MarshBerry's principals and consultants hold degrees from a variety of colleges
and universities, with most having an orientation toward finance, accounting or
economics, and many have a variety of experience in the insurance industry.
Justin Berry
Vice President
Justin Berry is the Vice President of Sales Management. He is a key leader for
organic growth initiatives driven from sales management, organizational
infrastructure and business planning.
Justin has presented for agent association meetings, continuous education seminars,
sales management training, insurance carrier meetings and executive leadership
forums. He is also a frequent contributor to insurance related articles for MarshBerry.
Justin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Arizona State University and
a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
His prior experience consists of underwriting national accounts, utilization
risk management and new business management for a major insurance carrier.
Megan Bosma
Vice President
Megan Bosma joined MarshBerry in 1998 as a Financial Analyst. She was promoted
to Consultant in 2000 and played a major role in preparing valuation reports,
perpetuation plans and general consulting projects. Her promotion to Senior
Consultant in 2002 coincided with increased experience and responsibility in
merger and acquisition work for various clients.
In December of 2005, she was promoted to Vice President and became a shareholder
of the firm. Her current consulting activities involve merger and acquisition
services, business planning, financial management consulting, valuation services
and ownership perpetuation. Megan has been involved with MarshBerry’s Agency Peak
Performance EXchange (“APPEX”) association since inception, serving as a facilitator
and presenter at the conference and working closely with a number of APPEX members.
In addition, Megan shares responsibility for training and developing financial
analysts and consultants for MarshBerry.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Megan worked for NCR in marketing and sales and managed
their compensation/sales tracking activities. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in
Finance from the University of Dayton.
Megan is a frequent contributor of insurance-related articles to The MarshBerry
Letter and other industry publications.
Chris Darst
Vice President
Chris Darst joined MarshBerry in 1998 as a Financial Analyst responsible for the statistical
compilation and interpretation of financial information for clients. He was promoted to
Consultant in 2000 and played a major role in preparing valuation reports, perpetuation plans
and general consulting projects. In 2001, he moved to California to help the company start up
a branch office in Dana Point. His promotion to Senior Consultant in 2002 coincided with
increased experience and responsibility in merger and acquisition work for various clients.
In December of 2005, he was promoted to Vice President. His current consulting activities
involve merger and acquisition services, business planning, financial management consulting,
valuation services, compensation consulting and ownership perpetuation.
Chris is a public speaker about the insurance industry and also writes articles for insurance
publications such as Rough Notes. He is also a contributor of insurance-related articles to
The MarshBerry Letter.
Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from the University of Colorado and a
Master’s Degree in Business Administration/Finance from the University of Akron.
Val DeMell
Executive Vice President
Valerie DeMell joined MarshBerry in 1987 as a financial analyst working on agency
valuations, perpetuation plans and assisting with mergers and acquisitions. During
her first ten years with the company, she advanced through the organization and was
responsible for managing, hiring and developing the company’s consulting staff members.
Promotions to Vice President in 1997 and Senior Vice President in 2000 coincided with
increased responsibility in areas of management consulting, merger and acquisitions
and corporate administration.
In 2004, Valerie was promoted to Executive Vice President overseeing MarshBerry’s
consulting and merger & acquisition practice. During her tenure with the firm, she has
developed significant expertise in areas such as fair market valuations, ownership
perpetuation planning, financial management consulting and merger and acquisition
services. Valerie is a vital resource in the preparation of divestiture and merger
documents, return on investment analysis, contract and deal negotiation and due diligence.
Valerie became a shareholder of MarshBerry in 1997 and is a member of the executive
management team.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, she served as a financial analyst for a subsidiary of W.R.
Grace Company. Valerie holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Kent State
University.
Rob Hamilton
Senior Consultant
Rob Hamilton joined MarshBerry in 2002 as a consultant responsible for preparing
valuation reports, operational reviews, due diligence and general consulting projects.
His promotion to Senior Consultant in 2006 coincided with increased responsibilities
in merger and acquisition work for a number of clients. As a member of MarshBerry’s
Michigan-based team, he has been involved in several bank and insurance acquisitions
and is frequently called on to perform due diligence reviews for other company teams.
His current consulting activities involve acquisitions and mergers, business planning,
financial management consulting, valuation services and owner perpetuation.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Rob was the controller of a $20,000,000 West Michigan
bank-owned insurance agency. In addition to his financial responsibilities, he was also
involved in reviewing, implementing and integrating more than 13 agency acquisitions
and was instrumental in the transition of other bank/insurance transactions.
Rob holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Administration from Grand Valley State University.
He speaks before agent associations and insurance carriers and has presented at several
national insurance automation conferences. He has also been published in insurance trade
publications, including American Agent & Broker and writes insurance-related articles
for The MarshBerry Letter.
Tom Linn
Senior Vice President
Tom Linn joined Marsh Berry in 1999 as a consultant responsible for the preparation of
appraisal reports, perpetuation plans, financial planning and general consulting projects.
Promotions to Senior Consultant and Vice President over the next few years coincided with
increased responsibilities in merger and acquisition work for various clients. In 2001,
Tom established MarshBerry's California office, which has grown under his management to
5 full time employees.
He currently serves the company as Senior Vice President. His consulting activities involve
agency valuations, acquisitions and mergers, ownership perpetuation and strategic business
planning. During the past four years, he has acted as the intermediary and advisor on
insurance agency transactions totaling more than $500,000,000. He also provides consulting
services to financial institutions seeking to expand into the insurance arena. Tom regularly
serves as an advisor to CEO's and Boards of several large agencies in the western states
advising on a wide range of financial, managerial and operational issues.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Tom was the Executive Vice President/CFO at The Cal-Surance
Companies. He also held the CFO position for two mid-sized companies earlier in his career.
Tom holds a Bachelor's Degree in English and Accounting from Claremont McKenna College. He
is also a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter.
He is a public speaker on insurance-related issues and has been published in trade
publications such as Insurance Journal Bank Director, and Rough Notes.
Albert Lloyd
Executive Vice President
Albert Lloyd joined MarshBerry in 1994 as a financial analyst responsible for the
statistical compilation and interpretation of financial information for clients.
Through the years he received several promotions and currently serves as an Executive
Vice President and senior partner of the firm. Additionally, he sits on the MarshBerry
Board of Directors and is a member of the Executive Committee. In his current position
he oversees the Consulting Division which includes the following Units - Financial
Consulting, Sales Management Consulting, Partner Networks, Recruiting and the
MarshBerry Sales Portal.
His current consulting activities primarily involve mergers and acquisitions, overseeing
the valuation of insurance agencies, representing clients in divestitures and consulting
in the areas of financial management, business perpetuation, business planning and compensation.
In addition to having a strong financial background, Albert also has a solid
understanding of information systems. His background in both finance and information
systems enabled him to play a major role in the development of the Perspectives for High
Performance ("PHP") agency management information system. PHP analyzes performance and
benchmarks insurance agencies using a wide range of criteria.
Before joining MarshBerry, Albert held managerial and information systems positions at
United Parcel Service (UPS). He holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Business
Administration/Finance from The University of Akron and a Masters in Business
Administration from Kent State University. He also holds a Property & Casualty insurance
license in the State of Ohio.
In addition to being a guest speaker at conferences and meetings, he has conducted a
variety of informational and training sessions for insurance carriers, insurance agencies,
associations and banks. Albert has written articles for, and has been featured in, several
industry trade journals. He is also a contributor to The MarshBerry Letter and For The Record.
Dan Skowronski
Senior Vice President
Dan Skowronski joined MarshBerry in 1994 as a Financial Analyst. He was promoted
to Consultant in 1996 and played a major role in the preparation of appraisal
reports, perpetuation plans and general consulting projects. In 2002, he teamed
up with MarshBerry’s information services department to create the web-based
Value Estimator, a hands-on tool that enables insurance agencies to gain a better
understanding of their value or to judge the merits of acquiring another agency.
Promotions to Senior Consultant and Vice President over the next few years
coincided with increased responsibilities in merger and acquisition work for
various clients.
In December of 2005, Dan was promoted to Senior Vice President. His current
consulting activities involve agency valuations, acquisitions and mergers,
compensation consulting and ownership perpetuation. He shares responsibility for
training and developing financial analysts and consultants, as well as producing
and delivering a wide variety of MarshBerry services.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Dan worked for the Ohio Legislature and as Assistant
State Director for the National Federation of Independent Business. He holds a
Bachelor’s Degree from Hiram College and a Master’s Degree in Business
Administration from Kent State University.
Dan is frequently called on to provide consulting advice in a wide variety of
areas and has been published in a number of insurance publications, including
Rough Notes and Independent Agent. He is also a frequent contributor of
insurance-related articles to The MarshBerry Letter.
Deb Stephens
Vice President
With over 20 years experience in the insurance industry, Deb Stephens joined
MarshBerry in 2006 as a Senior Consultant. Her promotion to Vice President in
2009 coincided with increased responsibilities in merger and acquisition work
for a number of clients. Her current consulting activities involve merger and
acquisition services, business planning, financial management consulting, valuation
services and ownership perpetuation. She plays a major role in the preparation of
return on investment analysis, contract and deal negotiation and due diligence.
Her strong technical background brings added depth to MarshBerry's consulting services.
Deb became a shareholder of MarshBerry in 2011.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Deb served as the Chief Information Officer and
Vice President of Finance for a $10,000,000 northeast Ohio insurance agency.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Ohio State University. She is
an Accredited Valuation Analyst (AVA) and a member of the National Association
of Certified Valuation Analysts. Deb has also been a contributor of
insurance-related articles to The MarshBerry Letter, Dealmaker’s Dialogue and
other industry publications.
Wayne Walkotten
Senior Vice President
Wayne Walkotten joined MarshBerry in 2001 as Vice President/Senior Consultant in charge of
the company’s Michigan office. In addition to merger and acquisition services, agency
valuations and financial management planning, he performed due diligence and assisted a
number of banks with their entry into the insurance arena.
In July of 2001 when the FASB promulgated rules for intangible asset valuations, Wayne
became the company’s practice leader in that area. His promotion to Senior Vice President
and shareholder in 2005 coincided with increased experience and responsibility in consulting,
valuations and merger and acquisition work for a number of clients.
In addition to managing the company’s Michigan office, he is also a vital resource in the
areas of mergers and acquisitions, strategic solutions, business planning and financial
management. With the assistance of a senior consultant and two financial analysts, Wayne
performs agency valuations and provides consulting services in the areas of agency improvement,
perpetuation planning and mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Wayne was Chief Operating Officer of Grand Rapids Holland
Insurance and was instrumental in the company’s purchase by Old Kent Financial Corporation.
He served as its Chief Financial Officer and was a MarshBerry client until he joined the
company in 2001.
Wayne is a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Valuation Analyst. He holds a
Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Grand Valley State University and a
Master’s Degree in Management from Aquinas College. He is a member of the AICPA, MACPA
and the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts.
Wayne is frequently asked to speak at bank and insurance conferences and before agent
associations and insurance carriers. He has been published in a number of insurance
publications, including Rough Notes, American Agent and Independent Agent. He is also a
frequent contributor of insurance-related articles to The MarshBerry Letter.
John Wepler
President
John Wepler joined MarshBerry in 1991 as a financial analyst responsible for the
statistical compilation and interpretation of financial information for clients.
John’s initial work centered on insurance agency valuations, ownership perpetuation
planning and compensation plan development. He led the research team and editorial
review process that created the guide to agency compensation published by ACORD in
1993. John became a senior shareholder during 1997 shortly after establishing the
Financial Institutions practice for the firm.
In August of 2005, John was promoted to President of MarshBerry. In this role, John
manages the investment banking, management consulting and sales management divisions
of the firm. He is a vital resource in the areas of organic growth management, valuation
enhancement solutions, mergers and acquisitions, business planning, ownership perpetuation
and financial management. John is nationally recognized as one of the industry’s leaders
in insurance investment banking and has closed over 109 transactions since joining the firm.
John is a frequent key note speaker at national conferences, including Bank Director
Magazine symposiums, SNL Financial conferences, Chubb-Wharton Executive Leadership,
CIAB conferences, agent association meetings, insurance carrier elite meetings and
executive leadership forums. He is a prolific author of articles for leading insurance
publications, including SNL Securities, Best’s Review, American Agent and Broker, National
Underwriter and M&A Scoreboard Magazine. John is also recognized nationally as an expert
in the bank/insurance arena and assists the nation's leading banks in refining and executing
acquire, integrate and leverage insurance strategies. He currently serves on the Board of
Directors for the American Bankers Insurance Association.
John holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from Ohio University and a Master’s Degree in
Business Administration from Kent State University.
Doug Yoh
Chief Executive Officer
Doug Yoh joined MarshBerry in 1984 as a consultant responsible for agency valuations,
acquisitions and mergers, compensation consulting and ownership perpetuation plans.
Promotions to Senior Consultant and Vice President over the next few years coincided
with increased responsibilities in merger and acquisition work for various clients. A
forward thinker and effective implementer, Doug soon became heavily involved in management
activities and was subsequently promoted to President. In 2005, he was promoted to Chairman
and CEO.
In addition to managing the company’s daily operations, he is also a vital resource in the
areas of mergers and acquisitions, strategic solutions, business planning and financial
management. He has been instrumental in developing and enhancing MarshBerry’s valuation,
acquisition, compensation and financial management products.
With 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, Doug is recognized nationally as an
expert in agency operations, growth strategies, strategic initiatives and mergers and
acquisitions. He is frequently asked to speak before agent associations and insurance
carriers and also writes articles about agency management and valuation.
Prior to joining MarshBerry, Doug held senior management positions for a national broker
and a public accounting firm. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and
Accounting from Bowling Green State University.
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