Headquarters:
Pleasanton, CA
Year founded:
1979
Number of employees:
50
Phone:
+1 (415) 788 9810
Email:
cvondrasek@isusteadfast.com
Website:
isusteadfast.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/isu-steadfast
“We prioritise embracing cutting-edge technologies, creative problem solving and continuous improvement to enhance our premium funding solutions and provide exceptional value to our clients”
Brett Bastow, IQumulate Premium FundinG
Dan McCarthy
Chief Executive Officer
Stephanie Risk
Senior Vice President and Member Experience Leader
Doug Penley
President
Leadership
Daniel 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 Risk 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. Risk continues to be a driving force at ISU Steadfast, successfully developing effective procedures, enhancing member relationships, and advising independent agencies on optimizing carrier relationships.
Senior Vice President and Member Experience Leader
Stephanie Risk
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, distribution, and claims. Penley holds an undergraduate degree in risk and insurance from Appalachian State University and has achieved professional designations, including chartered property casualty underwriter and associate in risk management.
President
Doug Penley
Curt Vondrasek
Executive Vice President, New Member Development
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 of the American Association of Inside Sales Professionals.
Executive Vice President, New Member Development
Curt Vondrasek
Jason Smith
Executive Board Member
Jason Smith is the managing partner of American Safeguard Insurance Group, where he oversees all operations. With 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, Smith specializes in agency operations, processes, acquisitions, and talent recruitment. Outside of work, he is a passionate outdoorsman, family man, and entrepreneur.
Executive Board Member
Jason Smith
Stevens & Associates Lawyers is a leading and trusted employment law firm based in Sydney known for delivering high-quality legal expertise in the area of employment law and industrial relations across Australia, alongside a proven track record of effectively and swiftly resolving a variety of workplace law issues.
In the past year, the firm’s growth has been notable. It has:
• experienced a 213% growth in the number of client matters, increasing from 149 client matters in the 2022 financial year to 390 client matters in the 2023 financial year
• improved its online visibility, leading to over 50 online enquiries each month and a conversion rate of client leads of up to 40%
• significantly expanded the breadth and type of matters that it advises on day to day, which has increased the firm’s skillsets, diversity and resilience
• expanded its community outreach by collaborating with local Sydney venues for client seminars and continuing active participation in a Sydney small/family business group
Stevens & Associates Lawyers has adapted to digital trends by implementing an effective strategy with SEO and web design, resulting in a structural shift that has seen increased representation of employees where the firm previously mainly advised employers.
The firm’s recognition as a “Fast Firm” attests to its momentum in the employment law space.
“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started”
Wayne Tower,
IQumulate Premium Funding
Terry “T” Thompson
Executive Board Member
Elizabeth Bounds
General Counsel
Nealy Farshadi
Principal, Strategic Client Relations
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Terry “T” Thompson has over 30 years in all aspects of the insurance industry, ranging from working as a producer, manager, agency owner, and carrier marketing representative. Highlights include serving both as president and in other senior executive roles at the Gary Thompson Agency for over 20 years. Thompson has also worked for EMC in both a marketing and consulting capacity throughout the Midwest.
In addition to his distinguished insurance career, Thompson enjoys Husker sports, the Royals and Chiefs, as well as an occasional not-too-serious golf game. He resides in the Lincoln area with his wife, Stephany, and is proud of his two grown children, Taylor and Jack.
Executive Board Member
Terry “T” Thompson
Elizabeth Bounds oversees Brown & Riding’s legal, risk management, and claims departments. As the company’s chief legal resource, she reviews and negotiates corporate contracts and manages the firm’s litigation, internal legal resources, and relationships with outside counsel.
She also works closely with B&R’s senior management in developing overall risk management strategies for the firm and is directly accountable to the Board of Directors for implementing risk control measures and for the facilitation and oversight of corporate liability insurance placements. In the claims department, she takes an especially active role in policy interpretation and client claims advocacy.
General Counsel
Elizabeth Bounds
Nealy Farshadi is instrumental in helping strengthen and grow Brown & Riding’s client relationships. She maintains and improves quality procedures, oversees B&R’s ISO certification, and manages the firm’s client feedback program. Her contributions enable the executive management team to act on client input effectively. As a result, B&R’s client feedback scores greatly exceed the average and continue to improve each year.
Farshadi also supports and furthers the growth of B&R and its employees by contributing to professional development within the organization and being a resource to staff.
Principal, Strategic Client Relations
Nealy Farshadi
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
One culmination of these efforts has been the real-world, needs-based IQEdge solution. A one-stop online quoting tool designed for both the Australian and New Zealand markets, IQEdge delivers quotes in under 60 seconds. Plus, the solution offers quote comparison and quote versioning capabilities, enabling users to review vital historical and financial data in a single page view.
IQEdge can streamline and automate application processing, underwriting document verification and payment collection, cutting the need for manual labour and minimising processing errors. A digital “self-service” platform, IQEdge, reduces the need for customer and administrative support. Meanwhile, borrowers can access their accounts, make payments and manage their policies independently and through sales and support teams, which are always available for further assistance.
“We’ve created a quality platform that simplifies the quoting process yet amplifies the customer experience,” says Gordon. “It’s a real game changer.” IQumulate offers an online digital quoting tool to clients. The best-in-market solution enables IQumulate to tailor funding offerings to brokers that align with their prefered distribution channel.
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What does IQumulate have in mind for the future?
“IQumulate is on a technology journey, and we’re just getting started,” says Wayne Tower, CEO. “Through continuous engagement with our clients, partners, marketplace and industry, we will listen to the needs as they arise and position our business to be agile and respond to changes as they occur.
“Faster decision-making innovations such as AI-powered decision support systems can expedite the underwriting and approval process, leading to quicker responses to clients. This can improve client satisfaction and potentially attract more business, with the potential to allow IQumulate to capture a larger market share, whilst continuing to deliver service excellence to clients.”
“As forward-thinkers with a digital and ‘do it better’ mindset, we collectively and proactively look to learn and improve on our customer experience for our clients, paving the way for successful business outcomes for our clients and our business in the coming years ahead.
“We’re excited for the future and look forward to what’s on the horizon.”
Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Product Manager
Claire Watson
Stephen McMillan first entered the financial services Industry when he joined GE Capital as a finance analyst in 2008, from which he progressed through roles working both onshore and offshore. From there, he moved into Pacific Premium Funding as a financial planning and analysis leader in 2012 and was a key resource in the evolution of the business, first with the successful sale to Macquarie Pacific Funding and then the following progression into IQumulate Premium Funding, where he is now the commercial manager.
As commercial manager, McMillan leads a team that is responsible for commercial analysis and business support, identifying and reporting improvement initiatives, and the securitization and treasury functions of the business.
Commercial Manager
Stephen McMillan
“When I took over leadership in 2021, I wanted the organization to be more than a market access platform. I wanted to build a community where members of the DAIS network truly view us as partners in their business”
Joe Stankowich,
Direct Access Insurance Services (DAIS)
“The core value proposition of DAIS has always been providing our agency partners with broad direct market access to preferred P&C carriers while leveraging the collective strength of the group to maximize agency revenue”
Joe Stankowich,
Direct Access Insurance Services (DAIS)
Ivan Verescuk
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director
Shaun O’Brien
Head of Underwriting
Emily Walker
Head of Strata and Development
Rex Oakman
Head of Operations and Risk
Sandy Newton
Head of Underwriting
Andrew Mitchell
Manager – NSW
Michael Prokopis
Manager – Southern Region
Pam Chhabra
Manager – Residential Strata
Jeffrey Valdivia
Manager – Commercial Strata
Adam Basaldella
Manager – Claims
Grow stronger and stay independent
For more than 45 years, ISU Steadfast has helped independent insurance agencies increase profitability, strengthen carrier relationships, and build long-term agency value, without giving up ownership or control.
Designed for independent agencies that want:
100% Agency Ownership
Up to 100% Commissions
Enhanced Profit Sharing
Direct Carrier Relationships
Perpetuation Solutions
No Exit Barriers
The ISU Steadfast advantage
ISU Steadfast combines the scale of a national network with the freedom to operate independently.
Members gain access to carrier markets, performance incentives, technology, operational support, data insights, and a collaborative community of agency owners, all designed to help agencies grow while remaining independent.
Whether you’re focused on improving profitability, expanding market access, planning for succession, or increasing agency value, ISU Steadfast provides the resources and relationships to help you achieve your goals.
What our members say
“If you’d asked me three years ago whether joining a network was right, I would have hesitated. But ISU Steadfast is different. We kept our independence, gained resources, and became part of something bigger without giving up control.” – Eric Weedin, Weedin Agency
“One of the first things the ISU Steadfast network did for us was give us access to carriers we would not have had otherwise. They also managed these contracts for us, along with bonus and incentive commission agreements that we couldn’t get in place on our own.” – Kevin Hawkinson, Commercial Insurance Associates
The network of choice for independent agencies
Discover how ISU Steadfast can help your agency grow stronger while staying independent. Visit isusteadfast.com.
Built around partnership
The DAIS approach reflects a deliberate vision of what an insurance agency network should be. Senior vice president Joe Stankowich has been involved with DAIS since 2015 and assumed leadership in 2021. Since 2015, the network has grown from 13 retail agency partners to more than 140 independent insurance agencies nationwide.
“The core value proposition of DAIS has always been providing our agency partners with broad direct market access to preferred P&C carriers while leveraging the collective strength of the group to maximize agency revenue,” Stankowich says.
“When I took over leadership in 2021, I wanted the organization to be more than a market access platform. I wanted to build a community where members of the DAIS network truly view us as partners in their business.”
A high-touch model at scale
Despite its growth, DAIS maintains a high-touch approach. Every partner has direct access to senior leadership, which serves as a trusted advisor on operations, strategy, and growth.
The network continues to expand carrier relationships, technology resources, and business solutions that help agencies compete and grow. Through educational webinars, agency roundtables, and an annual conference, DAIS has created a collaborative community that extends beyond market access.
For agencies seeking direct carrier access, profit-sharing opportunities, and true partnership, DAIS offers a compelling alternative to traditional insurance aggregators, agency clusters, and insurance agency alliances.
