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“No matter how many clients I have, I make sure to call each one personally every quarter. It’s a chance to not only update them on their portfolio, but also check on how they’re doing personally”
Kelvin Rampersad,
Carte Wealth Management
Dante Pezzi is an area president for Risk Placement Services (RPS) in Newport Beach, CA, specializing in the public and non-profit sector.
“There is complexity and unique challenges that our insureds face, which you don't typically see in the private sector,” says Pezzi. “There's a genuine need for product development and an entrepreneurial mindset, which creates all sorts of opportunities for a wholesale broker like me in this area.”
Pezzi relishes that insurance programs in the sector are less transactional and require him to be a consultative, expertise-driven resource for clients.
He adds, “The focus on building relationships and providing tailored solutions is what I find most rewarding and what has contributed to my success in this field.”
A touchstone of Pezzi’s way of working is ensuring that retail agents and client leave RPS presentations with a clear understanding of the "why" behind the results, whether they're positive or not.
Navigating the market and legal landscape within the casualty sector can be a challenge.
“As wholesale brokers, it's crucial for us to test the market annually and explore alternative deal structures. This approach allows us to present multiple solutions and help our insurance buyers maintain their purchasing power.”
Accepting of the fact that he can’t control the market, he implements a high-quality submission policy to tell the insured's story and deliver the best possible solution.
“What we can control is how we manage client expectations and back up the results with resources like program graphics, marketing summaries, white papers, and coverage comparisons,” Pezzi comments. “Even if the outcome isn't ideal, if we equip our clients with the tools to effectively present to their buyer and they feel they understand the reasoning behind the result, we're fulfilling our duty as brokers.”
Pezzi feels that emotional intelligence is his strongest professional quality, allowing him to be proactive in developing talent, negotiating with underwriters, and crafting solutions for clients.
“Since every personality is different, being successful as a broker means understanding what’s important to others before we can step in and offer a solution.”
Building up his colleagues is a priority for Pezzi, he places a strong emphasis on being part of a team and achieving success together.
He shares, “I've been fortunate to have incredible mentors who taught me not to confine myself to a specific set of responsibilities. I'm always ready to step into roles that might not traditionally be seen as those of a wholesale broker.”
Pezzi is also active outside of his core role, making meaningful contributions to the industry.
He is involved with RPS’ intern recruitment efforts, collaborating closely with Southern California universities such as Loyola Marymount University, UCLA, USC, and SDSU.
Pezzi also participates in WSIA U40, which focuses on the development of young professionals in the industry, and The Black Friday Network, which supports smaller, start-up, minority-owned retail agencies to gain access to property/casualty insurance products, build relationships, and grow their books of business.
2850 Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
866 595 8413
RPS.Marcomm@RPSins.com
linkedin.com/in/dante-pezzi-422aaaba
RPSins.com
Dante Pezzi
Area President
Risk Placement Services
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“I strongly believe in working smarter, not harder. I think it’s one of the keys to living a great life, and I want to share that with as many people as possible”
Kelvin Rampersad,
Carte Wealth Management
2018
2020
2023
2024–present
2018–2025
Started at RPS as a summer intern and was subsequently hired as a full-time employee
2018
Promoted to Area Assistant VP in RPS’s public non-profit specialty
2020
Promoted to Area President, Southern California
2023
Broker, Assistant Vice President at Wholesure
2024–
present
Executive Vice President at RT Specialty
2018–
2025
Milestones
Milestones
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