Former director of Nationwide E&S to build transportation practice group
DETROIT (December 02, 2019) – Burns & Wilcox, North America’s leading insurance wholesale broker and underwriting manager, today announced the addition of John Woods to its leadership team. Woods joins Burns & Wilcox as Vice President, National Practice Group Leader, Transportation, based in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Woods’ role focuses on establishing and growing the National Transportation Practice Group, while supporting and offering strategic direction for associates who specialize in the transportation space across the company network. He reports to Chris Zoidis, Executive Vice President, Burns & Wilcox, Detroit/Farmington Hills, Michigan.
“The hallmark of Burns & Wilcox is our deep expertise and we will continue to add talent to strengthen our competitive advantage, furthering our 50-year legacy for years to come,” said Alan Jay Kaufman, Chairman, President and CEO, H.W. Kaufman Group, parent company to Burns & Wilcox. “We have a strong history of supporting the transportation industry and understanding the intricacies of the business. By formally establishing a Transportation Practice Group, we further expand our capabilities and specialized resources not only to the advantage of our clients and partners, but also to our associates.”
For more than 25 years, Woods has led transportation-focused teams at insurance companies including Reliance, W.R. Berkley and its member companies, National Interstate and Carolina Casualty. Woods most recently served as a Senior Director at Nationwide E&S, where he led the Brokerage Transportation and Public Entity business, consistently hitting underwriting targets while developing innovative product solutions that drove year-over-year growth.
“My entire career has been rooted in transportation, successfully building and managing underwriting teams,” said Woods. “Burns & Wilcox is deeply ingrained in the transportation business, with resources and experts positioned throughout the global Kaufman network. I look forward to building the practice group and helping to continue to provide top quality client service and expertise.”
Since launching its new company-wide practice group structure earlier this year, Burns & Wilcox has seen significant growth in its practice group areas. Its Personal Insurance Practice has experienced 14 percent top line growth and 30 percent new business growth. The company continues to harness its expertise through the Transportation Insurance Practice, with additional activity planned for 2020.
