Headquarters:

35 W. Main St., Allegany, NY 14706

Year founded:

1977

Number of employees:

Phone:

(843) 568-5543

Email:

dward@iroquoisgroup.com

Website:

iroquoisgroup.com

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/iroquois-group

“Iroquois is the perfect network for agencies that want to grow their business and improve their financial returns while staying independent”

Laurie Branch Iroquois Group

IROQUOIS GROUP

Laurie Branch

President and Chief Executive Officer

Matt Ward

Executive Director

J. Gregory Chiapuso

Executive Director

Leadership

Laurie Branch oversees the financial and organizational aspects of the Iroquois Group. Her early years in brand management at Procter & Gamble cemented her commitment to providing an excellent experience for members and carriers. Branch is a lifelong learner with three graduate degrees and a PhD in Management from Case Western. She constantly pushes to improve the organization in all areas using best practices and an evidence-based management approach to keep Iroquois on the cutting edge as a company.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Laurie Branch

Matt Ward’s unique position straddling the field and home office worlds makes him an invaluable resource to both. He serves as an executive officer and manages national carrier relationships while leading five regions for Iroquois: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, South, and Northwest. Innovation and commitment to the independent agency channel have defined his insurance career. A creator of the PartnerPlan, Ward constantly pushes Iroquois to find new ways to reward highly partnered member agencies.

Executive Director

Matt Ward

J. Gregory Chiapuso’s years as owner, president, and producer of the Pepper and Crandall Agency (Olean, NY) positioned him well for his initial role as Iroquois’ corporate liaison with member agencies, managing partners, and carrier-partners. As an executive officer, Chiapuso uses his vast institutional and industry knowledge to create win-win-win scenarios for member agencies, carrier-partners, and Iroquois.

Executive Director

J. Gregory Chiapuso

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Amy Branch

Executive Director

Working from the Philadelphia area, Amy Branch supports managing partners across the country as they build relationships with carrier-partners. Her earlier experience as a regional manager and then managing partner for Iroquois provides her with a unique and valuable perspective on how to build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships between member agencies and carrier-partners.

Executive Director

Amy Branch

Jerry Samson

Chief Technology Officer

Jerry Samson ensures the team is outfitted with the necessary technology (hardware and software) to efficiently support the program and the appointed agents with the highest level of security. His expertise in data management is critical to powering the company’s business and facilitating its growth.

Chief Technology Officer

Jerry Samson

Throughout history, small groups have bolstered their power through networks and alliances. In the 12th century, the Iroquois Confederacy unified five small Indian tribes in Upstate New York into one group, providing security and resilience as a defence against internal conflict and outside forces. In 1977, the Iroquois Group – like its namesake – combined the agency of founder Paul Branch with other small agencies to improve carrier access, compensation, and competitive positions. Now, in 2023, nearly half a century later, the Iroquois Group has grown into a network of over 2,500 independent agencies in 48 states, leveraging partnerships with affiliated carrier-partners to write more than $2.5 billion in premium. The group welcomes agencies with $2–$200 million in premium to take advantage of their revenue, profit, and agency potential while maintaining independence. “Iroquois is the perfect network for agencies that want to stay independent while growing their revenue, profits, and equity value,” says ?????. “We have over 50 caring, knowledgeable advisors in the field whose sole job is to sit down with our members one on one to find the best combination of benefits to help them grow stronger. Our track record in the industry is enviable – we have consistently delivered profitable growth to our carriers and superior compensation to our members for 46 years. “Because we are family owned, with the next generation already working in the business, we can focus on the long-term because no one is asking us for quarterly earnings reports. Our ‘secret sauce’ is our commitment to creating long-standing relationships that result in a win-win-win for our members, our carrier-partners, and Iroquois.” The group operates in six regions: northeast, mid-Atlantic, south, Midwest, northwest, and southwest. “Iroquois’ Regional Managers (RMs) are a key differentiator between Iroquois and other national and regional insurance networks,” says ?????. “The RMs are well versed on each agency they manage and are committed to partnering with their carrier counterparts to deliver results.” RMs use analytical processes to optimize market selections. They collaborate with carrier-partner marketing reps to boost profitability and achievements. And they provide members with best practices. Iroquois also provides bonus and contingency income such as: sharing contingency or bonus revenue at low volume thresholds like $50,000 for most personal line carriers and $100,000 for most commercial line carriers providing members with the ability to earn up to 100% of profit-sharing revenue allowing higher loss ratios to qualify for bonus revenue, e.g., 60% bonus revenue with a 70% loss ratio For decades now, the group has stayed true to Paul’s vision of helping agencies to not only reach their potential but thrive. Paul died in 2010, and his daughter, Laurie Branch, took over the reins. She collaborates with a large group of talented managers to continue to make her father’s dream a reality. “Thanks to an ever-expanding group of talented managers dedicated to building on Paul’s dream, Iroquois is as vital and revolutionary as it was 40 years ago,” says ?????. “Today the Iroquois Group has a larger office space – but it’s just down the road from their original headquarters.”

“The RMs are well versed in each agency they manage and are committed to partnering with their carrier counterparts to deliver results”

Matt Ward Iroquois Group

Paul Zahensky

Chief Information Officer

Jacqui Price

Executive Vice President, Compliance

Julie Prewitt

Senior Vice President, Marketing

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Paul Zahensky joined REInsurePro in 2023, bringing with him over 35 years of experience in the P&C insurance technology industry. He has worked for tier 1 carrier organizations in senior leadership roles, guided the development of insurance solutions for vendor organizations and assisted colleagues with carrier transformation programs. As CIO, Zahensky utilizes his expertise to develop and implement solutions that fit the company’s business model and satisfy its needs.

Chief Information Officer

Paul Zahensky

Jacqui Price has played a key role in the growth of the program, working closely with carrier partners and underwriters to build and maintain strong relationships and manage the health of the program book. Her team handles day-to-day approvals as well as company-wide compliance initiatives, carrier reporting, internal team training and ongoing policy management.

Executive Vice President, Compliance

Jacqui Price

Julie Prewitt has worked on nearly every aspect of marketing and advertising in her nearly 20 years in the industry. Her team at REInsurePro manages branding, advertising, events, content, digital campaigns, and agent engagement and plays a key role in product development.

Senior Vice President, Marketing

Julie Prewitt

Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Sarah M Stewart

Associate Vice President, Leasing and Call Centre Operations

Karen Bannister, CM

Vice President, Marketing

Dave Longbottom

Chief Technology Officer

Alex Ventura

Head of Marketing

Damian Palovick

Senior Vice President of Underwriting AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Dr. Mary Lavoie

Head of Risk Management and Senior Vice President AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America

Mark Bernacki

Chief Underwriting Officer

Ryan Armijo

Chief Operating Officer, Underwriting Division

Bob Petrilli

President, Underwriting Division

Arch provides underwriting solutions across a diverse and growing portfolio of more than 20 business classes, spanning multiple platforms in the London company market, the Lloyd’s market, the UK regional market as well as markets in Australia, Bermuda, and the EU. Through their Lloyd’s and London company market platforms, Arch provides customised solutions and high levels of capacity across multiple (re)insurance classes. Arch’s UK Regional division, launched in 2018, offers specialised insurance solutions for a wide range of businesses, from 11 locations across the country. The past few years have been transformational for Arch Insurance International. Since 2019 the company has more than trebled in size in terms of GWP, and this growth has been seen across all territorial platforms. In 2021 Arch launched its new brand promise, Pursuing Better Together, encapsulating an approach to doing business based on collaboration, responsiveness, and a genuine commitment to continually raising the bar. Arch has a clearly defined three-year plan that is underpinned by more than 100 objectives.

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“We will continue to strengthen our service proposition and customer experience as a key differentiator, as we build on the momentum we have achieved to date across multiple business lines and territories,” says McLean. “Our im is to continue to grow our market relevance and strengthen our partnerships with our strategic brokers as we expand our leadership position in key sectors. “We will also continue to invest in talent. We are committed to drawing from the broadest pools of talent, and to creating an environment that attracts and retains stellar employees. We recognise the importance of building teams that are diverse, collaborative, and innovative and are dedicated to cultivating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture in which all our employees can thrive.”

Forty-six years ago, Paul Branch ran a highly successful insurance agency in a small town south of Buffalo, NY. With five children, Paul realized he needed to build a bigger family business if he wanted to offer them the opportunity to carry on as the fourth generation in insurance. He began by buying agencies but soon realized there were some great agencies that weren’t looking to sell. So, he began looking at other industries for a growth model that would attract similar-minded agencies that wanted to grow without having to sell and give up their independence. One of his clients was a grocery wholesaler that consolidated purchasing for dozens of independent grocery stores across several states. With a few tweaks and adjustments, Paul used that concept to launch a regional network of independent insurance agencies. Now, in 2023, nearly half a century later, the Iroquois Group has grown into a network of over 2,500 independent agencies in 48 states, leveraging partnerships with affiliated carrier-partners to write more than $2.5 billion in premium. The group welcomes agencies with $2–$200 million in premium who are looking to grow their revenue, profit, and agency potential while maintaining their independence. “Iroquois is the perfect network for agencies that want to grow their business and improve their financial returns while staying independent,” said CEO Laurie Branch. “We have over 50 caring, knowledgeable advisors in the field whose sole job is to meet with our members one-on-one to find the best combination of markets, resources and strategies to help them grow stronger. Our track record in the industry is enviable – we have consistently delivered profitable growth to our carriers and superior compensation to our members for 46 years.

“Because we are family-owned with the next generation already working in the business, we can focus on the long-term because no one is asking us for quarterly earnings reports.” The group operates in six regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South, Midwest, Northwest, and Southwest. “Iroquois’ regional managers (RMs) are a key differentiator between Iroquois and other national and regional insurance networks,” said Matt Ward, head of field operations. “The RMs are well versed in each agency they manage and are committed to partnering with their carrier counterparts to deliver results.”

sharing contingency or bonus revenue at low volume thresholds like $50,000 for most personal line carriers and $100,000 for most commercial line carriers providing members with the ability to earn up to 100% of profit-sharing revenue allowing higher loss ratios to qualify for bonus revenue, e.g., 60% bonus revenue with a 70% loss ratio

Iroquois members with good carrier performance can earn far more bonus/contingency income than they could on their own, which creates a strong incentive to deliver more profitable growth to our carrier-partners. “It is a virtuous cycle that we have nurtured for the past 40-plus years,” remarked Ward. For decades now, the group has stayed true to Paul Branch’s vision of helping agencies take their performance to the next level. Paul died in 2010, and his daughter Laurie Branch took over the reins. She collaborates with a large group of talented managers to continue to make her father’s dream a reality. “Thanks to an ever-expanding group of talented managers dedicated to building on Paul’s dream, Iroquois is as vital and revolutionary as it was 46 years ago,” said Branch.