Robertson Ryan & Associates

What Robertson Ryan & Associates does

Robertson Ryan & Associates is a privately held, Wisconsin-headquartered independent insurance agency founded in 1960 and self-identified as the largest independent agency in Wisconsin and a Top 100 U.S. insurance agency. It provides insurance and risk-management solutions across four core divisions — Business Insurance (property, casualty, workers' compensation, bonds, trade credit, risk management), Personal Insurance (auto, homeowners, flood, umbrella, recreational vehicles, valuable items), Benefits Solutions (group health, life, disability, voluntary benefits, pharmacy/HR/wellness consulting), and Financial Services (401(k), profit-sharing, defined benefit, IRAs) — serving over 75,000 clients ranging from individuals and small businesses to national corporations across all industries.

The agency's product surface is delivered primarily through a direct agent sales force of licensed producers who hold equity stakes in the firm under a shareholder-agent model. Specialized sub-brands target vertical niches: Tjugum Group (roofing, construction, manufacturing), Kriger Group (technology, life science, trade contractors), and Mangold Group (agriculture, benefits, serving ten states). The underlying technology stack is a conventional independent-agency configuration — Zywave (Learning Management System and Client Portal), CSR24 insured portal, and UserWay accessibility widget — with no proprietary platform or disclosed AI capability.

The business model is commission-based, with revenue generated across business, personal, and benefits lines via placement with a broad panel of national and regional insurance carriers (Travelers, Chubb, Liberty Mutual, Hartford, AIG, Nationwide, Zurich, MetLife, Berkshire Hathaway, Progressive, and many others). The agency operates 60+ U.S. offices across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Southwest; its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with digital channels (website quote forms, social, webinars) feeding the agent pipeline. Robertson Ryan is owned entirely by its agent-shareholders, with no disclosed external private equity, venture, or parent-company ownership.

Name

Robertson Ryan & Associates

Legal name

Robertson Ryan & Associates

Website

https://robertsonryan.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Robertson Ryan & Associates is a privately held, Top 100 U.S. independent insurance agency headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing business, personal, and benefits insurance through 60+ offices and a shareholder-agent sales force to over 75,000 clients nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Milwaukee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Insurance Commissions: As an independent insurance agency, Robertson Ryan earns commissions from multiple insurance carrier partners on placed policies for business, personal, and employee benefits lines. The agency is described as the largest independent insurance agency in Wisconsin and a Top 100 U.S. agency, working with a broad panel of national and regional carriers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Robertson Ryan & Associates is an independent insurance agency that places business, personal, and employee benefits insurance coverage for clients through a multi-carrier panel of national and regional insurers. The firm operates as a Top 100 U.S. insurance agency with agent owners across 60+ office locations, providing commercial insurance, personal lines, group benefits, financial services, and risk management consulting supported by Zywave and CSR24 client portals.

Product overview

Robertson Ryan Insurance is a Top 100 US Insurance Agency offering a broad portfolio of insurance and financial services organized into four core divisions: Business Insurance, Personal Insurance, Benefits Solutions, and Financial Services. The agency operates a platform-plus-specialist model — the core divisions provide the foundational insurance products while specialized sub-brands and teams address niche industry needs. Key specialized offerings include the Tjugum Group (roofing, construction, and manufacturing insurance), the Kriger Group (technology, life science, and trade contractor focus), and the Mangold Group (a long-established independent agency acquired by Robertson Ryan serving ten states). Zywave Learning provides a third-party Learning Management System for business clients' employee training and compliance needs. Additional service modules include Workers' Compensation Premium & Mod Analysis, Certificate of Insurance Request, and a CSR24 Client Portal for account access. The Robertson Ryan Charitable Foundation oversees community giving and the Jack Ryan Community Service Award program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mangold Group: Insurance agency operating in Burlington, WI with specialty in agriculture and benefits, serving clients in ten states since 1933.
• Kriger Group
• Tjugum Group
• Zauner Group

Products and services

• Business Insurance Comprehensive commercial insurance programs for businesses of all sizes covering auto, bonds, crime, global risks, liability, property, risk management, trade credit, safety/loss control, and workers' compensation. Includes specialized industry coverage for manufacturing, contracting, transportation, real estate, and more.
• Personal Insurance Personal insurance coverage for individuals and families including auto, flood, homeowners, personal umbrella and excess liability, recreational vehicles and watercraft, and valuable items and collections. Designed to protect individual assets and provide peace of mind.
• Benefits Solutions Trusted advisor services for group health, dental, vision, and voluntary benefits programs, tailored to unique industry and organizational needs. Includes data analytics, HR compliance, Medicare, pharmacy/prescription solutions, plan design, wellness consulting, and voluntary benefits.
• Financial Services Specialized financial planning services covering 401(k), profit-sharing, defined benefit, individual retirement accounts (IRA), individual retirement planning, and non-qualified benefit plans.
• Zywave Learning A Learning Management System (LMS) offered to business clients to facilitate employee onboarding and workplace education. Features more than 150 professionally produced training courses (including sexual harassment prevention and workplace safety), available in English and Spanish, mobile-friendly with interactive quizzes and automated certificate tracking.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ZywavecoreTechnology or IntegrationRobertson Ryan offers Zywave Learning, a Learning Management System (LMS) for business clients to facilitate employee onboarding and education. Zywave Learning provides over 150 training courses including sexual harassment prevention and workplace safety, available in English and Spanish, mobile-friendly, with 24/7 access and certificate issuance. Robertson Ryan recommends Zywave to clients as part of its risk management and loss control offerings.
• Trusted ChoiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRobertson Ryan is a member of Trusted Choice, a national network of independent insurance agencies. Trusted Choice agencies commit to the Pledge of Performance, representing consumers through independent, multi-carrier agencies.
• PIA (Professional Insurance Agents)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRobertson Ryan is affiliated with PIA (Professional Insurance Agents), a trade association representing independent insurance agents. PIA provides advocacy, education, and member resources.
• Multiple National and Regional Insurance CarrierscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRobertson Ryan represents multiple national and regional insurance carriers across its business, personal, and benefits lines. The agency is described as the largest independent insurance agency in Wisconsin and a Top 100 U.S. agency, with carrier relationships enabling competitive pricing and broad coverage options. Carriers referenced include Acuity, AIG, Allianz, Allied, Amerisafe, AmTrust, Auto Owners, Badger Mutual, Berkshire Hathaway, Chubb, Cincinnati, CNA, Dairyland, EMC, Foremost, Hanover, Hartford, Liberty Mutual, MetLife, Nationwide, Progressive, QBE, Safeco, Selective, Sentry, Travelers, West Bend Mutual, Westfield, Zurich, and many others listed on the claims page.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hub International: Large PE-backed independent insurance brokerage operating across North America with a multi-carrier agency model, specialty practices, and significant middle-market commercial focus — directly comparable to Robertson Ryan's independent agency structure and growth-via-acquisition strategy.
• Brown & Brown: National insurance brokerage ranked among the largest U.S. agencies, operating a similar independent agency model with diversified business, personal, and benefits lines, and known for decentralized producer-ownership — closely mirrors Robertson Ryan's structure at significantly larger scale.
• AssuredPartners: PE-backed national insurance brokerage built primarily through acquisitions of independent agencies — directly comparable to Robertson Ryan given similar M&A-driven growth, multi-carrier panel approach, and regional office model.
• USI Insurance Services: Top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage serving middle-market and large commercial clients through a decentralized regional office model with multi-carrier placement and benefits advisory — a larger-scale analog to Robertson Ryan's structure.
• Lockton: Largest privately held independent insurance brokerage globally, known for associate-ownership model, specialty industry practices, and producer-driven culture — directly comparable to Robertson Ryan's ownership structure and middle-market focus.
• Alera Group: PE-backed national insurance brokerage formed through the roll-up of regional independent agencies, providing business, personal, and benefits lines — directly comparable to Robertson Ryan's acquisition-led growth and multi-carrier model.
• Holmes Murphy: Mid-sized independent insurance brokerage headquartered in the Midwest with strong employee benefits, commercial, and personal lines practices — a close regional and structural comparable to Robertson Ryan.

Broad incumbents

• Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. One of the largest global insurance brokerages with deep middle-market and specialty practice presence, risk management services, and benefits consulting — represents the scaled incumbent version of Robertson Ryan's model.
• Marsh McLennan: Global leader in insurance brokerage and risk advisory, with the largest middle-market brokerage arm in the U.S. — represents the scaled incumbent against which Robertson Ryan's independent agency model competes for larger accounts.
• Aon: Global professional services firm with a major insurance brokerage and risk management practice — broad incumbent that competes with Robertson Ryan for middle-market and specialty commercial accounts.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/robertsonryaninsurance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robertsonryan
• Xx.com/RobRyInsurance

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Robertson Ryan & Associates