Top Specialist Wholesale Brokers in the USA
Insurance Business America has recognized the Top Specialist Wholesale Brokers of 2025, highlighting professionals whose expertise and vision enable agents and clients to obtain the best insurance coverage.
These brokers are celebrated as trusted advisors who are experts in innovation, problem-solving, and client service. They use their deep knowledge to ensure that even the most difficult-to-place risks meet the correct coverage needs.
Premiums have seen an increase across all account sizes. Data from The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers showed that premiums rose by an average of 5.1% in Q3 2024, a slight decrease from the 5.2% increase in the previous quarter. Medium-sized accounts saw the largest increase, at 5.6%, with small accounts experiencing the lowest increase at 4.4%, likely due to competition for small business.
While most lines of business saw lower premium increases in the third quarter compared to the second, some lines, like workers’ compensation, cyber, and D&O, actually recorded premium decreases. The excess and surplus (E&S) lines, in particular, have demonstrated remarkable growth, experiencing double-digit percentage rates for five consecutive years.
According to the Insurance Information Institute’s (Triple-I) Excess and Surplus: State of the Risk report, strong underwriting results have facilitated profitability due to emerging new risks and declining capacity in standard markets. Dale Porfilio, Triple-I’s chief insurance officer, noted, “By meeting the insurance needs of risks with lower claim frequency and higher claim severity, the E&S lines have seen significant growth, though the trend of expansion appears to be slowing down a bit.”
Liability, fire, earthquake, flood, and ocean marine insurance have been significant contributors to E&S growth. Since 2018, the E&S share of total property lines direct premiums written has grown most in Florida, California, and Louisiana.
Amwins provided insights into the property market, stating, “Despite pending losses from Hurricanes Helene and Milton – as well as other named and severe convective storms (SCS) this season – the property market has continued to soften overall. New capacity continued to enter the space in 2024, forcing existing markets to become more flexible with their pricing and overall appetites. Many carriers also increased their line sizes, making layered and shared deals easier to place. Rates remain softer on the East Coast than the West as well as for insureds with large TIV overall.”
The U.S. insurance brokerage market is estimated at $67.89 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.96% until 2029. The industry is also witnessing trends such as:
- Emphasis on technology and digitalization: Increased use of online platforms and AI.
- Mergers and acquisitions: Making the sector more profitable.
- Demand for ESG considerations: Growing focus on environmental, social, and governance factors.
What Makes These Brokers Stand Out?
Insurance Business America sought nominations from insurance professionals to identify the top specialist brokers over the last 12 months, considering their contributions to the financial success of clients and business partners in 2024. Respondents highlighted the following key areas where the top brokers excel:
- Developing exclusive, industry-specific programs.
- Utilizing consultative sales processes.
- Addressing complex client needs.
- Leveraging deep industry connections to provide superior service.
The value these brokers bring is linked to measurable financial success. They:
- Encourage retailers to focus on targeted risk areas, resulting in financial gains.
- Utilize tools and processes to boost client satisfaction and retention, even in volatile markets.
Continuous learning and staying ahead of trends are also critical, including:
- Active participation in industry conferences and market trend analysis.
- Maintaining communication with industry peers to stay updated on emerging challenges.
USA’s Top Specialist Wholesale Brokers of 2025
Jared Boring – VP, Brokerage and Underwriting, WestPac (Western Pacific Insurance Network)
Boring is an expert in construction and an industry leader who oversees WestPac’s brokerage and underwriting teams. He is a resource for independent agents, especially with complex E&S risks like wraps, project-specific policies, and builder’s risk. He also advocates for the construction industry and manages carrier relationships.
“I’m a problem solver, especially in the E&S space. We’re here to navigate gray, not black and white. We’re here to provide solutions for our clients” – Jared Boring, WestPac.
As WestPac’s top producer, Boring increased his revenue by 19% from 2023 to 2024, contributing to a 15.5% year-over-year revenue increase for the company.
Liz Goldie – Vice President, Amwins
Goldie specializes in casualty risks, specifically heavy civil/infrastructure contractors. She is known for building strong relationships through consistent performance. Due to her success, she was promoted to Northern California casualty practice leader, doubled the accounts she serviced in 2024, and added 55 new clients.
“Being honest and transparent has always been my brand. I don’t hide anything, I put things out there and people can make their decisions on them. I’m somebody that people can trust on both sides of the transaction” – Liz Goldie, Amwins.
Goldie is proactive in understanding market trends and utilizes this knowledge to benefit her clients, emphasizing the importance of transparent communication with underwriters.
Michael Davis – Principal, Senior Vice President, Broker, Brown & Riding
Davis specializes in property and builder’s risk, with over 16 years of experience in the industry. His expertise lies in navigating the complexities of carrier relationships, and he is often sought after for assembling necessary coverage capacity, particularly in high-pressure situations.
“Almost every single project that comes in the door is individual and unique…we found the only way to get our clients the best coverage is by really focusing on it and doing it as much as possible.” – Michael Davis, Brown & Riding.
One of Davis’s strengths is his deep experience, which he leverages to build a dedicated team focused on these projects.
Christopher Votta – Regional Practice Leader, Wholesure
Votta specializes in professional liability and is known for helping agents secure deals using his extensive market knowledge and product expertise. Agents depend on him to find appropriate coverage for their most difficult risks.
“I’ve always made my bones in this industry by speed of service. I make sure that absolutely no one can respond quicker than I can” – Christopher Votta, Wholesure.
John Grise – Executive Vice President, Amwins
Grise is known for helping retail partners understand the nuances of non-ISO-based coverage lines with a focus on being customized and tailored to the client through the E&S space. He’s added over 1,400 new clients in 2024 and has seen an average of 32 % growth over the past three years.
“It’s really digging into what that client needs specifically…we have a great level of flexibility to migrate over to a non-admitted product where we can be truly prescriptive and bespoke coverage for each client.” – John Grise, Amwins.
Clay Fuchs, VP, Casualty – QuoteWell
With a foundation in the oil patch of West Texas, Fuchs drives cutting-edge risk transfer design and solutions for insureds, with focus on customer service and using technology to help redefine the E&S insurance process, especially within the energy industry.
“We’re working to try to redefine the way that E&S insurance is placed, and I’m working to redefine the way that E&S insurance is placed within the energy industry. We’re trying to bring back customer service into the space as this hard market over the last five to 10 years has really altered what customer service and what a reasonable timeframe is to get things done” – Clay Fuchs, QuoteWell.
Stephanie Buchanan, Broker, Assistant Vice President – Wholesure
Buchanan specializes in property/casualty, growing her book of business by three times since 2020. Her focus is on responsiveness and customer service.
“Number one for me is the responsiveness and customer service that we give to our retailers…we send marketing summaries to say where we’ve gone, so they know we’ve shopped it everywhere we possibly can” – Stephanie Buchanan, Wholesure.
Grant Chiles, Executive Vice President – Amwins
Chiles customizes coverage placement solutions for large owners and developers, general contractors, municipalities, and homebuilders. He is a leader of the firm’s Builders’ Risk property practice group, which has averaged growth of 79 % over the past three years. He has a deep understanding of the construction space.
“We’re specialists in this space and have our thumb on the pulse of the market at any given point in time, which is key in the transitioning marketplace” – Grant Chiles, Amwins.
Solving Problems
Many brokers highlighted their problem-solving abilities, whether it was helping clients get the best deal, or navigating volatile markets. The wholesale brokers recognize the importance in providing specialized knowledge and solutions and are highly valued for their ability to deliver, especially in a challenging insurance environment.
The Top Specialist Wholesale Brokers in the USA (Alphabetically):
- Alexander Bargmann
- Albert Reed
- Andrew Hartman
- Angelo Ganguzza
- Beth Linton
- Brett Hoffmann
- Brian Stephenson
- Casey Sherwin
- Chad Hall
- Chris Votta
- Clay Fuchs
- Cyndi Johnston
- Dante Pezzi
- David Perkins
- David Zemlin
- Dennis Fox
- Elizabeth Pullen
- Grant Chiles
- James Rozzi
- Jared Boring
- Jason Sawin
- John Grise
- Joseph Reynolds
- Kim Hansard
- Krystal Boggs
- Liz Goldie
- Matt Dross
- Mary Roy
- Michael Barr
- Michael Davis
- Nick Kohal
- Niko Matic
- Rikki Concannon
- Robert Pedersen
- Sarah Marsh
- Sean McLaughlin
- Shawn Flanagan
- Stephanie Buchanan
- Thurston Davis Jr.
- Tyler O’Connor
