John Keenan, CLU, CPCU is founder and Chairman of Keenan & Associates, one of the largest privately-held insurance broker/consulting/TPA firms in the United States. He founded the company in 1972, with four employees in one office, and has subsequently directed its growth to a firm of over 600 employees with 10 offices located throughout California. Keenan & Associates specializes in providing insurance services to schools and hospitals. Mr. Keenan is also Chairman of the Board of a TPA recently purchased from Blue Cross - Innovative Care Systems. ICS specializes in counties and large commercial accounts.

 

Before forming Keenan & Associates, Mr. Keenan served as Vice President with Cal-Surance, as well as Vice President with Frank B. Hall. Prior to these executive positions, Mr. Keenan worked for New York Life and Metropolitan.

 

Mr. Keenan graduated from Loyola University in 1952 with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and began his career in the insurance business in 1954. He received his Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation in 1960 and his Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1984. He also holds a certificate in Agency Management and Group Insurance from the American College. He was a Life Underwriter Training Council (LUTC) instructor for four years.

 

Mr. Keenan has been a big supporter of education in the insurance industry by not only providing facilities for instruction, but also providing financial aide for his employees to continue their education.

Sean Smith, is the President and Chief Executive Officer, succeeding company founder and Chairman John Keenan in 2000. He gained his broad background in operational, technical and marketing facets of the insurance consulting and brokerage business through more than 23 years of experience in the industry. Sean empowers an entrepreneurial culture among the company's 600 employees through a goal-oriented management system that emphasizes customer focus.

 

During his years at Keenan, Sean progressed through several previous sales and management positions, from Account Executive, then leadership of the northern California sales team, before returning to the Torrance headquarters to head up operations for the entire Schools Division.

 

Prior to joining Keenan & Associates in 1989, Sean served as a major accounts manager for Anthem Blue Cross, where he handled large commercial and school clients. He began his career at Prudential Insurance Company where he developed and negotiated their first preferred provider organization, and conducted cost management analysis for commercial clients.

 

Sean graduated from the University of Redlands (California) with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Economics. Business Insurance designated Sean as one of the "Millennium Heirs to the Industry". He is actively involved in the Young Presidents' Organization, an international forum for the exchange of ideas and continuing education between today's corporate leaders.

John Scatterday began his career in the employee benefits business in 1984 with The Unum Group, a specialty insurance company, working in their New York City branch office.

 

In his role as Public Agency Employee Benefits Practice Leader, John is accountable for the successful growth and servicing of Keenan’s Public Agency Employee Benefits and Financial Services customers. Further he is responsible for ensuring Keenan is investing in the appropriate new products, services, and technology programs to address the challenges confronting Keenan’s Public Agency customers. Keenan’s Public Agency customers are experiencing unprecedented difficulties in dealing with the revenue uncertainties of today’s economic landscape coupled with the continuing cost escalation of medical expenditures. These challenges are even more difficult to address in collectively bargained environments.

 

John is a 24 year industry veteran who has held various insurance brokerage, consulting, technology and carrier positions. John received his B.A. in Economics from Wittenberg University, Springfield Ohio in 1984.

John Stephens has been in the insurance and risk management industry for 15 years. John began his career with Arthur J. Gallagher & Co, the third-largest insurance broker in the U.S. as part of their National College Internship Program and has been with Keenan for the past 9 ½ years.

 

John oversees the Property & Casualty distribution for Keenan’s Public Agency Division which consists of 800+ public agencies, educational entities and joint powers authorities. John is involved in the corporate design and marketing of Keenan’s proprietary Property & Casualty programs working with the global reinsurance marketplace. Additionally, John has hosted several Risk Management Symposiums and has been a featured speaker for several public agency organizations, including:

• California Association of Joint Powers Authorities (CAJPA)
• California Coalition on Workers' Compensation (CCWC)
• California School Board Association (CSBA)
• Community College Internal Auditors (CCIA)
• California Association for School Business Officials (CASBO)

 

John has both Fire & Casualty as well as Life & Health licenses in the State of California. John graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from California Lutheran University.