Thirty Years of Bringing Institutional Risk Expertise to Growing Businesses
Three decades in, I find myself reflecting on a journey that started not with a grand plan, but with a problem worth solving.
My background in the insurance brokerage industry in the mid-1990s gave me exposure to both national and regional markets at a time when the industry was evolving quickly. The moment that really set the direction for JLM Risk Management came during preparations for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. Vendors from around the world were descending on the city, and each one needed insurance coverage that met strict operational requirements set by the city. There was no clean, efficient path for them to get there. So we built one: a structured program that allowed vendors to access coverage already designed to meet those obligations. It worked, and it taught me something important about what a well-designed insurance program can actually do for a business under pressure.
From there, early opportunities came quickly. One of the most formative involved building a dedicated insurance program for franchise operators connected to a national restaurant brand. These were businesses running on very thin margins. The work wasn’t about finding the cheapest policy. It was about structuring coverage in a way that made economic sense given the realities they were operating under. When we got it right, the impact was immediate and tangible.
Over time, JLM also took on assignments with larger national and global organizations. That work gave me a firsthand look at the service standards and operational frameworks used by the biggest brokerage firms in the world. And it raised a question I kept coming back to: why didn’t middle-market and growing companies receive that same level of advisory attention?
The honest answer is that they often don’t, not because they don’t need it, but because the industry has historically organized itself around serving the largest accounts. That gap became the long-term focus of this firm.
Today, JLM operates as a consulting-driven brokerage specializing in commercial property and casualty insurance, safety strategy, and loss-control advisory services. For most companies, insurance is one of the largest operating expenses after payroll. That fact alone means the conversation has to go deeper than quoting policies. The insurance process can become purely transactional if you let it. Our goal has always been to demystify it and help clients understand how risk decisions connect to the long-term health of their operations.
That requires knowing a client’s business, not just their coverage schedule. If a client is trying to expand, raise capital, or improve operational safety, those goals shape how their risk strategy should be built. We regularly work alongside specialists in areas like estate planning, workplace safety, and business operations so clients can evaluate decisions from multiple angles rather than in isolation.
There is also a dimension of this work that is personal to me. Bringing real expertise and trusted guidance to entrepreneurs and businesses that have historically had fewer advisory resources available has been part of this firm’s purpose from the beginning. When people feel genuinely understood, a different kind of working relationship becomes possible.
Thirty years is a milestone worth marking. But in my mind, it’s one point on a much longer line. The objective has always been to build a firm that lasts, one that is still serving clients and earning their trust decades from now. We’re not close to done.
If you’re a growing business that wants the kind of risk advisory typically reserved for large enterprises, let’s talk.
This post is adapted from a feature originally published by International Business Times.
CEO of JLM Risk Management
“Service Beyond Compare: Elevating Experiences, One Customer at a Time.”
jmoore@jlmriskmgmt.com | 404-874-2929
