2014 40 Under 40 Broker Awards: Geoffrey A. Goldwater
Northeast Region Reprints
Principal
Odell Studner Group L.L.C.
Age: 39
Geoffrey A. Goldwater loves puzzles. And that's what the principal at Radnor, Pennsylvania-based Odell Studner Group L.L.C. likes most about his job — the problem-solving aspect.
“I'm a lover of puzzles, and the creation and building of a risk management program for a client is truly that,” said Mr. Goldwater, whose abilities to provide solutions for his clients' risk management needs helped earn him a place on Business Insurance's 2014 40 Under 40 Broker Awards list.
Mr. Goldwater joined Claire Odell, Odell Studner's precursor in 2001. He heads the staffing practice at Odell Studner, which provides about one-third of the business' revenue, said CEO Steven Odell.
“Geoff has been a change agent for us,” said Mr. Odell. “He became like a mini-me — he has the ability to be the CEO of this organization.”
Meeting the needs of the temporary staffing industry presents numerous challenges, Mr. Goldwater said.
“Our staffing practice has almost tripled in this past year,” he said. “The temporary staffing industry is the bellwether of the economy. When recession hit, they were the first to experience pain.”
As the economy expands, they're also the first to feel the rebound, he said. “That leaves companies in the position where they need to be extremely lean in their infrastructure while operating on very thin margins.”
As a result, Mr. Goldwater has devised best practices for the industry.
“Geoff is a true partner for my organization — he's a true partner for us,” said Jaime Donnelly, vice president of finance at Integrity Staffing Solutions in Wilmington, Delaware. “He comes up with new solutions for me every quarter. It's not just the insurance piece. He really knows our business.”
Aside from also overseeing a new risk management consulting operation, Mr. Goldwater is on the board of Odell Studner Foundation, which helps families in need.
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