ISU Group, one of the oldest insurance agent networks in the United States, has announced the creation of a new Advisory Board following the acquisition of Steadfast Group (Steadfast).

The ISU Group began as a franchise more than four decades ago. It currently has 230 members in more than 40 states and has partnerships with more than 75 insurance companies and wholesalers.

The new ISU Group Advisory Board

ISU Group CEO, TJ Ryan, said the new advisory board and its members will play a key role in seeking opportunities for the group’s growth.

“The Advisory Board includes industry experts and experienced thought leaders, who will play a critical role in identifying key opportunities, guiding ISU Group’s strategic decisions, fostering innovation, and enhancing customer value,” he said.

Members of the ISU Group Advisory Board

Greg Kalestini

Calestini has more than three decades of industry experience, having held senior positions at Safeco, Allstate, and Royal & Sun Alliance. He was integral to the launch of Amwins and Mercator Risk Services.

In 2008, he founded InStrategy Group, an insurance consulting and staffing firm.

Jim Hackbarth

Hackbarth spent nearly 20 years as president and CEO of Assurex Global, a prominent commercial risk management insurance brokerage.

Since his retirement in 2021, he has been involved in board roles and early-stage venture capital investments in insurance companies. Previously, he founded Cornerstone Partners, a consulting firm specializing in executive recruitment and joint ventures.

Eric Hall

Hall has more than 30 years of experience in the property casualty insurance industry and has held leadership roles focusing on business strategy, sales and marketing, technology engineering and industry communications.

Steadfast Group acquires ISU Group

Last year, major general insurance broker network and underwriting agency group Steadfast acquired ISU Group as part of its expansion into the US market.

In an earlier statement, Robert Kelly (pictured) – founder, managing director and CEO of Steadfast – said the group had been looking to enter the US market for the previous five years.

“We wanted to enter into a long-term strategic partnership with an established independent dealer network in the United States to create distribution and a platform to execute our service offerings,” he said. “I’m very excited that our journey to the US has begun with ISU. ISU is a great fit for us. They bring an excellent management team and existing scale, and we share complementary values ​​with our employees and customers. This has been a key consideration for us.”

Ryan stressed the impact of Steadfast’s recent acquisition of ISU Group, saying: “With the recent acquisition of ISU by Steadfast, I am very confident that Steadfast’s significant experience and resources will enable us to continue to innovate, expand our service offerings and further strengthen our position in the US insurance market.” “