Our Leadership

Alan Jay Kaufman is Chairman, President and CEO of Burns & Wilcox, a worldwide specialty insurance wholesaler. The company maintains relationships with the industry’s most respected insurance carriers and delivers solutions to brokers and agents for difficult-to-place, complex and unusual risks.

Burns & Wilcox is recognized globally for its expertise, professionalism and comprehensive client service. Annually the company’s portfolio exceeds $1.7B in premium.

Under Mr. Kaufman’s leadership, Burns & Wilcox has built its reputation on prioritizing professional development and fostering lifelong learning. Mr. Kaufman established Kaufman Institute, an online and classroom hub dedicated to expanding the knowledge and skill of Burns & Wilcox professionals and the industry overall.

Mr. Kaufman has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University, Lifetime Achievement recognition from Insurance Business America, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. In 2019, City of Hope recognized Mr. Kaufman’s significant philanthropic efforts with the National Insurance Industry Council (NIIC) Spirit of Life^® Award. He was also honored by American Agent & Broker magazine as one of the Top 25 Living Legends in Insurance.

Among his many philanthropic commitments to colleges and universities, Mr. Kaufman endowed a professorship in insurance within the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. The endowment actively engages students in insurance and risk management, highlighting the numerous opportunities offered by a career in the insurance profession.

His active board memberships span a number of organizations including, Business Leaders for Michigan, Detroit Zoological Society, Detroit Economic Club; St. John’s University School of Insurance, Risk Management and Actuarial Science in New York City, and Walsh College (Detroit). Mr. Kaufman is also President of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.

A graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in finance, accounting and insurance, Mr. Kaufman also holds a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and studied international law at the London School of Economics.