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Managing Director
Chemical Practice Leader for North America
Marsh
Philadelphia

In the inaugural Power Broker^TM awards last year, there were quite a few winners by acclamation, with many clients in some sectors recommending the same few brokers.

From chemical clients this year, no broker received wider recognition than Fabrice Lebourgeois. This is not surprising given his background: undergraduate degrees in chemistry and physics, and master's degrees in both physics and risk management.

"His breadth of knowledge within the sector is a benchmark among his peers," says one client. "His coverage of emerging issues keeps him on top of each category and has helped him negate a very difficult property insurance market."

This past year, Lebourgeois led a comprehensive risk-assessment and coverage-gap-analysis project for one global specialty-chemical company. He also recently completed a risk-assessment project for another such firm, one that recently reached an agreement with its parent company for a management buyout.

When that was done, he approached the client's executive team and helped them assess what it would take to turn their risk management program into the best-in-class. The project displays Lebourgeois' team-building skills at their top, as he assembled property and casualty brokers specialized in chemical risks throughout Marsh.

Senior Vice President
Aon Natural Resources Team Leader
Aon
Houston

One international client of Jim Aylsworth acknowledges that the broker meets the top four Power Broker^TM criteria--knowledge of the insurance sector, knowledge of the covered industry, customer service and ethics.

But the client hastens to add a fifth: rates.

"In this industry, with all our exposures and all our locations, all of those four things are a given. For us, it's always an issue of rates," the client says.

It is clear Aylsworth has what it takes to keep retentions comparable to the previous year--creativity.

"Jim, our account manager, is very creative," the client explains. "This past year and the one before have been very difficult in the market, and we have also had a few incidents giving rise to claims. But I would sing Jim's praises to anyone."

Rather than just work as a transactional broker, Aylsworth has assumed the responsibility of becoming a risk management consultant for his clients.

That has included providing advice on contractual issues, risk control, due diligence, claims and even human resource consulting.

Most importantly, it has involved Aylsworth getting to know each client's industry, and its role in that industry, as well as, if not better than, the client itself.

Senior Vice President
Marsh
Philadelphia

Insureds know that one mark of a Power Broker^TM is persistence. Jon O'Neill is no exception. His clients say he isn't afraid to put pressure on insurers to maintain or reduce their costs. Clients also talk about O'Neill's ability to move into global markets. This year, insureds with high excess liability say that he has been able to place those exposures in European markets via Bermuda.

"We are very lucky to have Jon as our casualty broker," says one chemical client. "This year, when we have had some losses, we really should be paying higher premiums, but despite those losses, Jon has been able to keep our casualty program at 2000 rates. It is really amazing the good relations he has with the underwriters."

In the past year, for instance, he reduced one client's collateral requirements with its former primary casualty insurer for its fronted primary casualty program by $13.5 million. He presented the carrier with a collateral calculation--including losses that would have been excluded based on policy wording- -instead of waiting for the carrier's collateral calculation.

He has also been aggressive on premiums. In one three-year deal for a client's primary casualty program, he negotiated fixed-cost savings of about 40 percent. For another client, he redesigned a client's excess program to increase occurrence capacity from $25 million to $125 million, with an option for $200 million, while achieving savings close to $2 million.

Area President
Arthur J. Gallagher
Cleveland

Executives can forget that they are not in business to make chemicals, cars or cameras, but money. Pat Walsh's clients say he always remembers why they are in business.

"Pat is solution oriented, and he understands the big picture," says a risk manager of one large chemical company. "He understands our company and the industry. He understands risk management, and he's just a really good businessman. He knows our business from claims to placement."

The client cites the time Walsh's expertise with workers' comp coverage was invaluable. All in a day's work, Walsh redesigned the client's self-insurance program by fashioning a wrap to reduce administrative hassle "by 95 percent." On excess liability coverage, Pat solved legacy problems, closed gaps and helped with a group captive.

"He presented us with a program that was substantially better than what the incumbent broker then had suggested. And we've been pleased with the results," the client says.

In another case of his innovation, Walsh created a manuscript property form that was broader than most available in the chemical sector. Overall, Walsh has been an advocate for clients in the wake of the tough 2005 hurricane season, and in several cases secured significant premium reductions.

Principal
Integro
New York

Each year, some of the Power Broker^TM honors come as a surprise to the winners, but this one may be the biggest surprise this year. It was a true write-in vote in this sector. A nomination for Robert Terracciano was sent in originally for a completely different sector. But clients in the chemical industry cite his name enough that the point was taken, and the principal in Integro's casualty practice was also considered for the award in this sector.

"Bob's technical abilities really stand out," says one client. "We have a very complicated business with many locations, many suppliers and thousands of customers. Bob has been able to match those exposures with optimal terms and conditions."

One of the unique challenges in the chemical sector is that some companies supply small but steady volumes of material to clients through small on-site manufacturing units. Some of those are owned by the producer, while others are owned by the customer and managed by the supplier. Terracciano specializes in such complex risk environments.

"Bob's business savvy is a big help to us," says another client, a global chemical supply company. "He understands that sometimes we compete with other companies, and sometimes we are partners with them. I guess it's a bit like real estate." The client adds that Terracciano has a good eye for detail, especially in sorting out terms and conditions for the client.