Woodruff Sawyer, one of the largest insurance brokerages in the US, today announced Zac Overbay has been named Chief Operating Officer (COO), effective immediately. Mr. Overbay is a seventeen-year veteran of Woodruff Sawyer, a Partner, and most recently served as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the firm, where he led operational areas for claims, IT, legal, and internal risk.
As Woodruff Sawyer’s size and complexity have grown, so have the company’s operational needs. As COO, Zac will continue advancing the firm’s tech strategy and guide how the firm communicates with clients via technology and automation. Using technology to enhance client communication and relationships is not new to Overbay, who, as CAO, led many initiatives to update the client service experience, including the development of Woodruff360—a proprietary online portal that provides clients with direct risk management tools. As COO, he’ll direct the firm’s geographic regions in New England (Boston), Mountain (Denver), Pacific Northwest (Portland and Seattle) and SoCal (Irvine, San Diego, Pasadena, and Santa Barbara) to allow for more efficient operational and revenue support.
Andy Barrengos, CEO, says, “Zac’s an established leader in our firm who models Woodruff Sawyer’s “client-first” approach. This is evidenced by the thoughtful way he approaches our client experience. His ambitious projects - The Workforce Initiative and Woodruff360 - have changed the way Woodruff Sawyer services clients, while setting an internal standard for more flexible life/work balance for our employees. His experience leading many key operational areas brings keen insight into our prospective operational needs.”
Overbay adds, “I’m thrilled for the opportunity to be a part of Woodruff Sawyer’s continued growth and success. Our company, people, and clients are very special. We’re in a unique position within the brokerage industry and I’m excited to be a part of writing our next chapter with the Woodruff Sawyer team.”
Background on Zac Overbay
Zac Overbay began his career in the insurance industry in 1992. As a longstanding instructor and author on the topics of insurance claims and risk management, Zac has co-authored insurance education textbooks and has been published in a variety of industry journals such as Risk Management Magazine, CPCU Journal, and Risk Management Quarterly.
Zac joined Woodruff Sawyer in 2002 as Practice Leader of the Claims Consulting Group. Before his promotion to CAO in January of 2017, Zac led and evolved Claim operations from a San Francisco-only unit to a resource group built around a national support structure and service model. Zac also digitized Woodruff Sawyer’s claim platform and client reporting experience and worked extensively on designing the Woodruff360 client tool.
As Chief Operating Officer, Zac is responsible for the Mountain, Pacific Northwest, Southern California, and New England regions for Woodruff Sawyer. In addition, he has operational oversight of the Claims Audit & Consulting Group, internal risk, legal, and IT, with a specific focus on the firm’s technology strategy and use of technology in business.
Zac earned his MBA from Golden Gate University in San Francisco and bachelor’s degree in economics from Sonoma State University. He holds the CPCU, RPLU, ARM, CPDM, MLIS, and RIMS Fellow designations.
About Woodruff Sawyer
As one of the largest independent insurance brokerage and consulting firms in the US, Woodruff Sawyer protects the people and assets of more than 4,000 companies. We provide expert counsel and fierce advocacy to protect clients against their most critical risks in property & casualty, management liability, cyber liability, employee benefits, and personal wealth management. An active partner of Assurex Global and International Benefits Network, we provide expertise and customized solutions where clients need it, with headquarters in San Francisco, offices throughout the US, and global reach on six continents. For more information, call 844.972.6326, or visit woodruffsawyer.com.
