Business & Professional
entrepreneur
RISKY BUSINESS from page 31
stunts by the auto manufacturers.
"Even more risky insurance is for
earthquakes, mud slides and fires in
California and hurricanes in Florida and
Louisiana. We settled
many claims after
business volume is higher and more poli-
cies are being written, but the premium
totals are down," Kaufman lamented.
"The insureds are cutting back in some
way. But we're keeping
414,
Hurricane Katrina in
New Orleans and our
own office was flooded
out."
ahead of the game with
better planning, more
acquisitions and main-
taining strong relations
with all of the compa-
Moving Forward
nies we do business
with."
If insurance policy
holders have a difficult
time making premium
payments, Burns &
Wilcox even has a sub-
sidiary, Royal Premium,
which arranges financ-
ing for them. "There
He said Burns &
Wilcox finished "flat"
for 2009 —"but that's
a lot better than a loss
position."
Employee headcount
has remained steady,
titles: chairman, president, CEO but Kaufman says one
are no bounds to the
of his biggest challenges
depth and breath of our
is finding experienced
services," said Kaufman.
people when hiring is necessary. This
The company also publishes a quarter-
is where his "consistent and personal-
ly magazine for insurance professionals.
ized" training initiatives come in handy.
Alan jay Kaufman holds three
Burns & Wilcox has not completely
escaped the effects of the nation's
economic downturn. "The insurance
The company is the first in the industry
to have a 24/7, Web-based corporate
university for employees, which they can
The H.W. Kaufman
Financial Group/Burns
a Wilcox congratulates
Alan Jay Kaufman for
leading the company
to be the most
successful and
largest insurance
wholesaler in the
world.
Burns a Wilcox was founded in
1969. The company has grown
from one office in Michigan to 38
offices worldwide.
use at the office or at home. Called the
Kaufman Institute, the computer-based
university includes 140 courses, 300
books and 100 videos covering business
skills, marketing and sales, management,
customer service and leadership.
Kaufman divides his time between
the insurance offices and the law office,
which has 40 employees. He travels
about 100 days a year visiting Burns &
Wilcox offices. "Our law clients often are
impressed by our practical experience in
also running a huge insurance operation
— and the two businesses are very much
related," he said.
and I can see why he's such a suc-
cessful businessman."
Kaufman and his wife, Sue Ellen
— they have three children — have
established endowment funds at Hillel,
the Hillel Student Center at Michigan
State, the University of Michigan,
Farmington Hills-based JARC, the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, the Jewish Community Center
of Metropolitan Detroit (Childhood
Educational Fund), Bar-Ilan University in
Ramat Gan, Israel, and the Cranbrook-
Kingswood Schools in Bloomfield Hills.
His father had set up funds at Adat
Shalom and the Jewish Theological
Seminary in New York.
On The Service Side
Kaufman finds time to serve on the
"Alan is one of Hillel's top five donors,"
boards of Walsh College in Troy, Hillel
Day School of Metropolitan Detroit
and Adat Shalom Synagogue, both in
Farmington Hills, and the American
added Freedman. "He's very committed
to Jewish education, especially athlet-
ics. Our varsity and intramural athletic
programs are driven by his commitment.
Technion Society, which has a local
office in Farmington Hills.
Through the Kaufman Family Athletic and
Enrichment Fund, he supports the theory
that sound mind, body and spirit, and
overall physical fitness and sportsman-
"Alan is a very active board mem-
ber; he participates in everything,"
said Steve Freedman, Hillel's head of
school. "He's a great strategic thinker
ship, reach the very core of Jewish
values." E
The law offices of
Kaufman, Payton &
Chapa applaud Mr.
Kaufman who \vas
again named a national
Super Lawyer, and on
his philanthropic and
community endeavors.
Kaufman, Payton & Chapa represent
international, national and regional
companies in a broad spectrum of
corporate, insurance, litigation. and
business planning.
157D525
32
February 11 • 2010