Sandler focuses on analyzing his clients' exposures to healthcare reform and designing insurance programs that sustainably control health insurance costs. In addition to health insurance, his expertise includes payroll, HR outsourcing, consumer driven healthcare, disease management, HR technology and training. His responsibilities include new business development, new business marketing, client relationships, account renewal marketing and carrier relationship management.

"Rich brings over twenty-five years of insurance experience to a range of clients with a special focus on non-profit and social services organizations and construction services," stated Tom Sharkey, Jr., President of Meeker Sharkey. Rich’s background includes working as a senior loss control consultant and serving on numerous safety committees for the benefit of his clients. Rich also has deep experience as an insurance producer and broker in the construction industry working with general contractors, developers and specialty trade contractors. Rich placed and managed the property and casualty insurance wrap-up programs for the construction of the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, the home of the New Jersey Devils.

Rich originally joined Meeker Sharkey in 1986 and recently decided to re-join the firm in order to concentrate on client needs without distraction. "We are fortunate to have a person of his expertise, skill and client focus on our team," said Sharkey.  Skorupski has lectured on management liability issues for various non-profit organizations and associations and he is currently President of the Union County Educational Services Foundation in Westfield, NJ.

Meeker Sharkey Associates, LLC, based in Cranford, NJ, is a leading provider of Property and Casualty and Employee Benefits insurance services. The firm was one of the largest US-based risk management and employee benefits firms until its sale to Summit Bank in 2000 which was followed by mergers with Fleet Bank and Bank of America, during which time Tom Sharkey, Jr. served as President and CEO. Seeking to provide a more client-focused approach to brokerage service delivery, Sharkey re-launched Meeker Sharkey in 2007 and has quickly grown the firm as a respected provider of insurance and employee benefit brokerage and consulting services.

"Debbie brings over fifteen years of personal insurance expertise to our clients," said Tom Sharkey, Jr., President of Meeker Sharkey. "She is well known to us as a dedicated, caring and knowledgeable insurance advisor, having spent ten years with legacy Meeker Sharkey before taking time off to raise her family. Debbie will oversee all aspects of our service and brokerage activities related to our client’s homeowners, personal auto insurance and personal asset protection needs. Debbie has a wealth of experience handling the more complex personal insurance needs of wealthy clientele, a market that will be a principal focus of the company’s personal insurance division."

Debbie joins Meeker Sharkey from High Point Insurance Company, where she was a top performing sales representative.

CRANFORD, N.J. (March 31, 2008) – Tom Sharkey, Jr., former President of Bank of America’s insurance arm, has returned to Meeker Sharkey Associates, assuming the position of President of the firm. The Sharkey family re-launched the Meeker Sharkey firm in 2007 in response to disruption and turmoil caused by recent broker consolidation and the opportunity presented by rapidly changing conditions in the insurance market today. The appointment of Tom Sharkey, Jr. as President is a key part of the company’s client-focused growth strategy as it makes progress towards recapturing a leadership role in the insurance brokerage industry.

“The insurance market today sorely lacks a dedication to client-focused management practices, which we know from past experience is what businesses want and need. This void creates a real market opportunity for us,” said Sharkey. “Now more than ever, businesses need benefit and insurance strategies that effectively meet their unique strategic business needs, as opposed to the take-it-or-leave-it, one-size-fits-all approach. Meeker Sharkey Associates will provide this client-focused approach.”

Sharkey graduated from Villanova University and later obtained an MBA from New York University. He began his career in 1980 working for Manufacturers Hanover Trust Co., where he honed his skills in finance. He later joined his father’s company, Meeker Sharkey, in 1985 as a Property & Casualty and Employee Benefits specialist. Over the course of 13 years in the insurance business, Sharkey rose to become President & CEO of Meeker Sharkey in 1998. By that point in time, he had helped to grow Meeker Sharkey into one of the largest U.S.-based risk management, insurance and employee benefits companies in the country.

The company was sold to Summit Bancorp. in 2000, and Sharkey stayed on as the new President & CEO of Summit’s Insurance Brokerage Division, which already included four previously-acquired insurance agencies. He remained in that position as Summit Bank was sold to FleetBoston in April 2001, and subsequently acquired by Bank of America in April of 2004. 

Sharkey left Bank of America in 2006, returning to once again to join his father and family in a consultative role as they re-launched Meeker Sharkey Associates as an independent brokerage firm. With the expiration of his post employment restrictions, he is free to assume an ownership and leadership role in the newly-reconstituted firm. 

“More than simply recognizing the important role that Tom has played in our company’s history, this move portends a bright future for our company and recognizes the importance of the client-centric philosophy that Tom has always championed,” commented Tom Sharkey, Sr., Chairman of Meeker Sharkey Associates and Tom Sharkey, Jr.’s father. “Prior to our acquisition by Summit Bank, our family-owned firm was one of the largest P&C and employee benefits firms in the country. This was due in large measure to Tom’s leadership and dedication to the needs of our clients. I am confident that Tom will once again lead our talented staff in providing innovative client solutions, which will lead to strong market share growth.”

CRANFORD, NJ (Sept 25, 2007) – Meeker Sharkey announces the hiring of a new vice president and a benefits account manager as part of their driving focus to expand their product offerings and presence in New Jersey. Long-time insurance luminary Tom Sharkey, Sr. announced the new hires as part of their aggressive growth strategy and re-launch into the insurance market as an independently-owned brokerage. 

“Our new additions to Meeker Sharkey each bring a wealth of experience that immediately enhances our ability to grow business opportunities and meet the needs of a rapidly growing client and partner base,” said Sharkey, the Chairman of Meeker Sharkey Associates. “We are very proud to welcome these talented insurance professionals to our team.” Meeker Sharkey’s new additions include:

• Suzanne Pennell – Acting as new Vice President & Client Executive of Group Benefits at Meeker Sharkey Associates, Ms. Pennell will be responsible for the company’s day-to-day servicing of large group accounts, carrier relationship management, marketing and the training of new hires. She brings years of expertise in employee training and account management to Meeker Sharkey. Prior to joining Meeker Sharkey, Ms. Pennell was with Frenkel Benefits, LLC of New York as a Vice President, and also spent part of her career managing large accounts for Compain Anderson Azar and Home Life Insurance.
  
  
• Donna Dodd – Ms. Dodd joins Meeker Sharkey as the new Benefits Account Executive in charge of developing client relationships, daily client servicing, account renewal marketing and carrier relationship management. She has worked for many years with insurance (both health and P&C-related) through a Master Broker Agency, Banc of America Corporate insurance Agency and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

CRANFORD, NJ (Oct 8, 2007) – Long-time insurance luminary Tom Sharkey, Sr., was named to the 2007 Entrepreneur Hall of Fame by the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business. Sharkey was honored by fellow alumni and New Jersey leaders during an induction ceremony last night at the school’s Jubilee Hall Atrium in South Orange. “I am very honored to become one of the distinguished few elected to the Hall of Fame by the Stillman School of Business,” says Sharkey.
Tom Sharkey, Sr. is most recently known for the re-launch of Meeker Sharkey Associates, returning the company to the New Jersey business community. Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Mr. Sharkey graduated from Seton Hall Prep and Seton Hall University in 1954. He began his career in 1958 as an independent life insurance salesman, and in the 1960’s partnered with Meeker Co. to form Meeker Sharkey Associates. Under his leadership, Meeker Sharkey Associates grew to become one of the largest US-based insurance, commercial risk management and employee benefit companies in the Northeast with over billion in insurance premiums. The company was sold to Summit Financial Services Group in 2000 to create Summit Insurance Advisors, where Mr. Sharkey stayed on as Chairman.

Still a true entrepreneur to this day, Mr. Sharkey recently returned the name Meeker Sharkey Associates to the community with a new and thriving business venture. “There is an upheaval in today’s climate of insurance and benefits that is unraveling the industry and affecting the business community adversely, mainly from banks like Bank of America and Citibank relinquishing their insurance brokerage arms,” said Sharkey, “I am launching a new Meeker Sharkey Associates to return to our roots of comprehensive client services and help balance market forces again.”

This year marks the second annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony hosted by the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stillman School of Business. Inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside Mr. Sharkey last night was President of American Wear, Inc., John Auriemma. Vino DiGiovanni, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder of Fleetwash, Inc., and Stephen G. Waldis, CEO & Founder of Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. were the Hall of Fame’s inaugural inductees in 2006, both distinguished entrepreneurs with vastly successful and profitable companies. The Center was formed in 2003 with the mission to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in students, alumni, and throughout the New Jersey business community. A major focus of The Entrepreneurial Center is involving alumni and other local entrepreneurs to shape curriculum, to mentor students, to increase their entrepreneurial potential, and to offer student internships. The Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame was founded last year to recognize entrepreneurs of the business community who succeeded against the odds and provide examples of strength to others.

Cranford, NJ (July 26, 2007) -- Responding to recent developments in the insurance brokerage landscape, long-time insurance luminary Tom Sharkey, Sr. announces the launch of his now independently-owned commercial insurance and benefits-focused enterprise, returning under the long-standing, well-respected name of Meeker Sharkey Associates and heralding a positive change for the corporate community.

“There is an upheaval in today’s climate of insurance and benefits that is unraveling the industry and affecting businesses adversely,” said Sharkey, the Chairman of Meeker Sharkey Associates. “The real estate insurance market is eroding, health insurance premiums have increased by 50 percent, and large banks are rapidly divesting their commercial insurance divisions. These are just a few examples where a lack of client-focused practices has caused the market to stray from providing true comprehensive risk management strategies to companies and protecting their employees and investments properly. Today, I am re-launching Meeker Sharkey Associates to return to our roots of comprehensive client service, face and hopefully balance these market forces again.”

Prior to the sale of the company to Summit Bancorp in 2000, Meeker Sharkey was one of the largest US-based risk management, insurance and employee benefits companies in the Northeast with over 250 employees and billion in insurance premiums. The company’s history in the US insurance industry as a market leader has brought businesses long-standing security through many of our country’s worst economic hardships, including two world wars, the Depression, the Vietnam war, Reaganomics and the Persian Gulf War. In January of 2000, the company was bought by Summit Bancorp of Princeton, NJ and was one of five companies to merge with Summit’s Financial Services Group to create Summit Insurance Advisors, which at the time was one of the largest insurance brokerages. Sharkey’s son, Tom Sharkey, Jr., was appointed Chief Executive of the new insurance unit.

The new Meeker Sharkey will focus primarily on commercial insurance brokerage and benefits, employing the latest online management systems for clients combined with total risk management assessments and brokerage services. The company backs its expertise in the industry with a highly-experienced staff of brokerage agents well-versed in the history and current climate of wellness programs, workplace benefits and loss control.

“Given the turbulent environment in the health insurance and benefits sector of our economy, we feel there is a real opportunity and market for a firm that understands and is able to advantageously leverage combined commercial risk management, insurance and benefit strategies for our clients,” said Sharkey.

Tom Sharkey Sr. funding renewal of Meeker Sharkey


Business Insurance Magazine 8/6/07 (excerpt)
By SALLY ROBERTS

CRANFORD, NJ.—Dissatisfied with the direction Bank of America Corp. was taking with its insurance agency subsidiary and sensing opportunity, Tom Sharkey Sr. is resurrecting his family's agency more than seven years after Meeker Sharkey Financial Group was acquired by Summit Bancorp. Cranford, N.J.-based Meeker Sharkey Associates will offer a full range of property/casualty and employee benefit services to middle- and upper middle-market clients in the three-state New York metropolitan area, said the 74-year old Mr. Sharkey, who said he is financing the venture. Similar to the original Meeker Sharkey, the new agency will focus on cross-selling commercial risk management and insurance with employee benefits and health care services.

“We feel that the opportunity to launch an agency today is a good one," Mr. Sharkey said, noting in particular the "turbulent" state of today's health care marketplace.