STEVEN GRISWOLD, President
FEARLESS LEADER
Steven Griswold is an award-winning insurance broker, published author, and President and CEO of Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency, a specialty insurance brokerage focusing on providing innovative and unconventional business solutions to clients in all industries.
While most insurance agencies function on a transactional basis, Steven has purposely assembled a team with extraordinary talent and brilliant minds to take his clients’ experience to the next level. By focusing efforts on strategy and groundbreaking risk-management techniques, they are tackling the toughest problems facing their clients (and potential clients). The Griswold team can often find pain points and critical coverage oversights that even large national brokerages have missed.
Above all, Steven aims to have the firm operate with the highest moral and ethical principles, which is why Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency is one of only a handful of insurance agencies in the country with the coveted title of Certified B-Corporation, and a 2018 “Best For the World” honoree from the sponsoring organization, B Labs.
His passion for “doing good” extends far beyond the walls of the agency - he serves on the board of the Cancer Support Community Redondo Beach, is current Chairman of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, and regularly devotes time to several other local nonprofit organizations. He was recently honored as 2018 “Volunteer of the Year” by the Palos Verdes Peninsula Chamber in recognition for his community activities. A full list of Steven’s community participation and accomplishments can be viewed [here].
In Steven’s spare time, he pursues passions such as writing (he co-authored Breakthrough Leadership and is currently working on his first fiction novel), cooking, and spending time with his wife, new child, and rescue dog, Gidget. He also wrote everyone’s bios.
TRAVIS SCHWARZKOPF
Director of Business Intelligence
THE MASTERMIND
Travis Schwarzkopf is Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s Director of Business Intelligence, a position created expressly to harness his aptitude for creativity, problem solving, and data analysis.
Using his degree in robotics and love for technology, Travis is constantly developing new processes to improve the experience of the clients he serves which range from startups to multinational nonprofits and manufacturers. This has taken many forms, including spotting coverage gaps and anomalies overlooked by incumbent brokers, to assisting trade associations in building an insurance infrastructure to address their members’ concerns, to creating customized policies out of thin air (well, he’s actually negotiating with a Lloyd’s of London Syndicate for bespoke coverage, but it might as well be magic.)
Travis believes in environmental preservation and a sustainable future, so he serves as an advisory board member and Data Working Group lead of the North American Coalition for Insect Agriculture. He is also a volunteer data analyst for the Plant Based Food Association, donating several hours a week to assist in reviewing and processing industry-critical information.
Travis was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, and has resided in Savannah, Georgia for 8 years with his senior rescue dog, Klaus.
ERIN JAY, CPCU, CLCS, Account Manager
THE RESOURCE
Erin Jay, CPCU,CLCS is a commercial insurance expert and a member of Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s account management team. Erin holds the title of being the firm’s most “designation decorated” and is the staff’s go-to resource for the most up-to-date, textbook-perfect technical answers for tough insurance coverage questions.
She started in the insurance industry in 2012, originally servicing supplemental benefits and life insurance. Erin switched to commercial lines in 2014, working primarily with contractors, medical offices, and non-profits. Erin earned both the Certified Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Commercial Lines Coverage Specialist (CLCS) designations in 2018, as part of her ongoing dedication to educating herself in order to pass that knowledge on to her clients. Her personal philosophy can be summed up by the phrase she often uses when meeting someone new, "I'm trying to make the world a better place, one insurance policy at a time."
A passionate believer in sharing her ability to educate and inform others about her work and the insurance industry in general, she is a seasoned lecturer and presenter, particularly on the subject of cyber liability insurance. She heavily participates in sparking local commerce as a longtime member of the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, and was recently honored as “Ambassador of the Year.”
Erin is a native of Palm Springs, CA, and a recent transplant to Ohio, where she resides with her husband, dog, and cat. Her hobbies include knitting, sewing, video games, and cosplay. She also has a rare talent for restoring old things such as fountain pens, cast iron pans, and vintage sewing machines. Speaking of vintage, she learned that her great-grandfather was an agent for New York Life during World War II, and proudly displays one of his sales awards in her office in his memory.
AMBER LAU
Employee Benefits Account Manager
THE ADVOCATE
Amber Lau is the Employee Benefits Account Manager at Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency, Inc., where she manages the health and ancillary benefits processing and administration for a robust book of employer groups ranging from 2 to 300 lives as well as individuals and families who have policies on the individual market.
She works directly with each client’s management team, reviewing their company-specific needs, then finding and implementing customized solutions. Her extensive industry connections and knowledge complement her talent for research and problem-solving, allowing her to provide resolutions for any issue that may arise between the client and the carrier, such as coverage, claims, or billing. It is a given that when faced with something that she does not have an answer to, she will find one.
Amber brings over 10 years of experience in the health insurance Industry, beginning her career with HealthNet Insurance, where she provided account servicing to both large and small employer groups while acting as a liaison to external brokers. After obtaining her life & health insurance license, she transitioned to the brokerage side of the industry.
Amber was born and raised in the Glendale/Burbank area and currently resides in the San Fernando Valley with her husband and 4 children. She enjoys attending her 14 year old daughter’s cheer events, her 13 year old son’s baseball games, and her 11 year old daughter’s drama activities. When the older kids are away she can be found at home singing and dancing with her 10 month old son and enjoying her husband’s home-cooked Peruvian cuisine, along with her 5 rescue dogs and a very assertive cat, who will smack the dogs around if they get too close.
WILL MANDERSCHEID
CLCS, Account Manager
THE ACTIVIST
Will Manderscheid, CLCS is Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s most seasoned account manager and resident expert in niche insurance coverages. As a second-generation insurance agent (both his parents owned and operated agencies in the Los Angeles area), the passion for providing insurance as a service rather than a product runs deep in Will’s blood.
His 10-plus years of experience in the industry provide him with unmatched insight and problem-solving capabilities. His ability to establish rapport with both clients and carriers alike, along with his legendary (at least here in the agency) persistence have reaped incredible dividends in resolving even the most dire and unusual coverage concerns. Whether it’s convincing a carrier to rescind a massive audit to securing last-minute complex packages of coverage for a desperate contractor, there’s next to nothing that he hasn’t been able to accomplish for the benefit of the agency’s clients.
Will is fervent about giving back to the community - both at a local and global level. He regularly volunteers his time to nonprofits across the country and is a committed ethical vegan.
A resident of Parker, AZ, he leaves no opportunity wasted to enjoy outdoor activities such as off-roading and boating. Ever the jack-of-all-trades, his spare time is filled with cooking, restoring and repairing vehicles, obtaining his pilot’s license, and yoga. Oh, and ladies - he’s still single.
DERRICK VANDERWALL
Account Manager
THE NUMBERS GEEK
Derrick VanderWall is one of Griswold & Griswold Insurance Agency’s commercial insurance account managers and resident numbers geek. He excels in providing his clients with deep insight into their policies, with an emphasis on management and cyber liability. He leverages the agency’s extensive resources and top carrier connections to provide appropriate and accountable coverage wherever needed.
With a finance degree from Grand Valley State University and several years of experience in both sides of the insurance industry (life / health and property / casualty), Derrick brings a broad range of knowledge to the team.
As with all of Griswold Insurance’s other staff, Derrick enjoys giving back to his community, often volunteering for nonprofits such as Kid’s Food Basket and Jaycees fundraising events. His hobbies include disc golf - a passion strong enough for him to make as a side business, traveling, video games, and playing ice hockey.
Derrick resides in Muskegon, MI with his two rescued pit bulls. (Have you noticed a pattern with our staff and rescuing animals yet?)