Headquarters:

South Carolina

Year founded:

1979

Number of employees:

Phone:

+1 (415) 788 9810

Email:

cvondrasek@isusteadfast.com

Website:

isusteadfast.com

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/isu-steadfast

“We put our customers at the centre of our business, responding to brokers in a proactive and timely manner and working with the customer to understand their unique risk profile and tailor appropriate solutions”

Erica Kofie, QBE

Dan McCarthy

Chief Executive Officer

Stephanie Risk

Senior Vice President and Member Experience Leader

Curt Vondrasek

Executive Vice President, New Member Development

Leadership

Daniel F. McCarthy serves as the chief executive officer of ISU Steadfast Insurance Agency Network, where he brings over 37 years of experience in the insurance and financial services sectors. Prior to his current role, he held senior executive positions where he was instrumental in building underwriting systems, advancing claims processing, risk management, and operational efficiencies. He also founded Insurex, a successful national commercial insurance brokerage that was later acquired by NSM Insurance Group.

Chief Executive Officer

Dan McCarthy

With 26 years of experience, Stephanie has cultivated deep and multifaceted expertise in the property and casualty (P&C) industry. Her experience includes 12 years as a Commercial Lines Underwriter in the wholesale sector before joining ISU Steadfast in [2012]. Stephanie continues to be a driving force at ISU Steadfast, successfully developing effective procedures, enhancing member relationships, and advising independent agencies on optimizing carrier relationships.

ISU Steadfast Senior Vice President and Member Experience Leader, ISU Steadfast

Stephanie Risk

Curt Vondrasek leads the new business development team at ISU and has over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry, specializing in recruiting and sales leadership. His previous roles include SVP at MarshBerry, SVP at AIG, and VP at HUB International. Vondrasek has served on several boards, including ABIA, CIMRO, and RRHOA. He is also the past president of the Chicago chapter for the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals.

Executive Vice President, New Member Development

Curt Vondrasek

Erica Kofie, QBE

“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”

Erica Kofie, QBE

Leadership

“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”

Erica Kofie, QBE

Leadership

Doug Penley

Executive Vice President, Strategic Insurance Partnerships

With over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Doug Penley’s career spans both insurance carrier and agency roles, including ownership of an agency and leadership in risk placement and carrier relations for a top 75 insurance agency in the US. He also spent significant time with a national carrier, where he held a range of roles in sales and distribution, as well as claims. Penley holds an undergraduate degree in risk and insurance from Appalachian State University and has achieved professional designations, including Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Associate in Risk Management (ARM).

Executive Vice President, Strategic Insurance Partnerships

Doug Penley

Damian Percy

General Manager, Securitisation

Damian Percy is a creative, lateral-thinking and outcomes-driven senior leader with over 20 years of experience in financial services and a deep and broad understanding of the Australian home loan market. He is a highly respected commentator and advisor to the industry, with practical expertise across all facets of the sector, including distribution, operations, product design, technology and regulation. Percy understands that, ultimately, all business is problem-solving, and he applies his rare blend of industry expertise and innovative thinking to build strong businesses and great customer outcomes. Percy is a past director and fellow of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia, holds degrees in arts and law and was a founding member of the nation’s leading Elvis parody act between 1992 and 2004.

General Manager, Securitisation

Damian Percy

ISU Steadfast is an insurance agency network passionately committed to supporting the growth, competitiveness, and perpetuation of independent insurance agencies. Since our beginnings, we have stayed true to our mission – to help independent insurance agencies thrive. Today, our network consists of more than 220 independent insurance agencies benefiting from our valuable services and solutions. We offer local capabilities and expertise, backed by the power of an international organization. Our management team has extensive experience in the US insurance market and is dedicated to delivering value to our members and strategic partners over the long term. Unique to our business is the combination of local experience with the expertise and resources of Steadfast Group, an international organization recognized for operating independent insurance broker and agency networks in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United States. The brokers and agencies in Steadfast Group’s networks place over US$15 billion in gross written premium annually. What we do We help independent insurance agencies thrive. By providing our members with valuable services and solutions that improve their ability to service clients, they can earn higher compensation and grow their businesses. None of our services and solutions are compulsory. Our members choose the offerings they would like to implement based on their specific needs and objectives.

“We continue to see cyber as a key opportunity and will be further developing customer-centric solutions across various geographies and segments in line with our growth aspirations”

Erica Kofie, QBE

Tony Bird

Chief Risk Officer

Mark Hewitt

General Manager, Industry and Partnership Development

Brad Wearn

Chief Technology Officer

Simon Williams

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

Tony Bird has been working in the banking and finance industry for 25 years, predominantly in credit risk, collections and portfolio management. His strength is bringing creative, data-driven solutions to safely grow retail portfolios. He develops strong relationships with internal and external partners to maximise profit after capital charges. Bird’s management style is collaborative and focused on achieving ambitious targets.

Chief Risk Officer

Tony Bird

Mark Hewitt has a wealth of knowledge and industry experience, with 40 years of experience in financial services. He is a member of the executive team at aggregator Australian Finance Group (AFG), which he joined in 2006 as general manager of broker and residential and is currently AFG’s general manager of industry and partnership development. Prior to joining AFG, Hewitt spent 20 years with ANZ, including four years in ANZ’s third-party distribution area, and later became national manager of key broker relationships. He has also recently been co-chair of the Combined Industry Forum and has played a key role in the industry reform process. Hewitt’s significant skills encompass operations, communications, relationship management, credit management, asset finance, human resources, contract and sponsorship negotiation, and sales. He was named on the MPA’s Global Mortgage 100 list in both 2020 and 2021. He is also a director of the Mortgage and Finance Association of Australia (MFAA), Think Tank Group and Mortgage Processing Services.

General Manager, Industry and Partnership Development

Mark Hewitt

Brad Wearn, serving as the chief technology officer, brings extensive expertise and forward-thinking approaches to the evolving landscape of IT services procurement and management. With a keen eye on industry trends and organisational needs, he recognises the shift toward purchasing IT capabilities “as a service,” acknowledging both its agility and potential security risks. In his role, Wearn navigates the challenges posed by “shadow IT” and the impact it can have on organizational spending and security. Embracing an IT delivery model focused on flexibility and efficiency, he champions the adoption of “as a service” platforms. This approach ensures transparency in usage and enables the implementation of necessary controls to safeguard critical data and systems. By spearheading this transformation, Wearn moves away from defending a large IT budget toward facilitating the adoption of tailored technology solutions aligned with evolving business needs. With an unwavering commitment to driving innovation and maximizing value, he sees himself at the forefront of an exciting journey as a CIO, navigating the ever-changing landscape of technology with enthusiasm and expertise.

Chief Technology Officer

Brad Wearn

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

Read on

IB Top Brokerages

Award Winner

ISU STEADFAST

SPECIAL REPORT

Home

Bio

Read on

Award Winner

SPECIAL REPORT

Home

Bio

Read on

Award Winner

SPECIAL REPORT

Home

Bio

Medal

Small business

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Turnaround time – claims

BDM support

Broker communication, training and development

Overall service level

BDM support

Medal

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business

Medal

Overall service level

Broker communication, training and development

BDM support

Turnaround time – claims

Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance

Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability

Small business