News

Home / Newsroom / Burns & Wilcox Growth Momentum Continues Into New Year, Expands Private Client and Flood Expertise Within Personal Insurance Practice

Burns & Wilcox Growth Momentum Continues Into New Year, Expands Private Client and Flood Expertise Within Personal Insurance Practice

Company remains focused on increasing presence in key markets, adds top talent 

 

Farmington Hills, Mich. (February 14, 2022) – Burns & Wilcox, a globally recognized leader in wholesale insurance brokerage and underwriting, announced today five new associates added to its Personal Insurance Practice Group, specifically Private Client and Flood expertise. The professionals joining Burns & Wilcox teams across the United States include Nelson Oliva, Kristopher Guasch, Andrew Sable, Jeremy Bright, and Patrick Sullivan. 

As the Personal Insurance markets continue to see non-renewals, moratoriums, carrier withdrawals, and tightening capacity, the demand for expertise is on the rise. The strategic expansion across the Burns & Wilcox network is an opportunity to better serve its brokers, agents and insurance partners—further cementing the company’s unique market position as a leader in the space and a destination for talent. 

“Burns & Wilcox continues to double-down on adding top talent, building onto our extensive capabilities as the industry’s go-to for specialty insurance,” said Danny Kaufman, President, Burns & Wilcox. “Our focus is to invest in the technology and resources that attract and empower the industry’s leading talent and provide them the flexibility they need to be successful both personally and professionally. It is an approach that has led our family-run organization to substantial year-over-year growth, giving us the opportunity to establish a larger global presence and offer vast career opportunities.” 

The Burns & Wilcox Personal Insurance Practice has exceeded results from both 2020 and the pre-pandemic conditions of 2019, with double-digit growth in 2021. The company’s Flood programs grew by more than 20 percent in 2021. This success is a result of retaining and securing additional aggregate, organic growth, investing in technology and talent, and responding to market conditions with products that deliver solutions to emerging trends and exposures.  

“The insurance industry is still facing shifting market conditions and headwinds stemming from an increase in catastrophic events, driving years of unprofitability,” said Bill Gatewood, Corporate Senior Vice President, National Personal Insurance Practice Leader, Burns & Wilcox. “This results in retail agents relying even more on our expert counsel as a Wholesaler to place risks. We continue to expand our bench of top talent at Burns & Wilcox, particularly in Personal Insurance, to address market changes. I am confident these new team members will allow us to continue to provide the upmost expertise and solutions to our brokers, agents and partners.” 

  • Oliva joins as a Senior Personal Insurance Underwriter in the Private Client Practice, based in Los Angeles, with nearly 25 years of Personal Insurance experience. He specializes in affluent client solutions and is well-known throughout the Southern California region, spending the last 17 years at Gorst & Compass Insurance.  
  • Guasch joins as a Personal Insurance Underwriter based in Miami, Florida. He spent the last five years at Hull & Company where he specialized in Personal Insurance. He is well-known throughout the Southern Florida and Miami region.  
  • Sable joins as a Personal Insurance Underwriter based in Long Island, New York, with 35 years of industry experience. He most recently worked at AmWins where he managed the Personal Insurance and High-Net-Worth team. 
  • Bright joins as a Personal Insurance Underwriter based out of Atlanta, Georgia with 12 years of industry experience. He spent the past three years at AmWins and specializes in admitted and non-admitted high-net-worth underwriting and broking.   
  • Sullivan joins as a Flood Underwriter based out of Denver, Colorado. He most recently worked at International Catastrophe Insurance Managers (ICAT) where he specialized in Earthquake and Flood Insurance for the western U.S. region.  

To learn more about careers at Burns & Wilcox, visit burnsandwilcox.com/careers.   

About Burns & Wilcox:  
Burns & Wilcox is the insurance industry’s leading wholesale insurance broker and underwriting manager internationally recognized for its expertise in commercial and professional liability, property, environmental, marine and personal insurance.   

Burns & Wilcox is a member of H.W. Kaufman Group, which has over 60 offices across the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America and employs more than 2,000 professionals. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Metro Detroit, Michigan, H.W. Kaufman Group also includes: Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, Burns & Wilcox Canada, Atain Insurance Companies, Afirm, Global Excess Partners, RB Jones, Stonemark, and Minuteman Adjusters. H.W. Kaufman Group International includes: H.W. Kaufman Group Europe, Chesterfield Group, Chesterfield LatAm, Lochain Patrick, Burns & Wilcox United Kingdom, Node International and Cranbrook Underwriting. More information can be found at www.burnsandwilcox.com or www.hwkaufman.com.  

###