Alan Jay Kaufman is Chairman & CEO of H.W. Kaufman Group, a global network of companies dedicated to shaping the insurance industry. The flagship subsidiary, Burns & Wilcox, maintains relationships with the industry’s most respected insurance carriers and delivers solutions to brokers and agents for difficult-to-place, complex and unusual risks.

 

Burns & Wilcox is recognized globally for its expertise, professionalism and comprehensive client service.

 

Under Mr. Kaufman’s leadership, Burns & Wilcox has built its reputation on prioritizing professional development and fostering lifelong learning. Mr. Kaufman established Kaufman Institute, an online and classroom hub dedicated to expanding the knowledge and skill of Burns & Wilcox professionals and the industry overall.

 

Mr. Kaufman has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University, Lifetime Achievement recognition from Insurance Business America, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. In 2019, City of Hope recognized Mr. Kaufman’s significant philanthropic efforts with the National Insurance Industry Council (NIIC) Spirit of Life® Award. He was also honored by American Agent & Broker magazine as one of the Top 25 Living Legends in Insurance.

 

Among his many philanthropic commitments to colleges and universities, Mr. Kaufman endowed a professorship in insurance within the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. The endowment actively engages students in insurance and risk management, highlighting the numerous opportunities offered by a career in the insurance profession.

 

His active board memberships span a number of organizations including, Business Leaders for Michigan, Detroit Zoological Society, Detroit Economic Club; St. John’s University School of Insurance, Risk Management and Actuarial Science in New York City, and Walsh College (Detroit). Mr. Kaufman is also President of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.

 

A graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in finance, accounting and insurance, Mr. Kaufman also holds a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and studied international law at the London School of Economics.

 

Danny Kaufman is Co-President, H.W. Kaufman Group and President,  Burns & Wilcox, the globally recognized leader in specialty insurance brokerage and underwriting. Based in Farmington Hills, Michigan, the company maintains 60+ offices worldwide spanning the U.S., Canada, U.K. and Middle East.

  

Under Danny’s leadership, Burns & Wilcox has prioritized innovation, which includes a $100M+ digital transformation that will power the company’s substantial and sustained growth, while fostering greater internal collaboration and amplifying client engagement.

  

As Co-President, Danny oversees operations, sales, marketing and technology. He is also a member of Kaufman’s Board of Directors as well as its subsidiaries, H.W. Kaufman Group London and Atain Insurance Companies.

  

For nearly 20 years, Danny has worked across Burns & Wilcox and the broader Kaufman organization. His insurance career began with roles in underwriting and brokerage, before moving into a series of regional, national and then executive-level positions.

  

An active member of numerous professional, civic and community organizations, Danny serves on the Board of Directors for the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA), City of Hope National Insurance Industry Council, Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Historical Society. He is also on the Council of National Trustees for National Jewish Health, one the world’s leading respiratory hospitals.

  

Danny received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and Juris Doctor from Loyola University (Chicago). He is a member of the State Bar of Michigan.

  

Danny, along with his wife Morgan and their two children, reside outside of Detroit.

 

Jodie Kaufman Davis is the Co-President of H.W. Kaufman Group and a member of the company’s Board of Directors. A leader in developing and executing company strategy and management-driven initiatives, Jodie offers direction on best practices and expertise to expand business across the Kaufman network.

  

As part of her leadership role across Kaufman, Jodie serves as Vice Chair, Atain Insurance Companies and leads RB Jones, the Kaufman subsidiary that serves as a destination for highly specialized insurance solutions.

  

She is also responsible for all Kaufman companies outside North America.

  

Passionate about company culture, Jodie is the executive sponsor for Kaufman’s Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Committee, where she helps strategize and implement programming for its 2,000 associates. In 2020, Jodie was selected as an Insurance Business Global 100 and was a winner of Business Insurance’s Women to Watch Award in 2019.

  

Outside of the workplace, she is a board member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Motor City Chapter, a Director on the Insurance Supper Club (ISC) Group Global Advisory Board and serves on the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF) International Board of Governors.

  

Prior to joining Kaufman, Jodie worked for law firm Dorsey & Whitney where she advised Canadian and U.S. companies on Mergers & Acquisitions, capital market financing and regulatory issues. Jodie earned a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.) and graduated cum laude from Michigan State University and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

 

Harvey Goldenberg is a Senior Advisor at H.W. Kaufman Group and Burns & Wilcox where he provides ongoing counsel to Kaufman’s executive leadership team and mentors associates throughout the network.   Known for his dedication to growing the Burns & Wilcox San Francisco office, Harvey played a pivotal role in its expansion from six associates when he first joined the company to now more than 60. After helping originate the former Co-Broker program, he was instrumental in designing the United Services Automobile Association (USAA) Umbrella Program and a Residential Home Builder Program, which resulted in millions in premium.   Harvey brings more than 35 years of insurance industry experience to the leadership team and specializes in underwriting and wholesale brokerage. Prior to joining Burns & Wilcox in 1997, he managed the excess liability division of a managing general agent based in San Francisco and worked as a wholesale broker.   In 2007, he was awarded the Herbert W. Kaufman Memorial Award in recognition of his leadership and steadfast commitment to the company and numerous contributions to its growth.   He is also an active member of the California Insurance Wholesaler Association. Harvey earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University.  

Blaise D’Antoni is Executive Vice President, Eastern United States, at Burns & Wilcox, where he oversees the growth and operations of offices that extend from Texas to New England. With more than three decades of experience at the company, Blaise is instrumental in strategically building expertise in the offices he supports and offering direction for best practices and management-driven initiatives. Blaise is known for leading the New Orleans office through significant natural catastrophes, such as Hurricane Katrina, and providing brokers and agents commercial and personal wholesale surplus lines expertise after the standard admitted markets pulled out of the region. Additionally, Blaise is also known for securing exclusive contracts for the Natural Catastrophe and Property markets in Louisiana, which have been critical in the company’s long-term production for both Commercial and Personal Insurance. Blaise was heavily involved in the development of the company’s Kaufman Emerging Leaders Program and Kaufman Accelerated Management Program. His mentorship and coaching skills continue to be leveraged today as he supports the development of Managing Directors. He has also received several top producer awards from Burns & Wilcox as well as the prestigious H.W. Kaufman Group Memorial Award. He is currently an active member and past president of the Louisiana Surplus Lines Association. Blaise earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans.

Chris Zoidis is President and CEO of Atain Insurance Companies and an Executive Vice President at H.W. Kaufman Group. Chris directs and oversees the company’s global Corporate Development strategy and initiatives for H.W. Kaufman Group and its largest subsidiary Burns & Wilcox. He also plays an operational leadership role by overseeing several Kaufman companies, including Burns & Wilcox Canada, RB Jones Property, and H.W. Kaufman Group London.

 

Chris has been a key driver in all of Kaufman’s acquisition activity since joining the team in 2007, helping the network expand and develop a strong presence in North America, UK, and Europe. He is also responsible for managing the company’s underwriting portfolio with the Lloyd’s market and leads a number of Burns & Wilcox specialty underwriting programs and practice areas. He is also actively involved with the Kaufman Advanced Management Program (KAMP), a prestigious internal 18-month program designed for distinguished leaders.

 

Prior to joining Kaufman, Chris spent nearly a decade in consulting with a focus on insurance strategy, underwriting, and mergers and acquisitions. He also has experience as a commercial underwriter at St. Paul/Travelers and Crum & Forster.

 

Chris holds a Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, Registered Professional Liability Underwriter (RPLU) designation, along with a Michigan Property and Casualty License. He earned an MBA from Indiana University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston College and studied at the London School of Economics.

 

Denis Brady is President of Burns & Wilcox Brokerage, a distinct business unit of H.W. Kaufman Group solely dedicated to wholesale insurance brokerage. Since its inception in 2010, the group has transformed the company’s brokerage business with placing highly specialized experts and implementing resources required to handle complex accounts of all sizes.

 

His team is known for bringing breakthrough products to the marketplace and delivering unique risk solutions for retail broker and agent partners including Property, Casualty, Professional, and Management Liability.

 

Since joining Burns & Wilcox Brokerage in 2013, his leadership and pursuit of the industry’s top talent have turned the firm into one of the most highly regarded wholesale brokers in the business. In 2015, Denis recruited more than a dozen brokers to join his team and opened the doors to three new locations. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to seven office locations across the U.S.

 

With more than 25 years in the insurance industry, Denis has extensive experience in brokerage, underwriting and management and has received recognition through industry awards such as Insurance Business America’s Hot 100. He previously served as president of San Francisco operations with RT Specialty and as president of American E&S Insurance Brokers.

 

He is known for serving on the executive committee of the California Surplus Lines Association for eight years and as Chair for five years. Denis earned a bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and conducted graduate studies at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Bill Gatewood is the Personal Insurance Practice Leader, Senior Vice President at Burns & Wilcox. He is responsible for directing and overseeing the organization’s Personal Insurance Practice Group, which has tripled in size under his leadership.

 

Bill’s role involves crafting the company’s domestic growth strategy, working to expand key strategic partnerships, developing new products, identifying acquisition opportunities, and offering direction for corporate-wide resources and tools to support best practices.

 

He brings more than two decades of experience in Personal Insurance and High-Net Worth risk management to the leadership team. He is known for placing key expertise to build the Personal Insurance Practice Group and for specializations in Private Client and Flood Insurance. His program development skills resulted in the company launching a variety of exclusive Burns & Wilcox products, such as the first homeowners wildfire protection partnership in the wholesale Excess & Surplus market.

 

He serves on the Board of Trustees for Property Risk Management Association (PRMA) and currently holds the role of Treasurer. He is also active with the Career Development Committee for the Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association (WSIA) and the Board of Education for Hartland Consolidated School District, which he has served for nearly 10 years.

 

A U.S. Army veteran, Bill earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and management from the University of Central Missouri.

 

Rich Gobler is Executive Vice President, Western United States, at Burns & Wilcox. In his role, he leads the growth of offices that extend from Midwest to the West coast.

 

Rich’s entire career in insurance, more than 20 years, has been with Burns & Wilcox. Starting as an underwriter trainee after college, he worked his way through various management positions, finding his niche in the California market. As a producer, he specializes in Property & Casualty. As a manager, he supports Commercial Binding and Brokerage, as well as Commercial, Professional and Personal Insurance teams.

 

During his career, he has secured a spot as the company’s Top Producer several times and has earned the Million Dollar Club Producer Award for nearly 20 consecutive years. He has also been successful in developing multiple Lloyd’s of London programs. His Condominium/HOA program, for example, has been running for 15 years.

 

Rich is an active coach for associates who participate in the Kaufman Accelerated Management Program and the Kaufman Emerging Leaders Program. He is currently on the executive board for the California Surplus Lines Association.

 

He has several designations, including an Associate in Commercial Underwriting (AU), an Associate in General Insurance (AINS) and an Associate in Surplus Lines Insurance (ASLI). Rich holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Florida

Christine M. Tricoli is Chief Human Resources Officer, Senior Vice President of H.W. Kaufman Group. In her role, she oversees the human resources department and its activities and functions, including compensation, benefits, performance management, employee relations, training and development, recruitment, retention, and employee engagement.

 

Under her leadership, Christine has led the charge on restructuring the department and implementing HR Business Partners to support and drive corporate initiatives across all offices within the Kaufman network. From updating the HR infrastructure and supporting more efficient data retention strategies to adopting increased employee benefits, she continuously strives to make improvements that allow the company to competitively recruit and retain talent.

 

She is also responsible for developing and executing associate engagement surveys, which often leads to enhancements in corporate-wide programs and policies as well as supporting various teams with opportunities to sharpen skills. Her leadership has also been key in the company earning various industry awards such as Business Insurance’s Best Places to Work in Insurance and Detroit Free Press’ Top Workplaces.

 

Christine’s career in human resources spans more than 30 years and includes substantial national and global experience in top-level human resource executive posts. She previously served as Senior Vice President, Head of Talent Services with CIT Group.

 

She was awarded a Securities Industry Certificate from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and the Best Practice Institute’s Senior Executive Board Top Talent Executive Award. Christine is also known for co-creating three Global Leadership Programs for NYSE Euronext leaders with INSEAD Business School.

 

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Bethesda Lutheran Communities and as Chairperson for its Governance Committee. She is also a Senior Executive Board Member at The Best Practice Institute. A native of Buffalo, New York, Christine earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and an MBA from Canisius College.

 

Marc Fuhrman is the Corporate Senior Vice President, National Retail Relations, at H.W. Kaufman Group where he is responsible for managing retail relationships for all companies within the Kaufman network. He also works to identify and satisfy client needs through cross-company collaboration.

 

With more than 30 years of financial services and sales experience, Marc is known for his ability to build strategic relationships – both internal and external – that materially impact the company’s mission and growth strategy. Since joining the team in 2016, he has helped bring in more than 30 of the company’s current national retail relationships. He also helped the company achieve a 20-percent growth with its national retailers in 2023.

 

Prior to joining Kaufman, he served as a Senior Vice President of National Agency Relations at CRC Insurance Services. He started his financial career on Wall Street trading stocks, graduating to tax advantaged investments and real estate partnerships.

 

Marc is an active advisor for Heroes Linked where he provides guidance for veterans looking to transition into the mainstream workforce and has previously supported the Paralyzed Veterans of America and K9s for Warriors. Marc earned a bachelor’s degree in management and finance from Syracuse University.

 

Richard S. Fusinski is Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of H.W. Kaufman Group, where he leads strategy for Information Technology, spearheading short and long-term strategic projects for all 15 Kaufman companies.

 

With two decades of experience in progressive IT leadership positions, he previously served as Senior Vice President and CIO, Community Banking of Flagstar Bank and spent more than 10 years in a variety of roles including IT consulting, software development and data management.

 

Richard holds an MBA in Management and Finance from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Eastern Michigan University.

 

Kevin Heckman is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for the H.W. Kaufman Group. He is responsible for the company’s global accounting and finance functions.  He is involved in all facets of the organization, including strategic planning and execution.

 

His career spans 25+ years with expertise in public accounting, investment banking, mergers and acquisitions and insurance. Prior to joining Kaufman in 2013, he spent nearly 18 years in public accounting, investment banking and consulting, of which eight years were with PwC, in the assurance and transaction services groups.

 

Paul G. Smith is a Senior Vice President, Carrier Relations at H.W. Kaufman Group where he leads and manages strategic relationships with company partners. He is responsible for quality control and provision of data and analytics as well as management of contractual agreements. Paul works closely with all Kaufman companies and senior leadership to maximize domestic market relationships, improving product offerings and driving incremental revenue.

 

With more than 30 years of insurance and leadership experience in carrier relations, Paul joined the Kaufman team in 2019. His accomplishments include developing new carrier and retail agency/broker partner relationships and establishing a carrier reporting tool to support strategic partnership and initiative planning.

 

Heavily involved in organizations in and outside of the insurance industry, he is a longstanding member and past Governor of the John Street Insurance Association and is active with the Insurance Broker Association of New York. He is also a member of the Insurance Advisory Committee of The Boy Scouts of America, and often volunteers with several organizations including the Special Olympics New Jersey, Long Island Bull Dog Rescue, and The American Legion.

 

Paul was the 2018 recipient of the 200 Club Meritorious Service Award and in 2015 he received the United States of America President’s Volunteer Service Award.

 

He is a licensed New York State Insurance Broker, New Jersey State Certified Emergency Medical Technician, National Fire Protection Association Technical Rescue & Swift Water Rescue Technician, a published author, and an owner of an LLC focused on the advancement of the collectible vehicle hobby. Paul earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics from St. Peter’s University.

 

Richard W. Shipley is the Vice President, Marketing at H.W. Kaufman Group where he is responsible for the strategy and operations for all of the Kaufman companies’ marketing and communications, including its largest subsidiary Burns & Wilcox.

 

He also manages the company’s agency partners and contractors and professional sports marketing efforts.

 

Rich has proven his ability to craft strategic visions for building the Kaufman brands while generating increased awareness, engagement and revenue since joining the company in 2013.

 

Passionate about exploring new and creative ways to promote and enhance brands, he has achieved notable accomplishments including the launch of the company’s content marketing strategy. He initiated and led the company’s sports marketing efforts which helped the Burns & Wilcox brand receive national recognition through its sponsorships of PGA champions Webb Simpson, Jimmy Walker & Max Homa and partnership with the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings.

 

Known for creating innovative, revenue-generating marketing programs throughout his career, Rich transformed marketing at Burns & Wilcox. Through his client-first approach, he designed and built an integrated marketing model that leveraged media, key partnerships, and events to improve client experiences and engagement along with employee and brand visibility.

 

With more than 25 years of experience, he previously held marketing leadership roles at category-leading, companies including three Fortune 500 companies. Rich earned a bachelor’s degree in professional writing from Carnegie Mellon University and a master’s degree in educational technologies from George Washington University.

 

Taylor Smith is Corporate Senior Vice President, of H.W. Kaufman Group. In his role, he supports the growth of the organization through mergers and acquisitions and other strategic initiatives across all companies within the Kaufman network, including Burns & Wilcox.

 

Since joining Kaufman in 2016, Taylor has led the efforts for more than ten acquisitions in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. and has been key in developing the overall strategy and operational implementation plans for each.

 

His corporate development skillset and entrepreneurial mindset earned him a place in the Kaufman Advanced Management Program (KAMP) and he now coaches associates participating in both KAMP and the Kaufman Emerging Leaders Program. He was also recognized as a 2017 Young Guns by Insurance Business America.

 

Prior to his career at Kaufman, Taylor was an Engagement Manager at Deloitte Consulting. Part of the company’s mergers and acquisitions practice, he worked on domestic and international transactions for multi-billion dollar public corporations across multiple industries.

 

Taylor holds an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University.

 

Paul Greensmith is the Chief Executive Officer for H.W. Kaufman Group London, with responsibility for leading Kaufman’s operations and driving growth across the U.K., Europe, South America and Middle East. He is focused on optimizing Kaufman’s London platform, including the deepening of operational and sector-specific functions, while aggressively hiring top brokers, underwriters, teams and market specialists. Paul’s global insurance career spans more than 25 years. He is widely respected for his expertise, outstanding leadership and operating with mindset grounded in international growth.

Previously, Paul was the Global Head of Specialty Lines at AIG, one of the company’s most strategically important and truly global business units. In this role Paul managed businesses across North America, London, Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East during a period of strong growth and profitability. Prior to joining AIG in 2020, Paul spent five years with AXA XL’s UK business, serving as the UK Underwriting Director and then CEO. These roles coincided with a period of considerable change as Catlin was acquired by XL and then by AXA to form AXA XL, all within a short period of time. Paul has also been a member of the LMA and IUA Boards throughout the course of his career, along with several other London market committees.

Casimer Daniewski is the Vice President of Real Estate at H.W. Kaufman Group. He leads the company’s real estate arm – Kaufman Real Estate Management – where he oversees asset, property and project management across all Kaufman properties. He and his team are also responsible for partnering with leadership across the network to manage its 60 offices.

 

Casimer comes from nearly a decade at Bedrock Detroit, the commercial real estate firm that is largely credited with rebuilding and revitalizing Downtown Detroit. In that role, he served as the Vice President of Property Management, where he led a multi-state team of more than 70 real estate professionals. With more than a decade of experience, he has become recognized for expertise in property planning and analysis as well as managing financial portfolios and new acquisitions.

 

An active member of the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), he has been commended for his work through several industry awards such as the Outstanding Building of the Year Award in the Local, Regional and International categories, and the BOMA Emerging Leader Award.

 

Casimer earned a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in Sales and Marketing and has a master’s degree from Wayne State University in Business Administration.