Originally set on becoming a veterinarian, Alan Jay Kaufman, the son of a Lloyd’s broker, ultimately pursued an illustrious legal career, including serving as vice counsel of Panama. In 1996, Kaufman purchased H.W. Kaufman Group from his late father, taking the company private. Under his leadership, H.W. Kaufman and its companies have experienced double-digit annual growth, achieving more than $1.5 billion in revenue in 2016, including $1.2 billion in annual premium from Burns & Wilcox, the firm’s flagship brand.
In recognition of his entrepreneurial leadership, Ernst & Young awarded Kaufman the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the business services category for Michigan and Northwest Ohio in June 2011. In 2013, he received the Distinguished Alumni Award from his alma mater, Michigan State University. Most recently, he was named to IBA’s Hot 100 list for the second time in 2017 in recognition of his commitment to developing talent. That dedication is evident in his founding of the Kaufman Institute, which provides ongoing professional development opportunities for the company’s employees. “The insurance industry is shor on talent and has a short bench on future leadership,” Kaufman says. “Our industry’s current leaders need to focus more on bringing in recent graduates. Through endowments, scholarships, partnerships and education programs, Burns & Wilcox and my family have led the way to attract more students to discover the wealth of opportunities of an insurance career.”
Understanding that giving back is part of a successful career, Kaufman is also an active philanthropist, dedicating his time, energy and resources to educational, civic, community and business organizations.
