SPECIAL REPORT
YOUNG GUNS 2018
ALEC FRITCHIE Producer GILLIS, ELLIS & BAKER Age: 32
BOB PEDERSEN Assistant vice president, broker
Growing up in the industry, with a family connection to Gillis, Ellis & Baker [GEB], provided Alec Fritchie exposure to the insurance world that set his course early
on. His ability to read policies and interpret coverage has come naturally as his career has progressed, and he’s been able to master the structure of policies. After a few years of working in Washington, DC, and Dallas, Fritchie moved back to New Orleans and joined GEB in 2014. Currently, he focuses on commercial property & casualty as well as marine risks in the New Orleans area and across the Gulf South. In recent years, New Orleans has been a burgeoning tech hub, and Fritchie has worked with a growing tech company to help customize and expand its insurance program to match its pace of growth. This year, Fritchie and his team created a program that combines tech E&O with cyber liability to insure the client’s most pressing exposures. In addition, he worked to ensure that the company’s D&O policy would hold up to a large round of capital investment, resulting in a program that covers both domestic and international exposures.
BROWN & RIDING Age: 34
Bob Pedersen began his insurance career in 2007 with Navigators Management Company as a primary casualty underwriter, writing everything from small, basic accounts to large and complex ones. In 2011, Pedersen assisted in starting Houston Casualty Company’s E&S primary casualty construction unit, including developing appetite, writing forms and marketing the national launch. As an E&S construction underwriter, Pedersen developed relationships with wholesale brokers across the country and noticed a need for knowledge, innovation and specialization in the wholesale space. He then made the shift from underwriter to E&S wholesale broker by joining TravisPedersen (now Brown & Riding) in 2013. As a wholesale broker, Pedersen places general and excess liability, specializing in tough-to-place products accounts and construction risks, including projectspecific and wrap-up programs.
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GREG WATSON Managing director BURNS & WILCOX Age: 31
Since starting his career at Burns & Wilcox as a personal insurance underwriter nearly a decade ago, Greg Watson has made a name for himself thanks to his strong work ethic and passion for building relationships. In the same year he joined the company, Watson also graduated from the Kaufman Advancement Management Program and later from the Kaufman International Leadership Training in 2016. From 2015 to 2017, Watson was recognized as a top producer in the company’s Million Dollar Club, and he also earned a spot in the Half-Million New Business Club in 2017. As managing director of Burns & Wilcox’s Charlotte office, Watson’s dedication and commitment have complemented the company’s steadfast and prosperous 30-year history in the Carolinas. To continue to support the company’s growth, he established relationships with East Carolina University and the University of North Carolina Charlotte to recruit potential future associates.
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