Headquarters:
3810 Northdale Blvd. Suite 190 Tampa, FL 3362
Year founded:
2001
Number of employees:
220
Phone:
1 800 886 3897
Email:
GetConnected@usgins.com
Website:
usgins.com
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/usg-insurance-services-inc
“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”
Christine Schneider,
Arch Insurance
Timothy Horton
President
Jennifer Kessel
Vice President of Operations
Kathy Partazana
Director of Human Resources
Leadership
Timothy W. Horton is the President of USG Insurance/USG Holding, a national wholesaler of property and casualty insurance with offices throughout the country. He oversees the operations and strategic development out of the Tampa, FL location. His contributions built the footprint, distribution, products, training, infrastructure, and technology of USG since 2001.
Horton proudly served as a sergeant in the US Marine Corps before starting his career in the insurance industry, which spans over 30 years.
President
Timothy Horton
Jennifer Kessel, Vice President of Operations, has been in the insurance industry for over 10 years and is known for her innovative business acumen, tenacious resolve, and motivational personality. Kessel has a passion for leadership and a strong focus on mentorship in the growth of those working with her in and outside of the workplace.
Outside of her internal responsibilities, she is actively involved with WSIA’s U40, WSIA’s Diversity Internship Committee, Insurance Club of Pittsburgh, Strong Women Strong Girls, and the Pittsburgh Center for Children’s Advocacy.
Vice President of Operations
Jennifer Kessel
Kathy Partazana, Director of Human Resources, is a seasoned professional with over 26 years of experience. She strategically aligns USG’s HR practices with organizational goals, ensuring talent acquisition, development, and retention support long-term business success and foster a positive company culture. An attentive and approachable leader, she actively seeks employee input to create a cohesive and collaborative work environment. Her problem-solving skills and creative thinking help balance employee needs with organizational goals.
Director of Human Resources
Kathy Partazana
“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”
Christine Schneider, Arch Insurance
Leadership
“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not”
Christine Schneider,
Arch Insurance
Leadership
Harold Nam
Chief Financial Officer
Harold Nam joined Brown & Riding as a staff accountant in 2008. Since joining the firm, he has continued to ascend to positions of increased responsibility, and in 2021, he was named chief financial officer. He has seen the firm through many pivotal accounting transitions, including two significant M&A transactions, improvement of department alignment with the day-to-day needs of production staff, and has helped lead the finance and accounting department through unprecedented growth.
Nam has been instrumental in helping B&R grow from a regional specialty broker to the largest fully independent, owner-operated, national wholesale brokerage firm in the UN.
Chief Financial Officer
Harold Nam
Cristi Carrington
Chief Distribution Officer
Cristi Carrington has worked in the insurance industry for over 25 years and is the point person for Brown & Riding’s carrier relationships. She manages the underwriting division and has developed many specialized programs for the company during her tenure, including a Habitational program, DIC, MPL, All Risk, including Wind & Earthquake, and a nationwide risk purchasing group for a top 40 nationally ranked retailer.
Carrington works on several committees and industry associations. She currently serves on WSIA’s Board of Directors as the PAC committee co-chair and is vice president of the Surplus Line Association of Washington Board of Directors.
Chief Distribution Officer
Cristi Carrington
USG Insurance Services is a results-driven wholesaler and MGA with branches nationwide and 200+ team members. Celebrating 23 years of service in 2024, USG proudly introduced a newly updated website including exclusive programs and expanded markets. Throughout 2024, USG plans to continue its organic national expansion.
At USG, the culture is all about putting people first. The company values its team members and is dedicated to their growth and development, ensuring each person has the opportunity to thrive both personally and professionally.
The spirit of entrepreneurship is actively encouraged and celebrated, empowering team members to think innovatively, take initiative, and explore new ideas. This entrepreneurial mindset creates a dynamic and forward-thinking atmosphere throughout the organization.
By combining a people-centric approach with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, USG fosters an environment that supports its team members and drives the company to new heights. This unique blend of values makes USG a place where individuals can flourish and contribute to the company’s ongoing success.
For more information, visit usgins.com.
Christopher Welty, PHR, SHRM-CP
Chief Human Resources Officer
Andrew Grim
Executive Director of Specialty, National Casualty Practice Leader
Nealy Farshadi
Principal, Strategic Client Relations
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Christopher Welty joined Brown & Riding in 2007 as an HR assistant and swiftly advanced within the company. His dedication and talent led to a series of promotions, culminating in his appointment as the firm’s CHRO in 2019.
During his tenure, Welty has seen B&R more than quadruple in growth. He helped successfully integrate the company through two mergers and has been a strong advocate for many of the company’s important benefit plan enhancements. He excels at collaboration and has been a key contributor in establishing and promoting the company’s culture and offering programs and opportunities to help employees.
Chief Human Resources Officer
Christopher Welty, PHR, SHRM-CP
Andrew Grim is Brown & Riding’s executive director of specialty and works with the Executive Leadership Team and Practice Group Leaders to promote marketing uniformity, streamline recruiting efforts, and manage specialty formation and development. He is also tasked with spearheading innovative strategies for the firm’s industry and specialty practice areas.
Grim also serves as B&R’s National Casualty Practice Leader, a position he has held since 2021, overseeing the practice group’s continued growth and marketplace reputation. He has been a member of WSIA’s Membership & Ethics Committee since 2018 and is also an IICF Southeast Division Board Member.
Executive Director of Specialty, National Casualty Practice Leader
Andrew Grim
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
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
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
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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
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
“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”
Francine Minervini,
Arch Insurance
“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”
Francine Minervini,
Arch Insurance
“We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration”
Francine Minervini, Arch Insurance
property and casualty
employee benefits
personal risk
program and retirement
Headquartered in Valhalla, NY, USI connects over 10,000 industry-leading professionals from approximately 200 offices to serve clients’ local, national, and international needs.
USI has become a premier insurance brokerage and consulting firm by leveraging the USI ONE Advantage, an interactive platform that integrates proprietary and innovative client solutions, networked local resources, and enterprise-wide collaboration to deliver customized results with positive, bottom-line impact.
With a long history of deep and continuing investment in local communities, USI attracts best-in-class industry talent.
To learn more about USI or to view available career opportunities, visit usi.com.
technical excellence
portfolio management
data analytics
focusing on communication
collaboration
These factors are actively and routinely reaffirmed by senior vice president and chief technical claims officer Francine Minervini.
She says, “We value technical expertise, fact-based and data-driven analysis, communication, and collaboration. Our process incorporates communication throughout the life of the claim and encourages communication with insureds, brokers, claims management, and our underwriters and actuaries.”
Eager to develop and become better, Arch has a raft of future plans to boost its offerings amid the rapid pace of technological change.
“We are in the midst of a system transformation that will modernize our claims system; we are also working with Strategic Analytics to introduce AI into the claims mail process,” shares Shiva Altadonna, senior vice president, claims shared services. “As a starting point, it will allow us to identify and route First Notice of Loss even faster to our claims professionals for handling and give quicker peace of mind to our customers that we are fanatical about responsiveness.”
“It’s our willingness to consider unique circumstances and offer innovative solutions where other carriers may not,” says Christine Schneider, senior vice president, casualty claims. “Also, strategically executing on opportunities based on market conditions has continuously supported Arch’s growth.”
Leadership encourages all segments of the business to be bold, take calculated risks, celebrate accomplishments, and learn from mistakes. The focus is placed on the goals of each initiative, along with the necessary specific strategies.
A key factor in Arch’s success has been the implementation of a new claims system that interlinks with the firm’s ‘North Star’ of placing employees in a position where they can add value on a daily basis.
Senior vice president, financial and specialty claims Brian Kristiansen says, “We segment claims by line of business and hire employees with experience in those lines. We provide them with additional training and mentoring to ensure the continued development of expertise in those lines.”
Another driver of Arch’s market-leading performance is its investment in data analytics and data transformation, increasing its ability to utilize business intelligence to improve product offerings and the abilities of its claims department, with a strong emphasis on claims handling and claims excellence.
In addition, the firm continuously seeks feedback from the broker community on any areas where they would like to see potential improvement, particularly in claims service. Arch Claims specifically has done considerable work around communication with brokers over the past year, including an extensive survey to solicit feedback on the claims experience.
Schneider says, “Through their commentary, we strive to be able to build even more trusting, respectful, and responsive relationships with all of our partners.”
The claims department underscores the importance of: