2013 40 Under 40: Erik Johansson
West Region Reprints
Senior vice president, surety
Willis North America Inc.
Age: 35
The timing of Erik Johansson's entry into the surety brokerage industry was hardly opportune.
Mr. Johansson joined Willis North America Inc. as a senior vice president of the company's surety practice in Irvine, Calif., in 2008, just months before the collapse of the credit market.
“My biggest professional challenge was persevering through the effects of the recession,” Mr. Johansson said. “Being on the surety side in particular — where you're dealing with financial items on a daily basis — that was a tough time to come into the industry.”
Despite the devastating effects the recession had on the construction industry, he has overseen growth in Willis' Southern California surety practice in each of his five years with the company.
“What makes Erik stand out is that he brings us those value-added services that everyone talks about, and he understands our organization and its corporate values,” said Cynthia Garcia, vice president and risk manager at Santa Monica, Calif.-based Morley Builders Inc. “When we've had challenges with bonds for our subcontractors, he's been a very good resource in the sense that he can give us some guidance about what's available in the surety marketplace, if not actually help a subcontractor place a bond even if it's not ultimately through him.”
Mr. Johansson credits much of his success in the brokerage industry to an early commitment to being a “hands-on broker,” capable of responding to an ever-widening range of services beyond traditional coverage placement.
“I knew I needed to be a part of each of my clients' business plans, and that's definitely helped me grow my broker business,” Mr. Johansson said. “Clients today are expecting a lot more for their dollar. They really look to the broker as more of an ancillary partner than they ever have before.”
