2014 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Benjamin Stern
West Region Reprints
Managing senior vice president
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Age: 39
Professional. Aggressive. That's what F. Michael Heffernan III, president and CEO of Walnut Creek, California-based Heffernan Insurance Brokers, thinks of Benjamin Stern, senior vice president and branch manager of the Orange County office in Santa Ana, California.
“I think the fact that he was able to become successful in Southern California when we really didn't have much of a presence and he pretty much did it on his own is impressive. He had to create a presence down there and create a reputation for us and for himself and did a fantastic job in doing that,” said Mr. Heffernan
Clients are equally impressed.
“We truly value our relationship with Ben, and he has become an integral part of our team. He is constantly watching out for our best interests including providing us with new product ideas and helping us to minimize costs without sacrificing the level of protection,” said Vern LoForti, vice president and chief financial officer of InfoSonics Corp. in San Diego, a mobile phone provider.
“Ben solves problems and outhustles everyone else,” said Joseph P. Derhake, president of Partner Engineering & Science Inc. in Torrance, California.
Upon graduating business school in 2003 at the University of Southern California, Mr. Stern decided on insurance after a 1995 internship at a Pittsburgh brokerage.
He and a friend “went into insurance because we thought we could make an impact coming out of school in an industry that wasn't being served” by his fellow business graduates, he said.
Mr. Stern, who has been with Heffernan since 2005, enjoys the challenge of providing an insurance solution.
“An insurance program is like a giant puzzle. It's fun and interesting to put the program together,” said Mr. Stern.
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