Company elevates next generation, homegrown talent into strategic positions to help perpetuate its status of being one of the nation’s largest independently owned insurance brokerages. 

Waukee, IA – January 10, 2022 — Holmes Murphy is pleased to continue its tradition of elevating the next generation of leadership into strategic roles as it looks to amplify its status as being one of the nation’s largest employee-owned-and-controlled insurance brokerages.  

Announced today is the appointment of key leaders into several major roles throughout the Holmes Murphy enterprise. Each of the individuals propelled into these key roles have considerable experience throughout the industry and have excelled at providing value-driven results over the course of their more than one to two decades with the company. These individuals will continue to lead Holmes Murphy in its mission to provide exceptional service and care for every client’s unique potential.  

As part of this strategic growth, Jay Freiermuth, Stephani Manning, and Lauren Roth have been appointed to Holmes Murphy’s Board of Managers. Freiermuth has been with Holmes Murphy since 1997, most recently serving as a Senior Vice President in the Surety space. Manning and Roth both have over a decade of experience at Holmes Murphy, where Manning has previously held several pivotal roles with Innovative Captive Strategies, and Roth was most recently named President of Avant Specialty Benefits. In addition to her appointment to the Board of Managers, Manning has also been named President of Innovative Captive Strategies, where she will lead the continued success of this thriving company.  

Additionally, Kari Cooling has been named to Holmes Murphy’s Executive Committee. Cooling has held several key leadership positions in her nearly 20-year span with the company and was named Senior Vice President & Managing Director of Brokerage Services in 2022. Cooling is the third next generation leader to join the Executive Committee. 

“These promotions are a true depiction of Holmes Murphy’s commitment to evolving and expanding our talent base to deliver the best possible results for our clients,” said Dan Keough, Chairman and CEO of Holmes Murphy. “We are proud that all of these individuals have been a part of our team for many years, and we are excited to see how they will continue to grow Holmes Murphy into the future.” 

Tom Stewart has also been named President of Holmes Murphy’s PLUS division, which contains six subsidiary companies — ACAP HealthWorks, Avant Specialty Benefits, Charlesworth Consulting, Creative Risk Solutions, ethOs, and Innovative Captive Strategies. Stewart has been with Holmes Murphy since 2003 and displays a depth of diverse expertise that is uniquely suited to this role.  

On a regional level, Stephanie Leuck and Chris Fischer will advance their leadership roles in Holmes Murphy’s Cedar Rapids market, where Leuck will serve as Market Leader and Fischer will serve as Property Casualty Sales Leader.Both Leuck and Fischer have been with Holmes Murphy for 20 years and have a true passion for serving clients throughout the Cedar Rapids and Eastern Iowa community. 

“Holmes Murphy remains committed to excellence, and we believe that by propelling each of these long-standing Holmes Murphy leaders into elevated positions, we will be able to do just that not only for our employees but for our incredible clients and the industry as a whole,” said Keough. 

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About Holmes Murphy 

“Caring for Your Unique Potential is Our Soul Purpose.” That statement is the core of how we do business. We ask the tough questions, avoid the easy path, believe fully in caring for the unique challenges of our clients, impact the industry through innovation, and leverage our greatest assets — the hearts and minds of our people — to advocate on behalf of our clients. That’s our approach to risk management and benefits consulting, and it’s worked for us since our inception in 1932. As an independent brokerage, we serve clients in every industry and of almost every size, with the ultimate goal of providing exceptional service and caring for our clients’ unique potential. We are also the co-founder and co-owner of BrokerTech Ventures, the industry’s first broker-led convening platform and accelerator. For more information, visit www.holmesmurphy.com. You can also follow us on Twitter.com (@holmesmurphyins) or on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.