Meeker Sharkey Insurance

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 U.S. based insurance, commercial risk management and employee benefit companies in the Northeast with over $1 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 (Sept 25, 2007) – Meeker Sharkey announces the hire of two new Vice Presidents and a new 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.”

· 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 serving 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 recently, Ms. Pennell was with Frenkel Benefits, LLC of New York as a Vice President, and also spent parts of her career managing large accounts for Compain Anderson Azar and Home Life Insurance.

· Scott Sterner – As the new Vice President & Client Executive of Property Casualty, Mr. Sterner brings years of experience in managing multi-million dollar accounts with such companies as Wells Fargo Insurance Services and Allied Coverage Corporation. His responsibilities at Meeker Sharkey include new business development, marketing, client relationships and daily client servicing.

· 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.

Sharkey family launches new insurance/business financial services company and revives the storied Meeker Sharkey name.

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 U.S.-based risk management, insurance and employee benefits companies in the Northeast with over 250 employees and $1 billion in insurance premiums. The company’s history in the U.S. 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, Persian Gulf War and so forth. 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.

For over 100 years, Meeker Sharkey was a leading commercial and consumer focused insurance broker, serving leading national and international clients. With the Sharkey family at the helm, Meeker Sharkey rose to become one of the largest U.S.-based risk management, insurance and employee benefits companies until its sale to Summit Bancorp of Princeton, N.J. in January of 2000. Today, Tom Sharkey, Sr. has re-launched the new Meeker Sharkey, continuing the family tradition of dedicated agents, high-quality client experiences, personal attention and customized commercial risk management and benefit strategies for mid-market companies in the Tri-State region.

Veteran brokerage exec seeks to restart firm where he made his name

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.