Danny Sgro : IBCA Top 30 Elite Broker

Name: Danny Sgro
PARTNER, CHIEF SALES OFFICER
TECHNOLOGY AND SPECIALTY
RISK ADVISOR,
JONES DESLAURIERS INSURANCE
TORONTO, ONT.

There must be something in the water at Jones DesLauriers, as two Toronto brokers from that firm posted some big numbers to take first and second spots in the Top 30 Elite Broker Survey.

Leading the charge for Jones DesLauriers was Chief Sales Officer Danny Sgro who broke the tape first almost $3.5 million, outpacing his closest competitor and colleague by more than a million.

Along with being a partner and producer at Jones DesLauriers, Sgro is also the relationship manager for some of Jones DesLauriers’ key insurance companies and a mentor to the young producers.

“My success can be attributed to hard work and dedication,” Sgro told Insurance Business, who got his start by graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in chemical engineering.

“I knew I wanted to move into the business side but still utilize my engineering experience,” he says.

“My strategic plan was to work in loss prevention and risk management, gain a strong underwriting background, work in marketing and sales on the insurance company side of the business, and then move to the broker side. I am very fortunate that this came to pass as per the script.”

Evolving to meet the customers’ needs is crucial to maintaining the health of the broker channel, agrees Sgro. “The broker landscape has changed dramatically in the last 10 years and will continue to evolve,” says Sgro.

“Client expectations of their insurance brokers have increased dramatically. Brokers who will thrive will need to leverage their past experience and knowledge, to provide sophisticated insurance advice and specialized, sector specific products to their clients.”

Almost every broker has a story of a mentor who helped guide them through those early, difficult years. For Sgro, there were three.

“Gary Boileau, now with Affiliated FM, hired me straight from university and worked with me in my early years of development,” says Sgro.

There must be something in the water at Jones DesLauriers, as two Toronto brokers from that firm posted some big numbers to take first and second spots in the Top 30 Elite Broker Survey.

Leading the charge for Jones DesLauriers was Chief Sales Officer Danny Sgro who broke the tape first almost $3.5 million, outpacing his closest competitor and colleague by more than a million.

Along with being a partner and producer at Jones DesLauriers, Sgro is also the relationship manager for some of Jones DesLauriers’ key insurance companies and a mentor to the young producers.

“My success can be attributed to hard work and dedication,” Sgro told Insurance Business, who got his start by graduating from the University of Toronto with a degree in chemical engineering.

“I knew I wanted to move into the business side but still utilize my engineering experience,” he says.

“My strategic plan was to work in loss prevention and risk management, gain a strong underwriting background, work in marketing and sales on the insurance company side of the business, and then move to the broker side. I am very fortunate that this came to pass as per the script.”

Evolving to meet the customers’ needs is crucial to maintaining the health of the broker channel, agrees Sgro. “The broker landscape has changed dramatically in the last 10 years and will continue to evolve,” says Sgro.

“Client expectations of their insurance brokers have increased dramatically. Brokers who will thrive will need to leverage their past experience and knowledge, to provide sophisticated insurance advice and specialized, sector specific products to their clients.”

Almost every broker has a story of a mentor who helped guide them through those early, difficult years. For Sgro, there were three.

“Gary Boileau, now with Affiliated FM, hired me straight from university and worked with me in my early years of development,” says Sgro.

“Then Judy Maddocks promoted me ahead of my time at Kemper Insurance to a senior position and worked with me to excel in that role. When I came to Jones DesLauriers Insurance, it was Bob Jones who gave me the opportunity and mentored me in my transition into the broker side of the business.”