Gallagher Broker Brian Burg Recognized as a 2021 Real Estate Power Broker
Brian Burg, Senior Director – Real Estate & Hospitality Practice Leader, Midwest, Gallagher
Innovative construction materials may offer benefits to builders and developers, but they can be hard for insurance companies to accommodate.
That was the dilemma facing Brian Burg when one of his clients was planning to erect what would be one of the largest mass-timber office buildings in the U.S.
Mass timber entails the use of pre-engineered wood. It goes up faster than steel and concrete and is just as durable, said a finance executive at the client, a real estate developer in the Midwest.
While the material is becoming prevalent in other parts of the world, it is still new to the U.S., leading builder’s risk insurers to balk, the executive said. “This was a challenging piece of business to write.”
Burg dug into the engineering details and worked with carriers and underwriters to win them over on what ended up being a complex, layered insurance program, the executive said. It was placed in May.
“We were on a very tight timeline, and he delivered,” the executive said, praising Burg’s grasp of the details.
“He understands the technicalities. He understands our business. I think that’s what separates him from other brokers.”
Another client still turns to Burg for insights even after she left the role where she had been working with him. “I had really relied on him 100% for market knowledge and to negotiate the best terms and premiums possible,” said the client, a risk manager at a real estate development company.
2021 Real Estate Power Broker Winners and Finalists
A Risk & Insurance Power Broker® is an individual who stands out among their peers for the exceptional client work they delivered over the past year. While brokers play many key roles in the insurance industry and risk profession, a Power Broker® award recognizes problem solving, customer service and industry knowledge.
Our goal is to broadly recognize and promote outstanding risk management and customer service among the brokerage community.
Who selects the winners?
Power Brokers are selected by risk managers based on the strength of the testimonials they provide to a team of 15 Risk & Insurance editors and writers.