Nathan Ackeret
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: nackeret@boltonco.com

Understanding that employees are a company’s most valued asset, Nathan seeks to design and deliver innovative and cost efficient employee benefit packages that enhance his clients’ opportunities to recruit talented employees and retain them.

Nathan serves actively as a board member with Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA) which equips him with a working knowledge and understanding of the specific challenges companies and human resource professionals are faced with. Helping his clients meet these challenges drives Nathan to reach beyond serving their employee benefit needs. He also leverages innovative HR technology to help automate and streamline tasks from administering employee benefits to managing employee leave and much more.

Since earning a B.A. in Economics from Western Washington University in 1995, Nathan has dedicated his business development talents to client-centric business solutions, and has consulted with an array of industries involving both small and large companies. Prior to his career at Bolton & Company he worked with an international paper trading company where he developed the most successful importing program of its kind in the United States. Additionally, he has received awards for top sales performance.

In his spare time Nathan greatly enjoys time with his wife and two boys, volunteers at Lake Avenue Church, where he and his family attend, and enjoys traveling, the outdoors and sports.

Jo Bowers
Vice President

E-mail: jbowers@boltonco.com

Jo started her insurance career in 1978 in the claims department of Farmers. She joined a Farmers Agency in 1983 where she began her sales career. She came to Bolton & Company in 1995. She is a specialist in Personal Lines insurance and assisting clients with automobile, homeowner and other personal insurance needs, primarily the hard-to-place high value homes.

Jo is an active member of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce and Business Network International (BNI). She is currently pursuing her designation as a Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC).

Matthew Chase, CLCS
Senior Vice President

E-mail: mchase@boltonco.com

Matt graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara with a BS in Law and Society. While pursuing his academic career, Matt worked closely in the construction industry on both the supply and building side of the business. Matt has very deep roots in the Southern California Construction industry, as his family has three generations of ownership in a construction company that has been a fixture in Southern California for nearly forty years.

Since joining Bolton & Company in 2004, Matt has continued to expand Bolton's Construction Unit. His experience and specialization with Construction allows him the ability to apply Risk Management Solutions to his clients from the unique perspective of both the buyer and the advisor. Along with his Construction specialization, Matt also builds insurance programs for other industries as well that are looking to enhance their Risk Management and Safety Culture.

Matt is an Associate member of the CPMCA (California Plumbing & Mechanical Contractors Association) and is also a member of the CFMA (Construction Financial Management Association). Matt was recently promoted to Senior Vice President in December 2008.

Ernest L. Chavis
Executive Vice President

E-mail: echavis@boltonco.com

Ernie received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the California State University at Fullerton where he also performed his post-graduate work. He received his engineering designation in Highly Protected Risk (HPR) from Factory Mutual Insurance Company.

For the past 22 years, he has been associated with Bolton & Company as an Executive Vice President and is a stockholder.

Ernie has lived in the Conejo Valley for the last 25 years. He currently resides in Westlake Village with his wife Nancy. His hobbies include skiing, golf and wine tasting.

Danielle Chayot
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: dchayot@boltonco.com

Danielle is a partner in Bolton & Company’s Real Estate Practice Group. She has a substantial knowledge base to address real estate specific issues such as environmental exposures, layered property programs and earthquake insurance. Her clients include real estate owners, managers, and developers with regional and worldwide exposures.

Her involvement with real estate specific business and philanthropic groups has helped her build a powerful network of investors, developers, brokers, attorneys, accountants and finance professionals. Her skill set allows her to foster relationships amongst all of her industry resources to facilitate business connections for her clients.

Danielle’s professional affiliations include: Moriah Society Real Estate Council, Jewish Federation’s Real Estate and Construction Divisions, Jewish National Fund’s Real Estate and Capital Group, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Land Use, Construction and Housing Committee.

Mark Dang
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: mdang@boltonco.com

Mark Dang brings over 10 years of providing workforce management solutions to mid-sized companies.  He has helped many companies in developing benefit cost- containment strategies through innovations in technology.  His background in strategic HR has helped many companies retain their valued employees, increase employee communication, reduce labor cost while increasing labor productivity, and stay in compliance.

Prior to joining Bolton & Company, Mark worked for ADP to provide companies with Software as a Service (SAAS) in the areas of HR, Time & Attendance, and Payroll Administration. Mark has worked with large regional and national consulting firms in Southern California through ADP.  He felt that most firms were not embracing technology and recognized that companies were getting smarter in how they want to run their business. His passion for helping companies achieve their business goals and strategic initiatives allows him to bring some innovation to the broker model.

Mark’s expertise enables him to work with clients of all sizes to find unique and creative solutions. He is actively involved in the Professional Human Resources Association (PIHRA).

He has a BS in Business Administration from the University of Southern California and is currently working on his PHR designation through the Society of Human Resources Management.

Ryan Fridborg
Executive Vice President

E-mail: rfridborg@boltonco.com

For business leaders seeking to better attract, motivate and retain talent through the effective use of employee benefits and retirement plans, Ryan Fridborg offers a wealth of expertise and consulting resources. Having earned multiple promotions in human resources with a Fortune 20 company, and the largest County government in America, Ryan is able to improve the financial contribution and strength of any human resources department. While specializing in the design, implementation and communication of flexible benefit plans, group health insurance and 401K plans, Ryan’s unique background in human resources allows him to provide more comprehensive and strategic assistance to HR and business professionals.

Ryan has earned both a Master's degree in Organizational Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Azusa Pacific University. Ryan is recognized as a Professional in Human Resources by the Society of Human Resources Management and is currently pursuing the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist designation.

Ryan is actively involved with the National Human Resources Association, the Professional in Human Resources Association, and the International Society for Certified Employee Benefits Specialists.

Ryan is also the Youth Pastor at Foothills Community Church in Pasadena, CA and is the co-founder of the APU Alumni Chapter in the greater Pasadena area.

John R. Guthrie
Vice President

E-mail: jguthrie@boltonco.com

John graduated from St. Mary's College of California in Moraga with a BS in Business Administration, emphasizing in Financial Services. John completed the Honors Finance Program and was awarded a baseball scholarship while attending St. Mary's.

John is responsible for providing his clients with risk management and insurance programs that best fit their needs. John's specialization includes various industries such as manufacturing, distribution, property owners, contractors and food. He also has extensive knowledge in Workers' Compensation insurance and claims management.

John is involved with the Loyola High School Alumni Association and dedicates time to the Men's Guild of Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Richard B. Hagemeier, CPCU, ARM
Executive Vice President

E-mail: rhagemeier@boltonco.com

Since graduating with an Electronics degree in 1976, Rick has worked with a variety of insurance agency and brokerage facilities. He obtained his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) accreditation in May of 1995.

Rick’s specialties include electronics, hardware and software firms, biomedical and biotechnology, Multi National Insurance Programs, and Directors and Officers Liability and Professional Liability issues.

In addition to his specialties, Rick also has extensive experience working with financial institutions and manufacturing operations. Rick’s technical knowledge of General Liability, Professional Liability, Property, and Business Income Exposures has provided invaluable aid to his clientele.

John V. Hatton
Vice President

E-mail: jhatton@boltonco.com

For over 15 years, John has been providing his clients with effective solutions to their individual insurance needs, most especially in the area of professional liability. After receiving his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management from the University of Portland (Oregon), John started his career with SCPIE as a sales and marketing representative. After almost ten years there, servicing large medical groups and hospitals, he left as an Assistance Vice President, to create a new division specializing in medical professional liability for Bolton & Company, specializing in the medical profession.

Since joining Bolton & Company in 1998, John has helped provide Bolton with a successful new venture in the area of professional liability. Although he represents clients in all types of insurance lines, John’s focus still remains the medical profession, which has experienced an array of new challenges in today’s changing times. In addition, John currently serves on the Executive Board of IBA West for the Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena Region, and recently received the 2002-2003 Broker of the Year Award for outstanding service to the insurance community. John is also actively involved as a Board Member with the Southern California Association of Health Care Risk Managers (SCAHRM) as it’s Membership Chair, and the Los Angeles Medical Group Managers Association. Aside from business related affiliations, John supports many community and charitable groups, and sits on the Alumni Board of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks.

John D. Hunsinger
Senior Vice President

E-mail: jhunsinger@boltonco.com

After graduating from Macalester College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, John served as an army officer in Vietnam and was a bond manager for a national bonding company as well as a national insurance brokerage firm. John has over 26 years experience and currently manages Bolton & Company's Bond Department.

His areas of specialization are contractors and financial institutions for which he has designed and implemented innovative and financially economical responses to complex bonding and insurance problems. He also maintains power of attorney with 21 different bonding companies.

John is a member of several industry professional organizations including the National Association of Surety Bond Producers.

Robert Kral
Executive Vice President

E-mail: rkral@boltonco.com

Robert began his insurance career in 1983 as an Assistant Underwriter with U.S. Administrators, Inc. He has held numerous positions where he supervised the operation of the employee benefits department and has also worked for two national HMO’s as a Senior Account Executive. Most recently, Robert worked for Great West Life and Annuity as a Senior Account Executive, where he was responsible for the sales and implementation of group medical and 401(k) plans, as well as maintaining and renewing a large block of business. Robert joined Bolton & Company in 2000 as Vice President.

For more than 20 years, Robert has provided the technical expertise needed to implement and administer various managed care products and has demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the state and federally mandated laws that apply to such products. He has specialized in all lines of employee benefits including Medical, Dental, Long and Short-Term Disability, Vision, Life and 401(k) programs.

William A. Lewis, CPCU, CIC
Executive Vice President

E-mail: wlewis@boltonco.com

Bill is a graduate of California State University at Los Angeles and San Diego State University.

Bill has been in the insurance industry since 1981 and has been with Bolton & Company since 1989. He has earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter and Certified Insurance Counselor designations.

Bill is responsible for developing new clients for the company and providing Risk Management and insurance programs for his existing clients. His clients come from various industries, such as construction, long term care, high-tech, biotech and other fields. Bill helps these clients with all coverages including difficult risks requiring Professional Liability coverages.

Bill has contributed to the growth of Bolton & Company through his insurance expertise, specifically geared toward technology-based risks, such as software development and multimedia companies, biotechnology risks, Directors and Officers Liability, and Intellectual Property protection, including copyright and trademark exposures and patent infringement coverage. Bill has utilized this experience to assist in the development of local incubator and start up companies.

Bill has directed the company's involvement in related biotech and high tech organizations and is a member of the Southern California Biomedical Council, Cal Tech/MIT Enterprise Forum, and Pasadena Entretec.

Jay Lipsky
Senior Vice President

E-mail: jlipsky@boltonco.com

Jay graduated from the University of Southern California, School of Business. He joined Bolton & Company Insurance Brokers in 1976 as an Account Executive.

Jay’s expertise has centered on the development of specialized insurance programs for the needs of Property Owners and Managers, Industrial Risks, and Contractors. He has personally developed programs for the Southern California Building Industry Association and a number of other property-related groups.

Brian Metcalfe
Executive Vice President

E-mail: bmetcalfe@boltonco.com

Brian Metcalfe has been serving the financial interests of the Southern California real estate community since the mid 1990’s. Property owners and managers benefit from his experience as a real estate investment broker with Cushman & Wakefield, where he completed over $100 Million in transactions.

Brian devotes his current commercial insurance practice exclusively to property owners and managers, and is active in the Business Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). Brian is well versed in specific and related issues, such as environmental exposures, layered property and liability programs, and earthquake insurance.

Brian holds a BA from Clark University in Massachusetts with concentrations in Economics and Real Estate. He also has an MBA from the University of Connecticut as well as an additional graduate degree from the École Supérieure de Commerce de Lyon in France.

Paul Palkovic, ARM, CPCU
Vice President

E-mail: ppalkovic@boltonco.com

Paul has 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as an underwriter and a producer. In 1982, he began his career as a Home Office Property Underwriting Assistant at Sayre and Toso Insurance. In 1984, Paul left Sayre and Toso to travel around the world. When he returned, he decided that his future was in sales. His career as a producer began in 1985 with Wausau Insurance. Over the past 16 years, Paul has provided Property and Casualty and Employee Benefits coverage for mid-sized manufacturers, contractors and service companies throughout Southern California.

Paul has modeled himself as a consultative broker who focuses on providing comprehensive, personal and professional service to his clients. He has continued his education in both the P&C and Benefits areas. He has earned designations as an ARM (Associate of Risk Management) and a CPCU (Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter).

Leslie Pearce
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: lpearce@boltonco.com

Leslie Davidson Pearce brings over 15+ years of employee benefits experience to clients. She has a vast background of experience both on the consulting side and the insurance carrier side. Leslie has worked with large regional and national consulting firms in Southern California and was responsible for managing some of those firm’s most important relationships. While with PacifiCare of California, she worked to develop their Inland Empire territory and grew that area significantly during her tenure there. Her expertise enables her to work with clients of all sizes to find unique, creative solutions.

Leslie serves on the Board for the House of Ruth and is very involved with Children’s Fund and the Assistance League. She actively involved in the Professional Human Resources Association (PIHRA), California Association of Health Underwriters, and has served as a board member for the Inland Empire Health Underwriters Association.

She has a BS in Organizational Development from the University of San Francisco and is currently working on her PHR designation through the Society of Human Resources Management.

Jacqueline S. Roth
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: jroth@boltonco.com

Jacqueline Roth brings several years of professional experience in a unique combination of full cycle recruiting, executive office management, and corporate professional development consulting. Jacqueline has effectively serviced both small and large sized businesses on the talent acquisition side. She has an ability to communicate clearly and anticipate the needs of her clients.

Prior to joining Bolton and Company she worked with Robert Half International in Pasadena Ca., a Fortune 500 company, and held the role of Branch Manager while simultaneously servicing her client base and managing a team of 11. She has helped hundreds of companies throughout Southern California attract and maintain top talent.

As retention of top talent becomes even more of a challenge, Jacqueline saw a need in the market place to address the connection between retention and benefits. Her experience with total compensation has taken a turn towards employee benefits and has a passion for the broker model. Her ability to communicate effectively has opened doors for her to speak to many different groups including IAAP, ASWA and others.

Jacqueline is involved in Professionals in Human Resources Association as well as Society of Human Resources. She finds time to volunteer at her local church as well as be involved with an organization called Empowering Lives International, which focuses on bringing aid to people in Africa through teaching them business development techniques. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Azusa Pacific University in Communication and is currently working on becoming a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist, CEBS.

Janet Sherry
Assistant Vice President

E-mail: jsherry@boltonco.com

With over 15 years in the employee benefits arena, Janet’s varied background brings many advantages to her clients. Her experience includes working for two prominent Health Insurance Carriers before transitioning to the Broker side of the industry.

As an Employee Benefit Specialist, Janet strives to keep the insurance process as simple as possible and to find creative solutions for minimizing risk for her clients.

Janet has been a member of the National Association of Health Underwriters for many years and has helped with various fundraising events.

Kenneth R. Turknette, ARM
Executive Vice President

E-mail: kturknette@boltonco.com

Ken graduated from the University of Redlands, California with a Bachelor of Science degree. He joined Bolton & Company in 1990 and holds the insurance industry designation as an Associate in Risk Management (ARM).

Ken’s areas of specialization include manufacturing, property owners, contractors and security guard companies. In addition, Ken administers a large regional insurance program for a delivery-oriented restaurant chain, which requires comprehensive coverages and risk financing options for their franchisees.

Ken is very active with the local chapter of the Insurance Brokers Association of the West and is currently an officer on the Board of Directors. Additionally, Ken serves on committees for the IBA West at the state level.

Along with providing insurance coverages for his clients, Ken uses his expertise to identify exposures and design comprehensive risk management programs to further enhance their overall insurance portfolios.

Gayleen Wallace, CIC
Vice President

E-mail: gwallace@boltonco.com

Gayleen received her Associate of Arts degree from Pasadena City College and continued her liberal arts education at Point Loma College.

Gayleen started her insurance career in 1978 and has been with Bolton & Co since 1988. She has earned the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor.

Her clients include a variety of industries such as manufacturers, high technology companies, food processors/distributors, as well as contractors.

Jeff Whitaker
Executive Vice President

E-mail: jwhitaker@boltonco.com

Jeff received his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo. Jeff has over 22 years of experience in the insurance industry and has worked on both the insurance company side as well as the agency/broker side. This broad experience provides Jeff additional perspective and ability to assist his clients with their insurance needs.

Jeff specializes in medium to large business accounts, including manufacturers, distributors, high technology companies and contractors. Jeff has also specialized in Workers’ Compensation claims management. This advanced knowledge has provided significant savings for many of his clients.

He has twice been nominated and served on the Safeco Insurance Company’s Agency Advisory Council. Jeff is also a member of the Bolton & Company Advisory Board and Standards Committee, a Performance Group Leader and a mentor to new producers.

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