In addition to the four Newfront professionals named 2023 Power Brokers, four team members were listed as finalists for the designation. 

Congratulations to Gay Chung, Shari Cornaggia, Adam Gabler, and Jonathan Naranjo! We asked each of their managers what sets them apart and makes them so valuable to their clients:

Gay Chung, SVP, Team Leader Commercial Lines: Finalist, Financial Institutions

“Gay believes in meeting the client where they are, balancing service commitments to meet both the client’s needs and equity from a revenue standpoint. She continually asks questions of the client to gain insight into their operations and culture. She uses these insights to provide proactive guidance, ensuring the right mix of retention and transfer of risk,” says Coleen McNally, SVP, P&C Service Strategy at Newfront. “She uses every opportunity to get carriers and all levels of the service team engaged and involved to better understand the client––strengthening their relationships.”

Shari Cornaggia, Senior Account Executive: Finalist, Specialty

“Shari takes a collaborative approach with her clients. When working with a client, her starting point is always their perspective. She listens and gathers information, working to understand their challenges to find the best solutions to alleviate concerns,” says Deirdre Finn, EVP, Practice Leader at Newfront. “Shari works to ensure clients understand programs, changes, and the market and leave any discussion with a better understanding of the issues at hand. Further, Shari’s methodical process, coupled with her calm demeanor instills confidence and makes her an effective and trusted advisor.” 

Adam Gabler, Principal, Senior Vice President: Finalist, Construction/Design

“Adam is an advocate for clients, taking the mindset of an in-house risk management advisor. He takes the time to understand each client’s program, identifying any gaps or overlaps of coverage, and distilling information into simple-to-understand solutions,” says Linde Hotchkiss, EVP, Regional Managing Director at Newfront. “The combination of his granular knowledge of policy forms, his wide breadth of marketplace knowledge, and his strong third-party relationships allows him to place programs and coverages that are truly appropriate for the client—going above and beyond minimum requirements.”

Jonathan Naranjo, Senior Vice President: Finalist, Real Estate

“Jonathan lives by two fundamental pillars of client service: servant leadership and education. Centering the needs of the client or prospect in every meeting, Jonathan actively listens to solve problems or challenges and to communicate options for change. He approaches each situation with a ‘how can I help and educate?’ model,” says Rod Sockolov, EVP and P&C Practice Leader at Newfront. “He believes that education empowers clients to strengthen their internal operations and controls––including risk management. Jonathan believes, ‘People like to buy, but not be sold,’ focusing on listening, educating, and advising his clients on a critical and expensive decision for their business.” 

It’s no surprise that these finalists share a few common traits: a willingness to listen to their clients, a deep understanding of their client’s business, industry, and coverage needs, a creative ability to innovate solutions, and strong relationships in the carrier community. This combination of client service, expertise, and innovation is what sets Newfront apart from its peers.   

Congratulations again to Gay, Shari, Adam, and Jonathan, along with Erik Stenson, Shantelle Cabir, Cameron Lock, and John McCall, who were all named 2023 Power Brokers. 

What is a Power Broker?

A Risk & Insurance Power Broker® is an individual who stands out among their peers for the exceptional client work they delivered over the past year. While brokers play many key roles in the insurance industry and risk profession, a Power Broker® award recognizes problem solving, customer service and industry knowledge. The Power Broker awards program is a way to broadly recognize and promote outstanding risk management and customer service among the brokerage community.

Who selects the winners?

Power Brokers are selected by risk managers based on the strength of the testimonials they provide to a team of 15 Risk & Insurance editors and writers.

About Newfront 

Newfront is transforming the delivery of risk management, employee experience, insurance, and retirement solutions by building the modern insurance platform. Transparent data delivered in real-time translates into a lower total cost of risk and greater insights. Newfront makes insurance work for you. Headquartered in San Francisco, Newfront has offices throughout the country and is home to more than 850 employees who serve clients across the United States and globally.