Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dish by State
Turkey isn’t the only star of the show on Thanksgiving. Americans love their side dishes, with 67% stating they actually…
Alan is responsible for the overall performance and management of the agency, including strategic…
Erich is responsible for developing and enhancing…
Christi is responsible for new business production across the agency, including home, auto, flood…
Tom is responsible for national account management and…
Greg is responsible for advanced technology solutions that enable business efficiencies and….
Gabriel is responsible for agency portfolio management and incoming carrier data transactions…
Ben oversees Westwood’s licensed customer service and retention teams to ensure policyholders receive…
Amanda is responsible for branding, the customer journey, and delivering an integrated marketing…
Turkey isn’t the only star of the show on Thanksgiving. Americans love their side dishes, with 67% stating they actually…
There are approximately 33.3 million small businesses in the United States. And with an average of 430,000 new U.S. business…
Prices for goods and services in the United States have increased 2.4% in the past year, putting Americans in search…
In a Jeff Shore Consulting blog post, Westwood’s VP and Executive Account Manager, Christine Geeslin, writes about how Millennials and…
Tom Kriby, Westwood’s Vice President of Client Development and Partnerships, identifies four key reasons why price transparency is vital in…
According to the latest U.S. National Seismic Hazard Model, approximately 230 million people face the potential of a damaging earthquake…
President
Alan Umaly is President of Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Alan is responsible for the overall performance and management of the agency, including strategic direction, partnership development, sales, customer service, and operations. During his 30-year tenure with Westwood, he has driven substantial agency growth by leveraging homegrown talent, technology, and operational efficiencies, all focused on pursuing new insurance markets and distribution channels.
Under Alan’s leadership, Westwood has consistently ranked in the top 50 of Insurance Journal’s Top 100 P&C Agencies.
Alan attended the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, California, and De La Salle University in Manila, Philippines.
Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy
Erich Berke is Vice President, Corporate Development & Strategy at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Erich is responsible for developing and enhancing Westwood’s corporate strategy across the business units and supporting an overall focus on maximizing growth opportunities.
For nearly 25 years, Erich has been a financial leader in the insurance industry. Before joining Westwood, he served as Vice President, Financial Planning and Analysis at QBE North America. There he was responsible for improving results on a consistent, long-term basis, deploying the appropriate level of capital and investments in the business, and identifying and executing financial levers to drive results.
Erich also held leadership positions with Ace Group (Chubb) and Deloitte & Touche, LLP. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Duquesne University.
Vice President, National Sales & Growth
Christi Burkhardt is Vice President, National Sales and Growth at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Christi is responsible for new business production across the agency, including home, auto, flood, and umbrella. She oversees Westwood’s licensed sales agents and sales support staff, and she works closely with clients in support of their sales goals.
Christi joined Westwood in 2005 and helped develop Westwood’s cutting-edge technology to support a fully digital customer experience.
Christi has worked in the insurance industry for nearly 30 years. Before Westwood, Christi worked at GEICO. There, she led Customer Service and Quality Control and Training Teams, and she also partnered with IT on customer-focused technology implementation.
Vice President, Client Development & Partnerships
Tom Kriby is Vice President, Client Development and Partnerships at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Tom is responsible for national account management and business development, including diversifying the business into new growth channels.
Tom has nearly 20 years of sales, actuarial, and risk management leadership experience. Before joining Westwood, Tom served as Assistant Vice President, National Programs for Universal North America, where he led teams tasked with driving profitable business and growth. Before Universal, Tom held roles with Benfield Inc., JPMorgan Chase, and Tower Hill Insurance Group.
Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Florida.
Vice President, Innovation & Transformation
Greg Lewis is Vice President, Innovation and Transformation at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, he is responsible for advanced technology solutions that enable business efficiencies and opportunities.
Greg has more than 30 years of experience in planning, developing, and implementing information technology solutions for the home builder and insurance industries. Prior to Westwood, Greg served as Chief Information Officer at PropertyPlus Insurance Agency, a startup owned by Progressive Insurance. He also led Centex Financial Services’ IT divisions, including CTX Mortgage, Commerce Title, and Commerce Title Insurance Company.
Vice President, Agency Support Services
Gabriel Salazar is Vice President, Agency Support Services at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Gabriel is responsible for agency portfolio management and incoming carrier data transactions, quality control, and training.
Gabriel joined Westwood in 2008. Previously, he served as Agency Portfolio Manager, where he managed all insurance company relationships and implemented strategies to improve agency retention. He also served as Central Processing Manager, where he oversaw a team responsible for processing all agency and carrier transactions, including cancellations, renewals, new business, and payment follow-up for new and existing customers.
Gabriel holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from California State University, Northridge.
Vice President, Customer Support
Ben Sokoll is Vice President, Customer Support at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Ben oversees Westwood’s licensed customer service and retention teams to ensure policyholders receive superior service.
Ben joined Westwood in 2014 as Assistant Vice President, Sales, where he partnered with the country’s top insurance companies to provide a complete line of personal insurance products to customers.
Ben began his career in insurance in commercial oil and gas, then transitioned to personal lines with AAA Texas, where he led call center teams and managed brick and mortar stores.
Ben holds a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of North Texas.
Vice President, Communications & Marketing
Amanda Taylor is Vice President, Communications and Marketing at Westwood Insurance Agency. In this role, Amanda is responsible for branding, the customer journey, and delivering an integrated marketing strategy across all channels. She is committed to sharing Westwood’s story in a powerful and meaningful way. Amanda previously served as Vice President, Corporate Development for Westwood.
Amanda has nearly 20 years of experience in corporate communications, public relations, digital marketing, advertising, and event management. Prior to Westwood, Amanda worked at QBE and LendingTree.
Amanda holds a bachelor’s degree in business from Wake Forest University and an MBA from Queens University of Charlotte.