SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. /California Newswire/ — Edgewood Partners Insurance Center (EPIC), a retail property, casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage, has added Derek Thomas as Chief Strategy Officer and Managing Principal. Thomas brings to EPIC 25+ years of progressive experience and leadership within insurance brokerage firms, Internet and e-commerce companies, as well as the non-profit sector.
Thomas's responsibilities will center on further developing strategy, driving profitable growth and operational excellence. He will work closely with business units and industry teams in Northern and Southern California. In addition, Thomas will lead initiatives related to recruiting, talent development and the retention of EPIC's "best and brightest" team members.
Thomas will be based in EPIC's San Francisco office and he will report to EPIC co-founder and president, John Hahn.
"We are excited to add a respected and 'battle tested' professional like Derek in this key position," said Hahn. "He is just the kind of experienced leader who can help us achieve our goals of doubling our client base and our revenue over the next five years."
Prior to joining EPIC, Thomas held a number of executive positions with the Aon Corporation, the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, GMAC Insurance and LeaseTerm Solutions. His experience includes strategy development, organizational development, general management, and leading sales and marketing operations.
Prior to co-founding and serving as a Managing Director with LeaseTerm Solutions, Thomas served as Senior Vice President of Strategy/Business Development and Chief Sales Officer for Aon Affinity Insurance Services, an industry leading Program Administrator managing over $2 billion in annual premium flow. Aon Affinity is a division of the Aon Corporation.
Thomas attended Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he earned both a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Double Major: Political Science and History, Minor: Urban Studies) and a Masters of Social Work Degree (Administration, Policy and Planning – Ralph J. Bunche Distinguished Graduate Fellow).
Professionally, Thomas has completed Strategic Marketing and Insurance Executive Development Programs at the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business and the University of Pennsylvania – Wharton School of Business.
"EPIC is focused on delivering a high return to its clients through individual initiative, strong teamwork and an overall focus on operational excellence," said Thomas. "I appreciate that personal accountability, collaboration, competition and just having fun are so deeply engrained in EPIC's culture. I couldn't be happier about this opportunity to continue creating something truly unique and different in the insurance brokerage business."
Derek Thomas can be reached at:
EPIC
135 Main Street, 21st Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105-5140; 770.362.7089 Mobile; or dthomas@edgewoodins.com.
About EPIC:
EPIC is an innovative California-based retail property and casualty, and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. The company provides a unique equity ownership opportunity and has created a values-based culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence.
The fastest growing brokerage in the state, EPIC now has more than 300 team members operating from nine offices across California (Los Angeles, Irvine, Ontario, Fresno, Folsom, San Francisco, San Mateo, Petaluma and San Ramon).
With more than $60 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 50 retail insurance brokers in the United States and is the 5th largest privately-held broker in California. For more information, please visit http://www.edgewoodins.com/ .
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