Ed Gillman began working as a kid in the mailroom of what has become today, one of the 100 largest US insurance agency/brokers. He didn’t realize it at the time but he was becoming a third generation insurance guy, as the SEITLIN agency belonged to his grandfather, who started it in 1945.

Ed joined the agency full time after earning his Government degree at the University of Virginia and Graduate Degree in Risk Management/Insurance at The College of Insurance in New York City.

After several years as an independent agent, Ed’s entrepreneurial juices started to flow and he moved from Miami to Atlanta to start a scratch insurance agency. Gillman Insurance Group increased revenues over ten-fold from its inception in 1993 to 2006.

Along the way numerous agency and individual sales accolades have been awarded to Ed and the Agency, from insurance carriers such as Safeco, CNA, Hartford, and Unitrin.

In addition Ed has been appointed and continues to serve on insurance carrier-agency councils. He has been recognized for his work with the Professional Insurance Agents Association and the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers Association.

Gillman Insurance, along with a Hispanic producer, opened an insurance agency catering to the growing diverse personal and small commercial Hispanic insurance market in Metro Atlanta.

The agency also partnered with Corporate Payroll Services (one of the largest payroll services in the Southeast US) to open an insurance agency designed specifically to sell PAY AS YOU GO Workers Compensation to CPS customers. The Hartford is the primary carrier with whom the agency writes its business.

In 1999 Ed formed and operated AgentSecure.com as an online insurance brokerage, giving small and rural agents countrywide, the ability to access national insurance carriers focused on writing small commercial insurance business. The business began as a division of Gillman Insurance but quickly outgrew the space and resources it shared with the retail shop.

Ed raised the initial capital from friends and family in 2000 to launch AgentSecure as a stand-alone internet wholesale operation. Within a year the business increased premium sales from $500,000 to $2,000,000.

In June 2001 Ed negotiated a merger between AgentSecure and another top 100 agency/broker in the US, Higginbotham & Associates a/k/a InsureZone. He continued as President of AgentSecure, working with the firm from Atlanta managing Sales and Carrier Relations. The internal back office operations were moved to InsureZone’s office in Fort Worth, Texas.

In August 2003 Ed assisted in the negotiation of a spin off of the web business (InsureZone/AgentSecure) from the bricks and mortar retail operation of Higginbotham & Associates. That same year he added the title of President of InsureZone’s web business. As a member of the management team, Ed’s responsibilities include new business development, insurance company relationships (negotiating of carrier contracts and compensation arrangements), formulation of the company’s strategic direction and serving as the company’s representative to the Independent Agent distribution system.

InsureZone/AgentSecure has continued to increase premium sales each year since the merger, and is considered a leader in the online insurance wholesale market.

Ed is married to the former Lori Safer of Nashville and has two beautiful daughters, Brooke and Lindsey. He is an avid University of Virginia Alum and sports fan, and enjoys spending time playing golf, boating and watching any activity Brooke or Lindsey is involved in.