Profile
“Our mission is simple: we empower financial planners to spend more time building trust, deepening client relationships, and growing their business”
Chris Arthur, Bold Wealth
The lasting legacy of 2025 Insurance Business America Hall of Famer Larry Thomas’ career in the insurance industry is defined by innovation, collaboration, and fearless leadership.
As global president of Platform Solutions at Crawford & Company, Thomas’ role in transforming the contractor-managed repair model, by bringing the restoration and insurance industries together, has been the brightest achievement of a celebrated career.
“The legacy I want to leave is being recognized as an industry difference maker. While I’ve had many roles and responsibilities, the most transformative impact has been to lead the development of contractor-managed repair,” he says.
“This model has fundamentally changed how property insurance claims are handled when engaging a contractor repair solution – bringing greater accuracy, faster cycle times, and improved customer experience.”
“With Contractor Connection established as a benchmark in the industry, widely emulated and admired, Thomas’ legacy grew even more as he moved to lead Crawford’s Platform Solutions, a technology segment known for its innovation, client satisfaction, and operational excellence.”
As an accomplished student athlete at UCLA and a high school football coach, Thomas believes that the same skills which allowed him to succeed in sports have also led him to thrive in the insurance industry as a leader.
“The lessons I learned through sports and coaching helped me establish the values I’ve carried into every leadership role I’ve held,” he says. “I learned the importance of trust, teamwork, and having a clear game plan, but also knowing when to adjust. Just like game time adjustments made in sports, I believe leaders must revise plans and embrace change as an opportunity, not a setback.”
Throughout his career in a number of leadership roles, Thomas has shown a distinct capability of building strong teams that have produced tangible results for Crawford as well as the industry as a whole.
“My strongest professional quality is leadership built on respect, empathy, and accountability. I learned early that trust and teamwork are essential. Those lessons carried into my business career,” he explains.
Having been in the industry for over four decades, Thomas has seen many waves of technological changes impact insurance. Whether it was adapting to computers, automated estimating and now generative AI, the Hall of Famer has always sought to be an industry leader in innovation, rather than following others.
“For me, the challenge was not just learning new technology but leading teams through the transformation,” he says. “I embraced adaptability and innovation and preferred leading the pack, rather than being a fast follower. That mindset helped us innovate and position ourselves as leaders and differentiators leveraging technology, which ultimately strengthened our industry partnerships.”
As the Hall of Famer closes the curtain on a remarkable career, Thomas is looking forward to seeing his work with restoration and insurance continued by the next generation of industry leaders.
“Seeing this approach validated by higher customer satisfaction scores and global adoption – in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia – has been incredibly rewarding. My hope is that this legacy of innovation and partnership continues to shape the industry for years to come.”
10550 Deerwood Park Blvd #100, Jacksonville, FL 32256
404 558 6469
larry.thomas@contractorconnection.com
linkedin.com/company/irwin-siegel-agency
contractorconnection.com
Larry Thomas
Global President, Platform Solutions
Crawford & Company
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“Whether I’m in a strategy session or a hiring meeting, I try to lead with understanding. Financial planners are under immense pressure, and so are our internal teams. The best way to earn trust is to truly listen”
Chris Arthur,
Bold Wealth
1983–1989
1989–1994
1994–1999
1999–2015
2015–Present
Multi Line Adjuster at Crawford & Company
1983–1989
Management
1989–1994
Corporate Leadership
1994–1999
Executive Leadership
1999–2015
Global Executive Leadership
2015–Present
Assistant Vice President and Senior Broker at MJ Hall & Company since 2018
Present
Milestones
