The McGowan Companies, an insurance brokerage firm, has appointed Carl I. Olson as Managing Director of the Professional Liability and Management Liability Division of McGowan, Donnelly & Oberheu, LLC (MDO) and the Professional Liability and Management Division of McGowan Wholesale (McGowan P&M).

Olson will report to McGowan President and CEO Thomas P. McGowan IV.

With over two decades of experience in the insurance industry, Olson’s career includes many prominent roles. From 2001 to 2008, he served as a manager at Carpenter Moore Insurance Services, specializing in professional liability and health insurance. From 2008 to 2015, he was vice president, branch manager and practice leader for professional liability at Sullivan Brokers Wholesale Insurance Solutions.

From 2015 to 2024, Olson served as Vice President and National Head of the Professional and Management Liability Practice at Burns & Wilcox Brokerage. Olson is highly respected in the industry as a speaker on professional and management liability, serves as an advisor to private equity firms, and advises insurance companies on policy forms and endorsements.

“I am pleased to welcome Carl Olson to the McGowan family,” said McGowan President and CEO. “I have known Carl for many years. He is an accomplished executive and insurance professional. His leadership skills and proven track record of building and managing increasingly large and complex businesses will be a great benefit to McGowan and its 82,000 brokers across the United States.”

“In his new role, Karl will be responsible for overseeing our professional and administrative responsibility businesses – including strategy, governance and attention to key issues. These business units have grown rapidly over the past 15 years, and I look forward to many decades of exceptional future growth with Karl’s capable hands at the helm.”

Similarly, Olson expressed his enthusiasm for joining the firm, saying, “I am very excited to become a part of McGowan Companies, an organization that has a great reputation among brokers.

“Its exceptional underwriting, distribution and technological capabilities allow its brokers to stand out from the crowd and provide them with a significant competitive advantage…ultimately resulting in significantly higher than average closing ratios for its brokers on both new and renewed business.”

What do you think of this story? Share your thoughts in the comments below.