Headquarters:
Los Angeles, CA
Year founded:
1968
Number of employees:
80
Phone:
800 437 6616
Email:
mail@gorstcompass.com
Website:
gorstcompass.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/gorstcompass
GORST & COMPASS
Shannon Newman
Director of People Operations
Bryan Clark
President
Paul Laufer
Chief Operating Officer
Leadership
Shannon Newman joined Gorst & Compass in 2021. As Director of People Operations, she is responsible for driving key business initiatives that support the success and development of people. Prior to joining Gorst & Compass she held human resources, business development, and consulting roles with Chubb and ADP. Shannon earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from California State University Northridge and a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.
Director of People Operations
Shannon Newman
Bryan Clark joined Gorst & Compass in 1997 as an underwriter trainee and embarked on a path to learn wholesale insurance business from the ground up. He served as executive vice president prior to becoming president of Gorst & Compass in 2015. Clark’s leadership approach is all about empowering others to build their own success. He is genuinely enthusiastic about the insurance industry and has a passion for developing new industry talent.
Clark is past president and a former board member of the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA). He is a past president of the California Insurance Wholesale Association (CIWA) and a former AAMGA board member. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from San Diego State University.
President
Bryan Clark
Paul Laufer joined Gorst & Compass in 2007 and became executive vice president in 2017. He was named chief operating officer in 2022. From the beginning, he consistently demonstrated his commitment to building a great and successful company. His contributions expand to all departments, and his efforts have been crucial to multiple operational areas and important strategic initiatives.
Laufer is a board member and a past president of the California Insurance Wholesalers Association (CIWA) and a legislative committee member of the Surplus Lines Association of California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from California State University Northridge and a professional designation in personal financial planning from the University of California Los Angeles.
Chief Operating Officer
Paul Laufer
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Jennifer Clark
Vice President of Human Resources
Jennifer Clark joined Gorst & Compass in 1997. She started as a commercial underwriter for the company, and for the past 10 years has served as vice president of human resources, overseeing all HR functions within the organization. As a member of the executive leadership, she plays a key role in aligning HR strategies with the company’s vision.
Clark is passionate about philanthropy and strongly believes in the importance of giving back and supporting the community. Prior to joining Gorst & Compass, she worked for Scottsdale Insurance. She earned a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.
Vice President of Human Resources
Jennifer Clark
Chip Pohill
Chief Underwriting Officer
Chip Pohill joined Gorst & Compass in 1993 and became the company’s chief underwriting officer in 2018. He began his insurance career in 1986 as an underwriter for Marine Office of America/Continental Insurance.
Pohill later served as a risk management consultant for KPMG and as regional manager for excess property, Transamerica Insurance. He earned a BA degree from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in international business administration from the American Graduate School, Arizona State University.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Chip Pohill
Founded in 1968, Gorst & Compass Insurance is a wholesale distributor of specialty insurance products. The company is independently owned and operated, offering unique solutions for property, casualty, personal lines, professional lines, transportation, garage, and standard commercial lines. Headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, the company partners with over 100 carrier partners.
Gorst & Compass has earned a solid reputation in the industry for providing exceptional service and expertise. It continues to adapt to an ever-changing and dynamic insurance landscape, with strategic plans to expand its product offerings and business footprint.
With over 70 employees today spread across seven states, Gorst & Compass is well positioned for continual growth and success.
“What sets Gorst & Compass apart is our unique company culture, and our unwavering dedication to client satisfaction and carrier partner relationships. We prioritize transparency, integrity, and reliability in every interaction, striving to build lasting relationships built on trust and professionalism,” says Bryan Clark, president.
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Steven E. Craig
Chief Financial Officer
Mark Bernacki
Chief Underwriting Officer
Julie Prewitt
Senior Vice President, Marketing
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Steven E. Craig is the chief financial officer at Johnson & Johnson. He graduated from Clemson University (BS Finance) in 1988, the University of South Carolina School of Law (JD) in 1993, and New York University School of Law (LLM, Taxation) in 1995. After practicing tax law for 15 years, he joined J&J as CFO in 2010. He lives in Charleston with his wife, Molly. They have three children: Steven, Macy, and Michael. He enjoys playing golf, traveling, hunting, boating, and generally being outdoors.
Chief Financial Officer
Steven E. Craig
Mark Bernacki is the chief underwriting officer of Amwins, the first to serve in the role. Prior to that, he served as president of Amwins Special Risk Underwriters. In addition to his leadership in underwriting, Bernacki runs the Amwins Alternative Risk Transfer Team for Amwins.
Chief Underwriting Officer
Mark Bernacki
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
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
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
maintaining an in-house team of more than 20 programmers to facilitate fast improvements
direct bill options to streamline the payment process for the agent and the insured
providing IVANS policy downloads that enable up to 30 percent labor savings to independent agencies
delivering online capabilities including rating, policy documents, payments, and claims reporting
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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.”
RPS continues to add top-tier talent to its roster of insurance specialists and growth through new merger partners, all with one central focus – providing insurance expertise and speed of service to its clients.
relationships and teamwork
embracing and driving change
holding teammates accountable
pursuing excellence with humility
giving back to the community
To remain competitive, J&J strategically markets its expertise to bolster brand awareness. Licensed in every state and with over 600 employees, the firm has plans to continue expanding.
Reflecting on J&J’s status as a long-term regional player, Burrous shares, “In the last four to five years, we decided that it was important for J&J to become a national player. We have offices in Dallas and Phoenix, and we just did an acquisition in Oregon.”
Despite expansion plans, upholding quality customer experience remains a key priority for J&J.
“It’s from the point an agency thinks about contacting J&J to how they contact J&J, to the experience they have after that contact. We measure all of that and we’re building an extensive internal report card that is monitored consistently,” shares Burrous.
Aside from providing clients with best-in-class services, J&J also strives to create meaningful impact within the communities it operates in.
Whether it’s participating in Trident United Way’s Day of Caring, joining a project with Habitat for Humanity, organizing food and clothing drives, or volunteering for local community organizations, J&J drives positive change.
To sum up the most important asset of the J&J Team, the core value “relationships and teamwork” exemplifies the root of the company’s success.
“Our family culture is what sets us apart. If you need something as a teammate, I’m going to help you even if it’s not my department. I think that’s really the glue of what keeps us together,” says Burrous.
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