Insurance & benefit solutions

Ted Baran

Area President

Ted Baran is Area President for Gallagher Affinity. Ted manages many of the key client relations for Gallagher Affinity and is also responsible for developing new business opportunities through new products and new business partners. Gallagher Affinity’s core business is tailoring benefits and services through three primary channels: direct marketing, associations and affinity group/sponsoring companies. Ted works in all key product areas but his primary expertise is negotiating and developing competitive and comprehensive E&O programs for the Gallagher Affinity business channels.

Ted has been in the insurance business for over 20 years. Ted spent the predominant portion of his insurance career in Chicago with Aon-Affinity Insurance Services marketing professional liability programs to healthcare professionals and financial services carriers and their distribution networks. Before joining Gallagher Affinity, Ted also spent time working with wholesale and reinsurance brokerage firms in Chicago and New York. Ted is a 1991 graduate of Georgetown University. Ted has a wife and two children who moved from Chicago to Sarasota in August of 2006.

Jason Rogers

Senior Vice President

Jason has been with Gallagher Affinity since 2014. He is responsible for both the business development team as well as new program development for Gallagher Affinity. The current scope of program responsibilities includes Professional Liability, Cyber Liability, Association Benefits and Affinity Programs.

Jason began his career with Hartford Financial Products underwriting public company D&O liability risks. He then went on to Zurich Insurance Group where he had management responsibility for a diverse portfolio of financial institution risks. Jason holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Villanova University where he was a four-year scholarship student-athlete and also a Master’s degree in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Irene Walton

Area Vice President, Affinity Manager

Irene is a U.S. benefits consultant with over 40 years of experience in analyzing and pricing professional liability and health and welfare risks. Irene began her career in 1980 with Mather & Co., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the Life benefits department. She began working with Associations in 1980 and was promoted from Account Executive to Department Manager of the Association Department in 1989. In her role as Department Manager, Irene helped to develop a third-party billing system to manage enrollments for associations.

Irene was named Assistant Vice President, Association Operations in 2005. Mather & Co. merged with Bollinger Insurance in 2006 where Irene continued to manage the Association/Affinity clients. In 2013, Irene was named Area Vice President of the Affinity Division. In 2013, Irene became an employee of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. through acquisition. During Irene’s 40+ years in the industry, she has focused on developing programs for associations and affinity groups to meet the needs of their members and by offering coverage for sole proprietors and firms.

Erin Vogler

Account Executive

Erin is the Account Executive for Association Insurance Programs for Gallagher Affinity and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications from Northeastern Oklahoma State University. Erin has been with Gallagher for 13 years and began her career on the compliance side of the association business. She was responsible for managing association corporate records, conducting annual board meetings and administrating accounting records for various association clients.

She transitioned her career and joined the insurance side of the association industry three years ago. She is now responsible for assisting, implementing and marketing various insurance programs including E&O Insurance, Cyber Liability Insurance and Business Owner’s Policies to associations and their members.

Jonathan Decker

Account Executive

Jonathan has been with Gallagher Affinity since 2012 and is currently an account executive working with our Professional Liability insurance policies. His affinity for problem-solving has continuously motivated him to take on new creative challenges and learn about a variety of subjects. He is considered a subject material expert and supervises our Real Estate, Cyber liability and Registered Investment Advisor errors and omissions programs. He holds a 2-20 Property and Casualty Agent license and a 2-15 Health & Life Agent License.

A native of Bradenton, FL, Jonathan graduated from Florida State University in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science. Upon graduating, he was hired by The Walt Disney Company and completed their professional development internship program which lasted a year. After the internship, he moved back to his home town and started his career with Gallagher Affinity. In his spare time, Jonathan enjoys golfing, playing fetch with his dog, reading, attending live concerts, running and going to the beach.

Chris Buseman

Account Executive

Chris joined Gallagher Affinity in November 2019 as an Account Executive within Gallagher’s Specialty Insurance Programs division. He currently serves as the Program Manager for the Marine License Insurance Professional Liability Program as well as the Travel Agents Errors & Omissions Program. Before Gallagher, Chris spent five years within Aon Affinity’s Healthcare Division, specializing in medical malpractice insurance coverage for dentists and allied healthcare professionals.

During his tenure at Aon, he undertook a critical role in program development and managing partnerships with national, state, and specialty healthcare associations. Chris has presented many risk education and insurance-related seminars at various universities and industry conferences and holds a Property and Casualty Insurance License. In his spare time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family and friends, exercising, and a good Netflix binge. Outside of work, he can also be found on the golf course, beach, or indulging at a local craft brewery.

Mark J Buczko

Account Executive

Working with A.J. Gallagher for nearly 3 years, Mark has been focused on the development and implementation of a program of professional liability insurance for dentists. Mark first began working with healthcare providers and their professional liability exposures in 1987. His extensive experience has encompassed a variety of responsibilities including marketing, evaluating risks (underwriting), composing policy language, developing and presenting risk management seminars and webinars, and managing Professional Association relationships.

Mark is a native of Chicago, IL, and has worked in the insurance industry for the entirety of his nearly 40-year career. A graduate of Loyola University School of Business he has become a student of the insurance industry and holds several prestigious industry designations. In his spare time, Mark is an amateur guitarist who has more fun than talent. He and his wife, Linda, also enjoy dining out, road trips and European travel; along with an occasional cruise.

Jacob Healy

Account Executive

Jake has been with Gallagher Affinity for 10 years and has 14 years of insurance experience. In 2008, Jake obtained his 2-20 General Lines Property & Casualty License from the Central Insurance School of Florida and the 2-15 Life, Health and Annuity License in 2014. He began his career working for Nationwide Insurance selling personal and commercial lines products for four years before coming on board with Gallagher Affinity. Jake started in Gallagher Affinity’s customer care center conducting inbound and outbound sales and service calls before transferring over to the Business Development team where he assisted in selling and servicing large insurance agency and RIA firm policies through open markets. He has also traveled and attended various insurance conferences across the country and he is currently working on growing Gallagher Affinity’s lawyers’ professional liability book of business.

Jake was born in Redlands, California, but grew up mostly in Bradenton, Florida where he graduated from Lakewood Ranch High School. Jake’s personal life consists of spending time with his two daughters and friends, reading, running, watching movies, attending concerts, weight training and trying new forms of exercising.

Lauren Pitonyak

Account Executive

Lauren joined Gallagher Affinity in 2019 and is currently an Account Executive working with our Professional Liability insurance policies. She has been in the insurance industry for the past 10 years and is licensed in Property & Casualty insurance in all states. Her commitment to continuous learning and staying current on breaking matters within the insurance world has helped her become a trusted Subject Matter Experts (SME) in Accountant’s Professional Liability Insurance, Cyber Liability, and Tax preparer/Bookkeeper E&O.

In her spare time, Lauren enjoys running, spending time with family and friends, traveling, and tackling new adventures.

Jon Talamas

Account Executive

Jon entered the commercial insurance sector in 2007 and joined Gallagher Affinity in 2011. His role as account executive to Independent Marketing Organizations and Registered Investment Advisor firms allows him to hone his practice of consultative insurance advisement for those within the financial industry. Creating proactive solutions to transfer liability exposures for small to mid-size firms is his passion. He is versed in Errors & Omissions, Cyber & Privacy, along with Professional liability products and develops risk-transfer programs customized to the client’s level of risk tolerance.

Jon attended the University of Georgia where he studied economics within the Terry College of Business. He was introduced to working in the insurance industry as a teenager and embarked as a claims specialist for a personal-lines carrier based in Atlanta. He discovered Sarasota, Florida in 2004 and fulfilled a lifelong goal and moved to the beach. He enjoys water sports and outdoor activities with his daughter.

Joseph Peters

Account Executive

Joe is currently in a leadership role for business development for Gallagher Affinity. After an extensive sales career, Joe switched industries to join Gallagher Affinity in 2011. After obtaining a 2-20 General Lines P&C license, he lead a new sales venture that quickly grew a Professional Liability book of business to over $1,000,000 and continues to grow today.

With a focus on risk management, he has provided peace of mind and security to his clients. As a student-athlete at Hilbert College, Joe was able to transition his leadership skills to business.