NAILBA Announces Winners of 2021 ID Twenty Awards, Honoring 20 Insurance Innovators and Trailblazers

NAILBA, the Voice of Independent Distribution (ID), has announced the 2021 recipients of the ID Twenty Awards. Now in their third year, the ID Twenty Awards honor Independent Distribution’s most courageous innovators and visionaries, who have made important contributions to the insurance profession.

“For yet another year, NAILBA received dozens of nominations for the ID Twenty awards, celebrating the best of BGA principals, carrier executives, case managers, contract specialists, regional vice presidents, underwriters, techies, marketing and operational gurus,” said NAILBA CEO, Dan LaBert. “The outpouring of incredible stories and contributions speaks volumes about the positive impact of the NAILBA membership on our profession.”

The winners of the 2021 ID Twenty Award are:

  • Tim Bellig, Managing Principal, Vanbridge, an EPIC Company 
  • Patrick Bowen, Co-Founder and CRO, InsurAware
  • Brian Duncan, CEO, Duncan Advisor Resources
  • Matt Essick, Chief Marketing Officer, Ensight
  • Blair Farwell, President and CEO, Resource Brokerage, LLC
  • David Fenimore, Chairman of the Board, Insurance Technologies
  • Scott Fergusson, Chief Executive Officer, Techficient
  • Paul Garofoli, Regional Sales Director, The Standard
  • Eric Griffin, Executive Vice President, The Cason Group
  • Angie Hughes, Managing Partner, Producers XL
  • Krish V. Krishnan, Founder and CEO, Magnifact
  • Jeff Levin, Vice President of Sales, Care Solutions, OneAmerica
  • Marjorie Ma, Head of Life Insurance Product Management, AIG
  • Mike Pepe, Founder, Proformex
  • Rachel Sachs, Vice President, Life Operations, Advisors Excel
  • Scott Safranek, National Sales Manager, American National
  • Bobby Samuelson, President, Life Innovators, Executive Editor, The Life Product Review
  • Jim Sorebo, SVP of Sales, Highland Capital Brokerage
  • Matt Szychulski, National Account Vice President, John Hancock
  • Kim Wilcox, Director of Service and Underwriting, Innovative Underwriters

Award winners were acknowledged on the main stage at NAILBA’s in-person annual conference, NAILBA 40, on Tuesday, November 16, 2021. They will also be spotlighted in NAILBA’s Perspectives magazine in the first quarter of 2022. More information about each of the winners can be found within the honorees section of NAILBA.org.

About NAILBA

NAILBA is the premier trade association promoting financial security and consumer choice in the insurance and financial services marketplace through independent, wholesale brokerage distribution channels. As the largest community of independent agencies and advisors, NAILBA advocates for America’s life, health, annuity, and other supplemental insurance distributors, while also providing resources, educational information and tools through its digital and print platforms.