Boston, Massachusetts —The Insurance Library is pleased to announce that Mike Christian will receive the Library’s 2025 Insurance Professional of the Year Award at a luncheon gala on Thursday, November 13, at the InterContinental Boston.
Christian is the Founder of Risk Strategies, a leading national risk management and insurance brokerage firm, which he founded in 1997 on the premise that an insurance brokerage could be more, where a focus on employee and customer needs would create value and success. He served as its Chief Executive Officer until 2019, then served as Chairman until this year.
Over the years, Mike was responsible for the development and execution of the company’s business and growth strategy, recruiting, customer service approach, and mergers and acquisitions. He led the company from its start-up beginnings into a nationally prominent firm with 30 specialty practices offering comprehensive risk management advice and insurance and reinsurance placement for the property and casualty, employee benefits, private customer services, consulting and actuarial services, and financial and wealth services sectors. In addition to his operational responsibilities, Mike provided high-level risk management advice and brokerage services to several of Risk Strategies’ largest customers in a broad range of industries.
“Mike built something really special in Risk Strategies,” said John Mina, Risk Strategies President and CEO. “Joining the company as president in 2019, I found a culture that really reflected Mike and what made him special as a leader and a person – collaborative, genuine, interested in new ideas. It’s great to see the man and his accomplishments honored in this way.”
A native of California, Mike attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where he majored in philosophy. He began his insurance career as an underwriter in California, and holds CPCU, CLU, and ARM designations. Before founding Risk Strategies, he was Managing Director for Alexander & Alexander/Aon and held various leadership positions at Jardine Insurance Brokers, including serving on its U.S. Board of Directors. He was inducted into the Insurance Business America Hall of Fame in 2020. Mike is on the board of the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers, the leading national advocate for property & casualty and health insurance issues, and is a board member of the Council Foundation.
A long-time Boston-area resident, Mike is known for his community service with non-profits focused on children’s causes, arts and entertainment, and education.
For more than 25 years, he has served as Board President of Someone Else’s Child, Inc., which supports youth causes throughout the United States, Central America, and Africa, and he is the Managing Partner for Community Impact Ventures, a venture capital impact fund that provides financial support to social entrepreneurs and not-for-profit companies that have missions similar to that of Someone Else’s Child. He also serves on the boards of Northeast Arc, Rwanda Youth Partners, Yiya Solutions, and Boston Explorers, a non-profit serving kids and teens in the Boston area.
Mike currently is Chairman of the Board of the Boch Center/Wang Theater and is on the board of the Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame. Finally, he is a board member of the Point32Health Foundation.
The Insurance Professional of the Year Award was first made possible by the establishment in 2001 of the Richard B. Simches Fund. Mr. Simches, who founded Safety Insurance Company, believed that it was important to recognize outstanding individuals in the insurance industry. The award was created by the Library’s Board of Trustees in the tradition of an award bestowed annually from the 1950s through 1996 by the Boston Board of Fire Underwriters.
Michael A. Pezza Jr., the Library’s Executive Director, explained, “Since 2002, when the Library first presented this award, a broad cross section of members of the insurance, financial security, risk management, and legal communities has gathered to recognize an individual who demonstrates outstanding leadership and exemplifies qualities that foster commitment to, understanding of, and respect for the insurance industry. This year’s award gala will be an opportunity to celebrate Mike Christian and all he has done for the insurance industry and his community, as well as an opportunity for those attending to connect with colleagues from across New England and beyond.”
The November 13 gala will include an extended social and networking hour, a silent auction to benefit the Library’s programs and operations, and a luncheon followed by an award ceremony.
Details about purchasing sponsorships or tickets, or donating items for the silent auction, will be in the invitation to be mailed by the Library, and on the Library’s website, in early September, at which time the purchase of sponsorships or tickets online or by email will begin. As with the last two galas, sponsors in the top four sponsorship levels will be acknowledged as supporting a NextGen table that will allow the Library to offer complimentary tickets for up to ten young insurance professionals nominated by insurance-related organizations.
Those seeking additional information, or wishing to donate items for the silent auction, may contact Michael Pezza at mpezza@insurancelibrary.org or Sarah Hart, the Library’s Education and Event Coordinator, at events@insurancelibrary.org.
