Woodruff-Sawyer Names Andy Barrengos as Chief Executive Officer

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. announced today that its Board of Directors has named Andy Barrengos Chief Executive Officer, effective November 30, 2016. Mr. Barrengos, 52, is a 20-year veteran of Woodruff-Sawyer with a client focus in a number of complex risk sectors, including Technology and Life Sciences. Andy is a Partner, a Senior Vice President and a Director of the Firm. He will become the sixth CEO in Woodruff-Sawyer's 98-year history.

"We believe that Andy is the ideal CEO to lead Woodruff-Sawyer forward," said Woodruff-Sawyer Chairman Stan Loar. "He is a proven executive with deep industry experience, a passion for client service and superlative management skills. We are confident that under Andy's leadership Woodruff-Sawyer will continue building on our premier risk management and insurance franchise, and delivering the trusted counsel that is the hallmark of our Firm."

"Woodruff-Sawyer is home to an incredibly talented and dedicated team with a client-focused culture that serves as the foundation for our success," said Mr. Barrengos. "I am deeply honored to lead Woodruff-Sawyer and I look forward to working with Stan, our Board, Leadership Team, Shareholders and colleagues to fulfill our vision for our clients and employees. We have a strong market position and an unrivaled reputation in the marketplace, and I want to build on that momentum as we take our Firm into its second century of growth and success."  

The Board also announced the promotion of Zac Overbay and Carolyn Polikoff to newly created senior leadership positions. Mr. Overbay, Senior Vice President and Claims Practice Leader, will become the Firm's Chief Administrative Officer. In this role, he will assume responsibility for many of the Firm's operational functions in support of its growing national footprint, resources and industry sectors. Ms. Polikoff, Senior Vice President leading the Firm's San Francisco Corporate & Executive Protection Practice, will become the National Practice Leader for all Corporate & Executive Protection and Property & Casualty Insurance business units. In this enterprise-wide role, she will oversee all non-Benefits revenue in order to better integrate the Firm's services across these business units and provide even more consistent client service through a unified national structure.

Mr. Overbay and Ms. Polikoff will join the Firm's current senior leadership team, which includes Mary Sklarski, the Chief Strategic Development Officer, responsible for enterprise-wide growth initiatives and insurer relationships; and Kathy Prosser, the National Employee Benefits Practice Leader, responsible for Employee Benefits nationally.

"We are thrilled to have Zac and Carolyn on our Senior Leadership team with Mary and Kathy," said Mr. Loar. "Their appointments reflect the depth of our talent. They are seasoned executives whose skills will be valuable additions to our senior leadership team."

Background on Andy Barrengos, Zac Overbay and Carolyn Polikoff
Mr. Barrengos joined Woodruff-Sawyer in 1996 and has served in a series of positions of increasing responsibility. He has more than 30 years' experience in the insurance industry and is an expert in strategic planning, risk management, program design and new product development. Over his career, he has worked primarily with clients in complex-risk sectors including those in Technology and Life Sciences, with a focus on Directors and Officers Liability, Products Liability, Cyber/Errors & Omissions Liability, and other Property & Casualty risk areas. Prior to joining Woodruff-Sawyer, Mr. Barrengos was the Regional Director for Sedgwick's Life Sciences Practice in California and previously an Underwriting Manager for Technology and Life Sciences companies with Chubb. He serves on the advisory councils for the major insurers and also participates in their product development efforts.

Mr. Overbay joined Woodruff-Sawyer in 2002 and has led the Claim Audit and Consulting Practice at Woodruff-Sawyer since that time. In this role, Mr. Overbay provided client consultation in the areas of resolving coverage disputes, business litigation, and large-scale catastrophic property losses both nationally and internationally. Prior to joining Woodruff-Sawyer, Mr. Overbay was with the State Farm Insurance Companies, where he managed various Property and Casualty claim departments. He was also a member of the company's national catastrophe team, providing emergency claim response.

Ms. Polikoff joined Woodruff-Sawyer in 2006, and has led the firm's Corporate & Executive Protection Practice since 2010. In this role, she advised clients and Woodruff-Sawyer brokers and consultants on matters relating to the full suite of corporate & executive protection insurance policies, including Directors and Officers Liability, Employment Practices and Fiduciary Liability insurance. Prior to joining Woodruff-Sawyer, Ms. Polikoff spent 11 years as a financial institutions underwriter for Directors and Officers as well as Errors and Omissions Liability insurance.

MEDIA CONTACT
Melinda Mui
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Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
50 California St., 12^th Floor
San Francisco, CA 94111
415.402.6593

About Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.
Woodruff-Sawyer is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the nation, and is an active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network. For 98 years, Woodruff-Sawyer has been partnering with clients to implement and manage effective and innovative insurance, employee benefits and risk management solutions, both nationally and abroad. Headquartered in San Francisco, Woodruff-Sawyer has offices throughout California, and in Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Hawaii and New England. For more information, call 844.WSANDCO (844.972.6326) or visit www.wsandco.com.

SOURCE Woodruff-Sawyer & Co

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