Pro-File

December 2008
Weathering Any Storm
Give him any situation and insurance wholesaler Steve DeCarlo will figure out how to make it work. He has the scars to prove it.

November 2008
What Makes Mike Run?
Illinois Director of Insurance McRaith sees the changing insurance universe for what it is—not all about state regulation.

October 2008
Wheel of Fortune
Nobody expected Tom Watjen's amazing turnaround of Unum. Nobody.

September 2008
The Personnel Touch
Mike Sherman believes strong relationships—especially with your staff—build a great business. Who’s to argue with success?

July/August 2008
Small-Town Roots to Big-Time Dreams
D. Gaines Lanier built the family business into one of the largest private brokerages in the nation.

June 2008
Operating on the Margins
Mike Paschke benefits from cultivating the ethos of benefits in a p-c world.

May 2008
Zest Fest
From smashing fruit to smashing sales records, her zest for life creates a successful boutique wholesale operation.

March 2008
Wild Game Hunter
Brash, quirky, innovative: Corporate Synergies' Eric Raymond grows his business organically, promoting serivces others don't.

January/Feburary 2008
Catching the Wave of the Future
Mary Sklarski, Charlie Rosson are the fresh faces of Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. The San Francisco firm makes a point of looking to youth and diversity to build its future.

December 2007
At the Peak of His Career
California wholesaler Jerry Sullivan not only loves history, but makes it.

November 2007
Greg Makes His Case
With nearly three years under his belt, Aon’s Greg Case has persuasively moved his firm’s culture and taken advantage of market changes to shift into high gear.

October 2007
From Pottery to Premiums
Long after the family business shifted from pottery to insurance, Jacques Verlingue is casting a new mold.

September 2007
Breeding a Winner
JLT’s chief exec Dominic Burke jumps hurdles on the way to remaking the Europe’s largest, home-based brokerage. sells U.S. retail unit, reshuffles London operations and moves into China.

July/August 2007
Czech Mate in the Eastern Europe Market
At 34, Czech entrepreneur Pavel Nepala, has created the largest independent brokerage in Eastern Europe.

June 2007
Uncommon Touch
As soon as you meet the receptionists—Jake, Pirate, Lola and Mabel—you realize Craford Benefit Consultants is not your typical benefits firm.

May 2007
Opening Moves
New York’s new insurance superintendent, Eric Dinallo, moves easily on both sides of the industry chess board.

April 2007
The Far Side of the World
Kunio Ishihara, president of Japan’s largest insurer and chair of his nation’s property-casualty association, eyes the U.S. and explains his company’s blueprint for global growth.

January/Feburary 2007
Robert Hiscox’s Avant-Garde Work Ethic
The iconoclast breaks free of Lloyd’s tradition-bound culture to build his new Bermuda empire.

Feature

December 2008
Specialty Agent
Wholesalers take on the impossible missions, placing coverage no one else can.

November 2008
Nicotine Nation
Weaning workers off the nicotine habit cements business relationships and client savings.

October 2008
It Takes a Sophisticated Thief
Divesting of stolen masterpieces may be more difficult than stealing them.

September 2008
Smash Hit!
After years of legal battles, The Council shatters all U.S. countersignature barriers.

July/August 2008
The Color of Money
What does going green really mean? These brokers are happy they found out.

June 2008
Committing Insurance Without a License
WHAT? ME WORRY? Florida's hurricane insurance reforms mean every Florida insurance consumer may be buried under surcharges piled atop surcharges--all to create cheap rates today. Some see a federal bailout in the offing.

April 2008
The Grapes of Math
Pinot Envy: The winery business is a vintage case of romancing the soul and kidnapping the palette while robbing your peace of mind. Specialist brokers managed the risk to help vintners sleep at night.

March 2008
A Show of Passion
Insuring the most exotic cars in the world is not for the faint of heart.

January/Feburary 2008
Home Aweigh from Home
New super yachts make a great second home as well as a great home office.

December 2007
Getting Up to Speed: The 150 mph Question
Insurers hestitate to cover property along the Gulf Coast despite coastal building codes requiring construction techniques that withstand most hurricanes. Are insurers up to speed on the latest technology?

November 2007
The Town Without Insurance
San Miguel de Allende: A town without pity for Type A’s—and mostly without insurance.

October 2007
The Elephant Challenges the Dinosaur
Federal regulation could force the listless NAIC into action—or extinction.

September 2007
The Strip Stakes
Las Vegas grows more sophisticated as does its high stakes risk.

July/August 2007
Body of Work
They’re dead serious about insuring body parts in Hollywood.

June 2007
Seconds Away

April 2007
The Super Bowl of Horse Racing

January/Feburary 2007
Compensation Calculus

Group Benefits

June 2008
Stable Relations
Compelling reseach finds it's the healthy who distort the insurance market, and employer-sponsored health insurance plans are the best cure.

January/Feburary 2008
Lacking Talent
In five years there won’t be enough qualified people to meet your firm’s personnel needs. Try to become the employer of choice, or you face potential financial disaster.

November 2007
The Power of One
When group coverage gets too expensive for small employers, brokers turn to individual policy options.

October 2007
Anecdotes as Antidote for Health Care
Michael Moore’s “SiCKO” movie attacks the small symptoms and not the big picture. Does he really think Cuba has the answers?

September 2007
Chaos Theory
Information technology is set to transform the chaotic health records world by enabling the healthcare industry to discard paper files for more accurate and mobile electronic files.

July/August 2007
Voluntary Vista
Brokers miss the chance to move into voluntary benefits because they view them as an afterthought instead of an opportunity.

June 2007
Online House Call

May 2007
Carve-Out Culture

April 2007
Rough Writers

January/Feburary 2007
Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

International

October 2008
Buy, Hold or Cellar
Insuring vintage investments may be hard to swallow for some, but it’s absolutely essential if you don’t want to become the next ‘Big Wine Caper.’

May 2008
Odd Ball
Hole-in-one insurance and gaming coverage play well with wholesalers as new tools help calculate risk and open a new world of contest underwriting.

March 2008
It Could Never Happen to Me
Crisis experts know there’s no such thing as the unthinkable. Even insurers are vulnerable to risks that are easy to predict but hard to quantify.

December 2007
Power Rangers
We decided long ago to make a mark on our industry. >> We had no idea what to expect, but we wanted to make a difference. >> So we navigated through tragedy, a political split and bad markets. >> And then we handed the reins to a liberal Democrat who hired a conservative Republican! >> Together, we made history!

October 2007
Rock Stars on the Rock
Bermuda attracts some of the best underwriters (and their groupies) to the Mecca of reinsurance. The atmosphere and market are changing.

January/Feburary 2007
A Matter of Principles

Financial Aficionado

November 2008
Own the Room
Talk may be cheap, but lousy presentation skills can prove very expensive to your business.

October 2008
Dealer's Choice
Before negotiating a successful M&A deal, know what you want and what you will do when the other player shows his hand.

September 2008
Taking 14 Sales Steps to Catch Up
Average firms lose 10% to 15% of their clients annually--so you might begin your new year behind your last.

July/August 2008
But They Don’t Wear Cleats
Wanna field a winning team? Keep the new players coming

May 2008
Makes Yours A Talent Agency
The biggest issue facing our business is lack of talent. Put lip service aside. It's time to make talent your priority.

April 2008
Tao of Collaboration
We think our selves straight shooters, good listeners and people who appreciate and support each other. but saying so doesn't make it true.

March 2008
30 Core Values to Creating the Perfect Firm
After a quarter century, we discovered the perfect gem: a firm that lives and breathes a culture of success, surpassing every measurable benchmark.

January/Feburary 2008
10 Steps to Becoming a Great Boss
Being a great boss is not about you; it’s about your employees. Reinventing yourself as a leader is the first step in building a better team.

December 2007
New Year's Revolution
The party's over. It's time to resolve to revolutionize your firm with a new strategic plan, renewed sales culture and new investments in staff.

November 2007
The Acquisition Autobahn
Why some banks crash and burn after buying brokerages while others pass them by in the fast lane.

October 2007
No-Fault Divorce
Employment pre-nups save a lot of heartache when your best workers bat their eyes at other suitors.

September 2007
A Yield Guide to Negotiating
Authority has its limits. That’s when negotiating skills kick in.

July/August 2007
Hunters or Farmers?
Does your agency compensation system create hunters of new business or farmers of old?

June 2007
Double Agent

May 2007
Aiming for the Upper Deck

January/Feburary 2007
Devices and Desires

Other Features