2014 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Bradley Baumgartner
West Region Reprints
Vice president of sales
The IMA Financial Group Inc.
Age: 36
After volunteering for the Peace Corps following college, it seemed only natural that Brad Baumgartner would pursue a career serving the nonprofit world.
But being the son of Phil Baumgartner, who moved to Denver in 1975 to open American International Group Inc.'s first Denver office, insurance was in his blood. Moreover, Mr. Baumgartner's brother, Jason Mendrey, is one of the top casualty wholesale brokers for RT Specialty, serving as president of its San Francisco office.
“After I got back from the Peace Corps, I got into sales and advertising for the phone book. I was doing 100 calls a day. I wanted to do something more professional and business-to-business, and I talked to my dad and asked him what he thought would be a good fit for me. He thought my personality was well-suited to becoming a producer,” recalled Mr. Baumgartner, now 36.
In his current role as vice president of sales at IMA Financial Group Inc. in Denver that he's held since 2007, Mr. Baumgartner has helped grow the broker's nonprofit practice.
“Interestingly, one of the first deals I did at IMA was with my brother,” Mr. Baumgartner recalled.
In addition to his “day job,” Mr. Baumgartner volunteers on various committees and boards in Denver including the Rocky Mountain Human Services Board and the Denver Hospice Board.
Mike Pritchard, chief financial officer of Goodwill Industries in Denver, who served with Mr. Baumgartner in Leadership Denver, a Chamber of Commerce leadership development program, in 2012, describes him as “a relationship builder” and “community-minded.”
“As our health benefits broker for the past two or three years, Brad has been a tremendous value in helping us reduce costs. I have referred him to other non-profits,” Mr. Pritchard said.
Mr. Baumgartner “has an incredible ability to assess situations and people,” observed Sarah Flinn, a fellow producer in IMA's Denver office.
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