DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. and TAMPA, Fla., Jan. 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Charles H. Lydecker, Regional Executive Vice President of Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE: BRO), and Dana R. Hando, of Houston, Texas, today announced the formation of Healthcare Insurance Professionals, Inc. and the hiring of Dana R. Hando as President of Healthcare Insurance Professionals, Inc.
Ms. Hando, formerly with Gallagher Healthcare Insurance Services, Inc. (GHIS), is a highly-respected insurance professional who specializes in providing insurance products and services to healthcare providers in Texas and throughout the United States. Ms. Hando, Andrea Jones, and other former members of Ms. Hando's team at GHIS, will continue to serve their clients as Healthcare Insurance Professionals, Inc. (HIP), which will have annualized revenues of approximately $1.4 million. HIP will operate as a freestanding Brown & Brown profit center from its Houston, Texas location.
Mr. Lydecker, who is responsible for certain of Brown & Brown's operations in Texas and Florida, said, "We are extremely pleased to have Dana and her team join Brown & Brown. Dana Hando's standing in this very specialized market further expands our expertise and capabilities in serving the unique insurance needs of healthcare providers. This is an excellent fit for us and for our customers, who will benefit directly from our collective resources."
Commenting on this new endeavor, Ms. Hando stated, "I am very pleased with this opportunity as it will give us access to new and more innovative insurance solutions for our clients. I am looking forward to being a part of the Brown & Brown team and helping to make the years ahead the best for all of our clients and partners."
Brown & Brown, Inc. and its subsidiaries offer a broad range of insurance and reinsurance products and services, as well as risk management, employee benefit administration, and managed health care programs. Providing service to business, public entity, individual and trade and association clients nationwide, the Company is ranked by Business Insurance magazine as the United States' eighth largest independent insurance intermediary. Our Web address is http://www.bbinsurance.com .
This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results which are forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, but instead represent only the Company's belief regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Further information concerning the Company and its business, including factors that potentially could materially affect the Company's financial results, are contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Some factors include: general economic conditions around the country; downward commercial property and casualty premium pressures; the competitive environment; the integration of the Company's operations with those of businesses or assets the Company has acquired or may acquire in the future and the failure to realize the expected benefits of such integration; the potential occurrence of a disaster that affects certain areas of the States of Arizona, California, Florida, New Jersey, New York and/or Washington, where significant portions of the Company's business are concentrated; the actual costs of resolution of contingent liabilities; and those factors relevant to Brown & Brown's consummation and integration of the announced acquisition, including any matters analyzed in the due diligence process, material adverse changes in the customers of the company whose operations are being acquired, material adverse changes in the business and financial condition of either or both companies and their respective customers, and substantial delay in the expected closing of the transaction. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware.
SOURCE Brown & Brown, Inc.
-0- 01/04/2005
/CONTACT: Cory T. Walker, Chief Financial Officer of Brown & Brown, Inc.,
+1-386-239-7250/
/Web site: http://www.bbinsurance.com /
(BRO)
CO: Brown & Brown, Inc.; Healthcare Insurance Professionals, Inc.
ST: Florida, Texas
IN: INS HEA
SU: PDT PER
MR-AC
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2287 01/04/2005 11:12 EST http://www.prnewswire.com