Services failure to hire,” Davis says. “It should also offer defense for breach of contract and wage and hour claims, as well as pay defense costs as they are incurred, not on a reimbursement basis.”

Social service professional liability, which is often sold as an endorsement to a commercial

general liability policy, usually provides coverage for errors or omissions. Although it may cover the dispensing of medications, counseling and nurse practitioners, it is not true malpractice liability coverage. “This policy is typically not sufficient for organizations with

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FEATURES

SECTOR FOCUS: NONPROFITS

WHO NEEDS NONPROFIT COVERAGE? Group homes for children Transitional living centers Organizations for the developmentally disabled Domestic abuse shelters Food banks Clubs Foundations Community and senior centers Child care

medical malpractice or other professional liability exposure,” Davis says.

Nonprofits may also need coverage for employee benefits liability, non-owned/hired auto liability and employee dishonesty.

Schools Medical and dental clinics

MOST FREQUENT CLAIMS

Budgetary challenges

AUTO 48% GENERAL LIABILITY 24% PROPERTY 14% DIRECTORS & OFFICERS 10% SOCIAL SERVICES PROFESSIONAL 2% IMPROPER SEXUAL CONDUCT OR PHYSICAL ABUSE 2% 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

Source: Nonprofits Insurance Alliance Group, 2016

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The shockwaves caused by the new presidential administration are rippling through every aspect of the economy, and the nonprofit space has not been spared. In most cases, nonprofit and social services agencies have smaller budgets than other organizations to start with, and those embedded in the industry are playing close attention to how policies enacted by the Trump administration will affect those nonprofits’ ability to operate.

“Some of the cuts proposed by Trump could cause some organizations to not only work on limited budgets, but to close their doors completely,” says Vince Terlaje, president of NIF Pacific. “Some organizations face having their budgets eliminated entirely, so it’s definitely something that we as an industry need to be mindful of. Everyone is interested to see how it plays out.”

In addition to facing constant budgetary,

staff and legal challenges, nonprofit organizations also struggle to get the insurance coverage they desperately need. Standard markets are not typically set up to deal with the specialist risks presented by these types of companies, and nonprofits require a level of expertise that many independent insurance agents simply do not possess. That lack of expertise can lead to certain aspects of coverage getting overlooked; as a result, the organization might go uninsured.

For brokers, the nonprofit space represents the chance to grow a new, sustainable book of business. Every town and city across the county, regardless of size or socioeconomic status, is home to various nonprofit organizations and groups. Terlaje advises ambitious brokers to actively seek out nonprofits, charities and social services agencies within their communities and work with them to discover if there are any gaps in coverage.

“There are lots of those companies out there, and it is definitely a market that isn’t difficult for a broker to break into,” Terlaje says.

“Markets that are catering to nonprofits are well placed to enable inexperienced brokers to write nonprofits in their communities.”

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PEOPLE

CAREER PATH

ALWAYS LOOKING AHEAD After moving from law to insurance, Alan Jay Kaufman quickly rose to the top of the industry

Raised in Detroit the son of a US-based Lloyd’s broker, Kaufman was exposed to the industry at an early age.

In college, he originally studied veterinary science but eventually went to business school, where he took insurance classes “I was too entrepreneurial to be a vet; insurance interested me because my father, Herbert W. Kaufman, was in the business”

1960s

EMERGES AS A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR

1974 1996

BUYS THE FAMILY BUSINESS While practicing as a lawyer, Kaufman approached his father with a plan for the future of H.W. Kaufman Financial Group. The plan took more than four years to pull together, but the company was eventually purchased via a leveraged buyout “I was determined to purchase the company; I was convinced it would be a good future for me and my family and a great opportunity for me as an entrepreneur”

2013

WINS A MEANINGFUL AWARD Kaufman has racked up plenty of industry accolades over the years: In 2012, he was named one of the top 25 Living Legends of Insurance

by American Agent & Broker; he’s also appeared twice on the IBA Hot List. However, the award he treasures most is the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, Michigan State University, bestowed in 2013 “I treasure it, as it was my school that originally put me in the position to do what I’m doing”

2016 HITS A REVENUE RECORD Under Kaufman’s leadership, both the H.W. Kaufman Financial Group and the companies in its portfolio delivered double-digit annual growth last year, exceeding $2 billion in revenue. Also in 2016, Burns & Wilcox, Kaufman’s flagship company and one of the nation’s largest specialty insurance brokers, generated more than $1.2 billion in annual premium “I attribute it to the great people we’ve been able to bring on our team and the superb job they’ve done. It’s a great team effort”

SETS HIS SIGHTS ON A LEGAL CAREER While attending law school at Notre Dame, Kaufman focused his efforts on an international program that allowed for study at the London School of Economics. A distinguished legal career followed, which included a stint as the vice-consul of Panama “Friends and family always thought I would go into law – I was drafting contracts in elementary school. My interest in international law came from my interest in international insurance law”

2001 FOUNDS THE KAUFMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION A great believer in education and keenly aware of the problems insurance has in drawing the best and brightest, Kaufman put his resources behind his beliefs by setting up a foundation to award scholarships to exceptional students

“Some preconceived ideas about insurance mean the best talent is not attracted to the field.

I saw the foolishness and thought, ‘Why can’t people do something about that?’ So I did” 2014

CIRCLES BACK WHILE GIVING BACK Hearkening back to his early passion, Kaufman joined the board of the Detroit Zoological Society – the latest in a long list of public service positions that date back to Kaufman’s days as a Boy Scout, when doing a daily good deed was ingrained in him “You pay dues in life; there’s an obligation to give back. It’s a great pleasure to me”

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PEOPLE

OTHER LIFE

TELL US ABOUT YOUR OTHER LIFE Email iba@keymedia.com

N

UNDER THE BIG TOP Some may dream of running away to join the circus, but insurance broker Lisa Caraway actually did it LISA CARAWAY has ventured beyond her insurance brokerage, Caraway & Associates Insurance Services, to take her brand of circus performance all over southern California – but then, extending her range is nothing new for Caraway, who, among other things, works as a contortionist.

Caraway’s circus performing started with her longtime devotion to yoga, which led her to the practice of aerial yoga, which relies on equipment suspended from a high ceiling to achieve the poses.

Aerial yoga provided an entrée to aerial performance, which uses silks that are very similar to the equipment with which Caraway was already familiar.

Since then, she has added equipment such as the aerial hoop, aerial rope and the flying trapeze.

In 2013, Caraway expanded her performance with fire dancing, and last year, she added mermaid performances – choreographed underwater routines in costume. In doing so, she has extended her repertoire across all four classical elements – earth, wind, fire and air – but the last one is by far her favorite.

“I’m really passionate about aerial dance,” she says. “I feel I can create and express myself through aerial dance and circus arts.”

30

Feet Caraway climbed for her highest aerial performance to date

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5

Number of wicks on each of Caraway’s fire fans

6 to 7

Number of minutes spent underwater in a mermaid performace

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