2013 40 Under 40: Jim Gillette
West Region Reprints
Managing principal
Edgewood Partners Insurance Center
Age: 33
Jim Gillette's biggest challenge and one of his top goals are one and the same: attracting and retaining top talent to Edgewood Partners Insurance Center and building a team that can grow EPIC's book of business in the West.
As managing partner of EPIC's Los Angeles office, Mr. Gillette, 33, has been responsible for the recruitment of at least eight new EPIC brokers in the past couple years.
Mr. Gillette said these new hires often were found through his business network, and that the additions to EPIC's team have had a notable effect on the brokerage's financial results.
“We've done a good job ... of bringing on some great talent over the last couple years, which has increased our revenue by double digits pretty much every year, and I think improved our bench strength,” Mr. Gillette said.
In addition to his recruitment goals, Mr. Gillette leads EPIC's property/casualty brokerage operations in the West, where he manages a $1.5 million book of business that includes real estate and private equity firms.
He received the EPIC Elite sales excellence award in 2010 and 2011 for being one of EPIC's top producers of new business in those years.
Joseph Soleiman, Los Angeles-based director of acquisitions and general counsel for real estate firm ICO Development L.L.C., has been a client of Mr. Gillette since 2008.
Mr. Gillette, he said, has always taken a pragmatic approach to helping ICO insure its numerous properties.
“He does a lot of homework, so by the time that we speak, he has anticipated a lot of the questions that I would have and has answers for me ready to go,” Mr. Soleiman said.
