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Managing Principal
Integro Insurance Brokers, New York

A Specialty for Challenge

Carmel Fauci has carved out a specialty for dealing with high-net-worth art clients.

Dede Robbins, a partner at Los Angeles-based Dreyer, Edmonds and Robbins, noted: "I am a CPA and business manager for high-value and ultra-high-value clients. So the people I work with -- and Carmel ultimately works with -- are very demanding. I try to route every client through Carmel because she's so good at facilitating the insurance process for them."

In one case this past year, a Robbins client sustained a loss on a large piece of art. "These kinds of big art claims are more difficult and challenging to push through the system and Carmel really guided that process in a successful fashion," she said.

Amber Noland, founder of Art Collection Management Inc., added: "I had a client with a substantial loss. It was a very valuable painting and Carmel oversaw that in a way nobody else could." Noted Paula Wardynski, senior vice president, finance at News Corp.: "We have a big and global art collection and, if anything goes wrong, Carmel is extremely responsive. She does more for us than just the art. We have works of art that are shown domestically but [have] global owners and Carmel has to make sure things are always up to date.

"Plus, she is fantastic on renewals," Wardynski said. "She is always on top of it. We're always in a position of strength, thanks to her."

Senior Vice President
Willis, Potomac, Md.

Riding to the Rescue

Eric Fischer is the epitome of the broker who is cheerfully willing to go above and beyond for his clients, even when there is no monetary reward involved.

A striking example was how he rode to the rescue of Monika Tomko, chief registrar of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh.

In the past year, Tomko noted, the museum was lending a few important paintings to a museum in France and they said, "Would you be so kind as to let us put this on our policy rather than us paying your premium?"

Tomko agreed, but when their policy, translated into English, arrived for review, she and a colleague saw that some of the exclusions were not acceptable. "I sent the policy to Eric," Tomko said, "and he said, 'Actually, I think this is a bad translation.' "

Fischer suggested that the museum request the policy in its original French and he would have a French-speaking colleague review it. Added Tomko: "We did that and the policy was perfectly fine. And to top things off, there was no benefit to Eric to do this for us. He was just doing it as a favor for us."

At the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Senior Registrar Irene Taurins, said, "At renewal time, we had several high-value exhibitions coming up and instead of layering just for those exhibitions, Eric was able to get us a full-coverage, umbrella policy for the excess for the full year for less money than it would have cost to get layers for those exhibitions. And I was able to stay within budget."

Chief Operating Officer and Director of Finance
Aon, Washington, D.C.

Clever, Cool Common Sense

For a broker known for her low-key approach, Diane Jackson, COO and director of finance for Aon/Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency Inc., gets rave reviews from her clients.

"Diane has common sense, practicality and she doesn't lose her cool," noted Aileen Chuk, head registrar at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. "She also has access to the best underwriters in the world."

Added Chuk: "It's a very large load that the Met carries and a complex institution with a complicated insurance situation. We're one of the largest museums in the world and we have an extremely valuable collection as well as the works of others under our roof at all times."

Among many important things Jackson did for the Met during the past year was to represent the museum in a huge loan of Chinese paintings to a museum in Shanghai.

Of four U.S. museum lenders, three were represented by Jackson. "Throughout this, Diane was very, very cleverly able to stay in touch with all of us," observed Chuk. "Coordinating all those efforts, including getting the premium money out of the Chinese, was not easy. Plus, Diane was able to build for her clients a very acceptable rate for the Chinese, which allowed the loans to proceed." In addition, noted Chuk, Jackson was able to access her resources in China to work out the transmittal of insurance payments and she was able to get everything done on time and stay on top of every detail of the transaction.

Adine Varah, San Francisco deputy city attorney, said: "Diane is great. In one case, she helped us arrange a six-figure loan from the Metropolitan Museum without a hitch."

Senior Vice President
Aon, Washington, D.C.

Making Things Happen

In an experienced and personable manner, Lynn Marcin, senior vice president of Aon/Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency Inc., stands out for the swift and sure way she makes things happen on behalf of her clients.

Gabriela Truly, director of collections management for the Dallas Museum of Art, noted: "My director informed me that we needed to move a highly important and valuable painting fast and as confidentially as possible, but it definitely needed insurance coverage. This shipment would be worth more than twice the value of anything I had ever moved before in one conveyance. I called Lynn and in less than two hours she had the entire thing figured out, written and sent to me. For our museum, this was huge."

At the Denver Art Museum, Lori Iliff, director of exhibition and collection services, noted of Marcin: "I've always been able to get coverage for below what we're budgeted for, which is a huge deal for me."

In the past year, Iliff put together a large Van Gogh exhibition that had some significant federal indemnity as well as significant commercial coverage. "It was a very complicated deal," Iliff said, "and Lynn pulled it off without a hitch."

Rick Floyd, registrar at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, said: "Lynn's relationships with underwriters are steeped in a depth of experience, and I always feel that she does her best to provide the most excellent service for us. It is a confidence that comes from a sense of confidence that Lynn presents."

Assistant Vice President
Aon, Houston

Understanding Risk from All Perspectives

Clients commend Adrienne Reid, assistant vice president of Aon/Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency Inc., not only for her extensive knowledge about insurance but for her love and knowledge of the artwork she covers.

"Recently, for example, she and I walked into our large art museum and from across the room she spotted an artist that for me was obscure but one she knew very well," said Susan Leskis, insurance manager of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "I was dazzled."

As the university's rare book curator, Leskis has worked with Reid to resolve a serious mold problem that has been plaguing the university for the past six or seven years.

"Adrienne has worked steadily to alleviate the problem and at the 2012 renewal she negotiated with our underwriters to remove the mold exclusion and provide a 10 percent rate reduction ... ," Leskis said.

"In the past year, we had a Swiss treasures exhibition in which there were concerns about currency fluctuations and securing the proper coverage for our Swiss partner who was providing the loan to the university," said Candy Walters, risk management analyst at the University of Chicago. "The indemnification had special issues and Adrienne handled that and everything else very smoothly." Added Frances Francis, senior registrar of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta: "Whenever I call her, I say, 'I am calling Adrienne University.' She completely understands risks from all perspectives, including global considerations."

Vice President
Willis, New York

Persistent and Thorough

Ruth Watson, vice president of Willis of New York Inc., is known for her elegantly tenacious style. Jan van Straaten, owner of the van Straaten Gallery in Chicago, cited the way Watson relentlessly pursued rectifying a significant water damage claim in 2011. Despite difficulties in dealing with several divisions of the underwriter, Watson was able to successfully settle the claim to the client's satisfaction.

Following the claim, for the 2012 renewal, Watson was required to market the van Straaten account and as a result of that marketing effort was able to secure comparable terms at a very competitive price for this longstanding client.

"Ruth's persistence and thoroughness really stand out," said van Straaten. "She never misses an opportunity to head off any potential problems."

Yossi Milo, owner of Yossi Milo Gallery in New York, cited Watson for her work on all aspects of insurance for his new gallery, especially because it was affected by the flood waters of Hurricane Sandy.

"This was the first time an insurance agent was so incredibly on top of things for me: my art, my building, the lease, my banking arrangements, everything," said Milo. "Even my banker called me and said, 'I spoke with Ruth and she's just on top of all of this.' For a small business, this is huge."

Shari F. Natovitz, senior vice president of risk management of Silverstein Properties Inc., commended Watson for handling a complicated art restoration project. "She is very tenacious but everybody loves her in the process because she's really good at her job," Natovitz said.

Senior Account Executive
DeWitt Stern Group Inc.
New York

Assistant Vice President - Fine Arts
DeWitt Stern Group Inc.
New York

Senior Vice President
Aon Risk Solutions' Huntington T. Block Insurance Agency
New York