James W. Crystal

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

James Crystal is the Chairman & Chief Executive Officer for Frank Crystal & Company, one of the largest privately owned insurance brokerages in the United States. The firm was founded in 1933 and currently ranks among the top five percent of insurance brokerage firms worldwide, serving clients across the U.S. and around the world.

Mr. Crystal began his career as an underwriter with the Royal Insurance Company and later served as an underwriter with the Home Insurance Company. He has more than 40 years of insurance experience and is widely-regarded as an industry expert with deep understanding of the insurance needs of American businesses and industries. He has built a client roster for the firm that includes some of the country’s top stock brokerage houses, investment banking firms, and commercial banks, as well as Fortune-ranked companies.

Mr. Crystal has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut. He is a member of the National Association of Casualty and Surety Agents. He also serves as a Vice Chairman, Trustee, Member of the Executive Committee, and Co-Chairman of the Audit Committee of Mt. Sinai Medical Center. His memberships on corporate boards includes Blockbuster, Inc., Stewart & Stevenson LLC, Banco de Caribe, Ennia Insurance Co., Uni-Alliance Insurance (Cyprus), Auto Resources, Inc. (Beverly Hills), and Atlantic International Insurance Co., Ltd., (Bermuda). In addition, he is a member of New York’s Harmonie Club, Century Country Club, and The India House.

John C. Smith

Executive Vice President

John Smith leads Frank Crystal & Company’s national Business Development unit. He has over 30 years of experience in the insurance industry and has held several senior leadership positions.

Before joining Frank Crystal, Mr. Smith was the head of the Northeast Zone at Marsh, Inc. and was responsible for 300 colleagues located in Boston; Portland, Maine, Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; and Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo, New York.

While at Marsh and Johnson & Higgins, he was Office Head for New England, Risk Management Client Services Leader, Northeast Middle Market Practice Leader, National Sales Leader, and Manager of J&H’s Global Sales and Marketing department.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston College and is a graduate of Kents Hill School, Kents Hill, Maine. He was the Former Co-President of Grenville Baker Boys & Girls Club, Locust Valley, NY, and a past Chairman for the North Shore University Hospital’s Summer Picnic Concert. He was a board member of Spencer Educational Foundation, a member and Associate Trustee of the Executive Committee for North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, a member on the Development Committee for SquashBusters, a member of the Business and Friends Committee – Board of Overseers of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the President of the Board of Trustees of the Rectory School in Pomfret.

James F. Crystal

Executive Vice President

Jamie Crystal is responsible for client and strategic relationships, including many of firm’s larger clients and over 100 insurance companies and brokers throughout the world. As a result of his extensive interaction with many of the firm’s clients, he has developed highly specialized expertise in the manufacturing, retail, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors and in the broader areas of mergers and acquisitions due diligence and global supply chain risk management.

He has over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry as a broker and underwriter. Prior to joining Frank Crystal, he was a senior property and casualty underwriter with the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.

He has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Princeton University and is a member and past-Governor of the John Street Insurance Association for leadership in the Insurance Industry. He is also a board member of Brokerslink, an alliance of insurance brokers throughout the world..

Edward P. Kiessling, CPCU, ARM, AIAF

Executive Vice President

Ed Kiessling is the leader of Frank Crystal & Company’s Commercial Insurance Services unit. The Commercial Property & Casualty department, part of the Commercial Insurance Services unit, services the property & casualty insurance, loss control, and other needs of Frank Crystal’s commercial and nonprofit clients.

Mr. Kiessling has over 25 years of experience in the insurance industry and has held numerous management and senior management positions. He was with Alexander & Alexander, now Aon Corporation, for 18 years, rising to president of Aon North California. Prior to joining Frank Crystal, he was the president of Commerce Insurance Services where he managed the daily office functions and oversaw brokerage operations.

Mr. Kiessling has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Political Science from Rutgers University and a Master of Business Administration from LaSalle University. He is currently the chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Counsel, Rutgers University.

Sanford F. Crystal

Executive Vice President

Sandy Crystal is head of Frank Crystal’s Financial Insurance Services unit. This unit services a wide range of financial and professional service clients including accounting firms, broker/dealers, commercial banks, hedge funds, investment advisors, investment banks, investment managers, law firms, mutual funds, real estate investment trusts, venture capital, and private equity firms. It provides comprehensive professional liability, fidelity, and property & casualty insurance brokerage services and solutions.

Mr. Crystal began his career in London, working as a Lloyd’s broker with Crawley Warren & Co. Subsequently, he was an underwriter in the Financial Institutions division of National Union Fire Insurance Company, a subsidiary of American International Group (AIG) where he was actively involved in the underwriting and development of insurance coverage for investment advisors, mutual funds and securities broker/dealers.

Mr. Crystal has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Princeton University and is often featured on panels as an expert on insurance coverage for mutual funds and hedge funds.

Jonathan H. F. Crystal

Executive Vice President

Jonathan serves as a member of the Executive Committee and leads the firm’s national Private Client Services group. The Private Client Services group meets the full range of personal insurance needs of affluent individuals and their families.

During his tenure with Frank Crystal, Mr. Crystal has served in a number of capacities, most recently as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Crystal was a consultant and project manager with Oliver, Wyman & Co., a strategic management consultancy focused on the financial services industry.

Mr. Crystal graduated cum laude with his Bachelor of Arts from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public & International Affairs at Princeton University and with a certificate from the Program in Latin American Studies.

Rick Strater

Executive Vice President

Rick Strater leads Frank Crystal & Company’s national Employee and Executive Benefits Services units. The unit provides employee benefits brokerage and consulting services to clients of all sizes and across all industries. It works collaboratively with clients to provide benefits packages tailored to the needs of each client and the client’s employees.

Before joining Frank Crystal, Mr. Strater was the President and head of sales for Liazon, a firm focused on the integration of innovative thinking about consumerism, funding, and design strategies for employee benefits.

He also spent nine years as Aon’s National Sales Manager and head of Business Development for Aon Consulting in Chicago. While at Aon, he focused on the development of strategic solutions for clients, including the creation of a new business-to-business distribution channel targeted to companies with up to 2,000 employees.

Mr. Strater began his insurance career at Prudential Insurance where he spent 15 years in a variety of roles, including two years reporting to the Chairman with the responsibility for strategic planning for the individual insurance business units.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University.