Beecher Carlson Creates Risk Optimization Group; Names Jay Sampson as Executive Managing Director to Lead the Group

ATLANTA, April 16, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, LLC ("Beecher Carlson"), a specialized large account insurance broker, has announced the creation of its Risk Optimization Group. The Risk Optimization Group has been created to help our clients and prospective clients identify, quantify, and mitigate their risks. The group will be comprised of the alternative risk, captive management, actuarial, analytics, claims, risk control, and ZOOM^® teams and resources. By combining these services into one practice group, Beecher Carlson will be uniquely positioned to deliver these solutions to our clients due to its single profit center structure and collaborative team culture.

"Beecher Carlson has always been viewed as a consultative broker focused on client solutions rather than transactional insurance placements," stated Joe Siech, Beecher Carlson's Chief Executive Officer. "As our industry continues to progress to a more digital platform, clients will place a greater emphasis on their broker's ability to identify, quantify, mitigate, and creatively finance their ever-changing risk profile."

The Risk Optimization Group will be led by Jay Sampson, who has been promoted to Executive Managing Director. Sampson will be responsible for structuring the group to provide the best service and the most innovative solutions for clients. Sampson has more than 25 years of experience in corporate risk management. Prior to the promotion, Sampson was Managing Director for Beecher Carlson and was responsible for managing the teams servicing some of Beecher Carlson's largest clients with the most complex risks.

"As we began discussing strengthening our integration and collaboration across our consulting practices, it was clear to me that Beecher Carlson had the opportunity to distinguish itself within the industry," comments Sampson. "I am honored to lead this important initiative and to drive strategies to reduce our clients' exposure and, ultimately, their total cost of risk."

The following individuals will now report directly to Sampson.

• Andrew Golub, Chief Analytics Officer
• Carol Blaine, Managing Director, ZOOM^® Operations Leader
• Erica Carr, Chief Claims Officer
• Joey Freeman, Managing Director, Risk Control Leader
• Pete Kranz, Executive Managing Director, Captive Practice Leader
• Scott Hornyak, Chief Actuary, Senior Managing Director

Prior to joining Beecher Carlson, Sampson worked at another large broker for 18 years. Holding several positions during his tenure there, he spent the last several years managing the client executive practice for Atlanta, acting as the Strategic Account Manager for large clients in the southeast and managing the largest clients in the Atlanta office. He has extensive knowledge on primary and excess casualty insurance coverage and structures, property insurance, and captive utilization. Sampson began his career in the risk management department of Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, which gave him an acute understanding of the challenges risk managers face and the need for superior service from their risk advisors.

Sampson holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Georgia with a major in Risk Management and Insurance. He also served on the advisory board for Georgia State University's Center for Enterprise Risk Management.

About Beecher Carlson

Beecher Carlson is a large account risk management broker that values depth of industry and product knowledge. Operating as a single profit center organized by specialization allows your service team to be structured based on what is best for customer's business rather than geographic convenience. We go beyond one off transactions and utilize advanced analytics on every program. By quantifying the effects each decision will have on a company's risk profile, we take the mystery out of buying insurance. This allows us to manage the largest cost of risk – retained losses. Execution on analytical findings is our true differentiator in mitigating losses and affecting process changes. Our collective success is earned by creating the perfect risk management solution for our customers. For more information, go to www.beechercarlson.com.

Beecher Carlson Insurance Services, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brown & Brown, Inc. BRO, which, through its subsidiaries, offers a broad range of insurance and reinsurance products and services as well as risk management, third-party administration, and managed health care programs. Providing service to business, public entity, individual, trade, and professional association clients nationwide, Brown & Brown, Inc. is ranked by Business Insurance magazine as the Worlds' sixth largest independent insurance intermediary. The Company's web address is www.bbinsurance.com. 

This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results which are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts but instead represent only Brown & Brown's belief regarding future events, many of which by their nature are inherently uncertain and outside of Brown & Brown's control. It is possible that the actual results of Beecher Carlson may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results indicated in these forward-looking statements. Further information concerning Brown & Brown and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect Brown & Brown's financial results, are contained in Brown & Brown's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware. 

Contact:
Marci Steiding
VP, Marketing & Communications
MSteiding@BeecherCarlson.com
404.460.1413