WSIA

What WSIA does

WSIA (Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association) is a non-profit trade association incorporated in Missouri and headquartered at 4151 N. Mulberry Drive, Suite 240, Kansas City, MO. It represents approximately 700 member firms across the U.S. wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance distribution system, including wholesale brokers, insurance market members, associate members (non-U.S. entities), and service members (consultants, law firms, software vendors, etc.). Surplus lines brokers and insurance companies hold voting rights, and governance is exercised through a Board of Directors drawn from member firms and led by CEO & President Brady Kelley. WSIA was formerly known as NAPSLO (National Association of Professional Surplus Lines Offices) and operates today as a member service organization rather than a technology provider.

The association's core offerings are programs and services rather than technology products. These include three flagship networking events — the Annual Marketplace (held each October in San Diego), the Underwriting Summit (March, Grande Lakes FL), and EduTech Connect (August, Scottsdale AZ) — supplemented by education courses, technical training, and an online Surplus Lines Fundamentals course. Talent development is a separate pillar delivered through the WSIA Talent Advocacy & Engagement Foundation, the WSIA Education Foundation, the Derek Hughes Scholarship Program (established 1998, awarding up to 30 scholarships of $5,000 each), the U40 young professionals group, a paid nine-week internship program, and the Extreme Risk Takers Symposium Series held at multiple universities in partnership with Gamma Iota Sigma. Research and advocacy include the Conning Distribution Cost Study (2021) demonstrating a 1.8 percentage point non-loss cost advantage for wholesale versus retail distribution, and active state and federal legislative monitoring through General Counsel & Policy Director Keri Kish, Director of Government Relations John Meetz, and the WSIA PAC.

WSIA's revenue model is membership-dues based on an annual billing cadence, with tiered pricing across four member categories (specific pricing is not publicly disclosed). The organization requires prospective members to submit applications with two reference forms from current WSIA voting members, creating a gated onboarding process. Additional revenue is generated through event registration, education program fees, and foundation contributions. As a non-profit, WSIA is funded entirely through these member and program sources — it has no disclosed investors, parent company, or external capital. Recent strategic activity has emphasized ecosystem-level engagement, most notably joining the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) in May 2026 alongside six other P&C distribution associations to advance data standards, AI governance, and digital communication across the market.

Name

WSIA

Legal name

Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association

Website

https://wsia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WSIA is a non-profit trade association representing approximately 700 member firms across the U.S. wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry, delivering networking events, education, regulatory advocacy, and talent pipeline programs for brokers, carriers, and service providers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insurance Trade Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Trade Policy, Agreements & Negotiations (BPADAMAA)

Keywords

• Wholesale insurance association
• Surplus lines insurance
• Specialty insurance networking
• Insurance industry advocacy
• Insurance professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: WSIA generates revenue through membership fees from approximately 700 member firms including wholesale brokers, insurance market members, associate members, and service members. Surplus lines brokers and insurance companies are voting members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WSIA is a non-profit trade association representing the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry. It provides member services including premier networking events, regulatory and legislative advocacy, education programs, talent outreach initiatives, scholarship and grant programs, and industry research to approximately 700 member firms.

Product overview

WSIA (Wholesale & Specialty Insurance Association) is a member service organization representing approximately 700 firms in the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry. Rather than a unified software product, WSIA offers a portfolio of programs and services including premier networking events (Annual Marketplace, Underwriting Summit, EduTech Connect), professional development initiatives (U40 young professionals group, Internship Program), educational offerings (Derek Hughes Scholarship Program, Surplus Lines Fundamentals online course, Extreme Risk Takers Symposiums, White Paper and Video Contest), research and advocacy resources (Conning Distribution Cost Study), member directory services, and two foundations supporting education and talent development. These programs collectively serve the membership through networking, education, legislative advocacy, and talent outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WSIA U40: A dynamic group of insurance professionals under the age of 40 who are currently employed by WSIA member firms, encouraging exchange of educational and industry-critical information among members and promoting young insurance professionals' involvement in the surplus lines community.
• WSIA PAC
• WSIA Talent Advocacy & Engagement Foundation
• WSIA Education Foundation
• Derek Hughes Scholarship Program
• EduTech Connect
• Extreme Risk Takers Symposium Series

Products and services

• WSIA Annual Marketplace The premier annual networking and business event for the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines insurance industry, held each October in San Diego, CA. Targeted at member firms and industry professionals.
• WSIA Underwriting Summit An annual networking and business meeting designed for firm leaders, with an emphasis on the underwriting and delegated authority segments of the membership.
• EduTech Connect A premier learning and networking experience combining WSIA University with the Insurtech Conference, featuring technical E&S education, professional development, and innovation discussions.
• WSIA Internship Program A paid nine-week summer internship program offering students experience in the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines marketplace, with E&S Immersion and E&S Exploration tracks. Targeted at undergraduate students pursuing careers in surplus lines insurance.
• Derek Hughes Scholarship Program Awards up to 30 scholarships worth $5,000 each for undergraduate students pursuing insurance or business-related studies, with preference for risk management and insurance majors. Established in 1998 by the WSIA Education Foundation.
• Surplus Lines Fundamentals Online Course An online course teaching why the surplus lines market is needed, how its distribution system works, how surplus lines transactions are regulated, and how the market underwrites risks the standard market has declined. Targeted at insurance professionals.
• Extreme Risk Takers Symposium Series Four annual student symposiums that educate students about the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry, featuring career fairs, networking receptions, and sessions on unique and emerging risks. Sponsored by the WSIA Education Foundation.
• University Grant Program Grant program supporting risk management and insurance programs with Friend of the Program grants ($250-$500), Emerging Program grants, E&S Immersion grants (up to $5,000), and Faculty grants (up to $10,000).
• Find a Member Directory A searchable directory allowing users to find WSIA member firms by member type, company name, city, state, or zip code. Available to industry participants.
• Conning Distribution Cost Study A 2021 industry research publication by Conning, Inc. reconfirming that wholesale insurance distribution does not increase transaction costs to the insured, comparing wholesale and retail composite cost ratios. Targeted at industry stakeholders and policy advocates.

Quantifiable outcome

• Wholesale distribution reduces transaction costs by 1.8% compared to retail distribution (Conning analysis 2016-2020)

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ACORDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 May 2026ACORD, the global standards-setting body for the insurance industry, announced the formation of the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) on May 5, 2026. WSIA is one of seven leading North American property and casualty insurance distribution associations participating in this council to advance digital communication and standardize data across the P&C market. The inaugural meeting was held on May 4, 2026.
• AUGIE GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUGIE Group participates in the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) along with WSIA and other leading insurance distribution associations to address emerging issues including data stewardship, AI governance, and data sovereignty.
• CIABcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIAB (The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers) participates in the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) to provide coordinated industry input on shared operational challenges in the P&C market.
• CSIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSIO participates in the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) alongside WSIA and other associations to advance digital communication and standardize data across the P&C market.
• IIABA/ACTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIIABA/ACT (Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America) participates in the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) to address emerging industry issues including data stewardship and AI governance.
• PIA NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIA National (National Association of Professional Insurance Agents) participates in the ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council (IAAC) to provide coordinated industry input on shared operational challenges.
• Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSIA and the WSIA Education Foundation participates in career fairs and educational sessions at the GIS Leadership Symposium, GIS Annual Conference and GIS Regional Conferences to promote the surplus lines industry to students.
• Conning, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSIA retained Conning, Inc. to conduct an objective analysis of distribution costs between wholesale and retail channels. The 2021 analysis reconfirmed that wholesale insurance distribution does not increase cost to the insured.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PCI: Property Casualty Insurers Association of America - represents P&C insurers. Comparable as a peer U.S. P&C insurance trade association with regulatory advocacy and member-service programs analogous to WSIA's.
• PLUS: Professional Liability Underwriting Society - a membership organization focused on professional liability and specialty lines underwriting. Comparable niche-membership model and educational programming to WSIA, with overlap in specialty/surplus lines professionals.
• NAIFA: National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors - U.S. association representing insurance and financial advisors. Comparable as a multi-line insurance industry association offering advocacy, education, and member development services.
• Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA / Big 'I'): U.S. trade association for independent insurance agents and brokers, including the Agents Council for Technology (ACT). Directly comparable as a P&C distribution association participating in the ACORD IAAC alongside WSIA.
• PIA National: National Association of Professional Insurance Agents - represents independent P&C agents. Directly comparable as a peer P&C distribution association, and a fellow ACORD IAAC founding participant with WSIA.
• AAMGA: American Association of Managing General Agents - a U.S. trade association representing MGAs and underwriting managers, a population that overlaps significantly with WSIA's Insurance Market Member segment (delegated underwriting authorities). Directly comparable membership-based advocacy and education model.
• Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB): National trade association for large commercial insurance brokers and agencies. Highly comparable as a peer P&C distribution association; sits alongside WSIA in the ACORD IAAC and represents overlapping (though larger-firm) brokerage constituencies.
• NAMIC: National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies - U.S. trade association for mutual and member-owned P&C insurers. Comparable as a P&C insurance association structure with advocacy, education, and member-service offerings similar to WSIA's.

Others

• ACORD: Global standards-setting body for the insurance industry, with whom WSIA is now partnered through the newly formed ACORD Inter-Association Advisory Council. Not a direct peer but a strategic ecosystem partner co-creating data, AI governance, and digital communication standards that affect WSIA's members.

Regional players

• CSIO: Centre for Study of Insurance Operations - a Canadian insurance technology and standards body. Comparable as a fellow ACORD IAAC association with overlapping P&C standards-development mission, though primarily serving the Canadian market rather than competing directly with WSIA's U.S. focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/the_wsia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wsia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

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 WSIA