Special Risk Insurance Services

What Special Risk Insurance Services does

Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc. (SRIS) is a privately held insurance brokerage founded in 1985 by Dennis Kruhm (a former AIG/Home Insurance Company underwriter, retired 2018) and Anthony Liberatore (a Wharton-trained licensed broker who serves as President). The firm is headquartered across a Voorhees, NJ mailing address and an Ambler, PA office and operates with 1-10 employees.

SRIS structures and administers employee benefit insurance programs for corporate employers, organized into four product categories: Group Accident Coverage (Business Travel Accident, Basic and Voluntary AD&D, packaged group accident), Group Life Insurance (Basic, Supplemental, Retiree, and Executive Life), Group Disability Insurance (Long-Term, Short-Term, Statutory, Executive, Individual Disability, and FML Medical Leave), and Consumer Driven Products (Critical Illness, Homeowners, Long-Term Care, Auto, Pet Insurance, Pre-Paid Legal). The firm extends these offerings through an AirSurety broker partnership for travel assistance and out-of-country medical benefits.

The business model is commission-based: SRIS represents multiple financially rated insurance carriers and is paid placement and renewal commissions when it places coverage for corporate clients. Distribution is direct enterprise sales, with the firm positioning itself as an extension of the client's HR/benefits team rather than a transactional broker. The client book is anchored on Fortune 1000 companies with a stated 20-year average tenure, alongside a smaller small-business segment. Quoted client outcomes include $8.5M in Long-Term Disability renewal savings, $3.3M in Group Life and Disability premium guarantees over five years, $2.1M in Basic and Supplemental Life and AD&D savings plus a 35% Workers Comp administration cost reduction, $1.8M in Basic Life premium savings, and $500K+ in employee contribution savings on a Buy-Up LTD plan, with cumulative client savings of $35M+ over the past three years (savings realized by clients, not SRIS revenue). No technology platform or AI capabilities are disclosed; the firm's competitive differentiation rests on underwriter-grade expertise, carrier relationships, and relationship longevity.

Name

Special Risk Insurance Services

Legal name

Special Risk Insurance Services, Inc.

Website

https://specialrisk.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Special Risk Insurance Services is an insurance brokerage that structures group accident, life, and disability employee benefit plans for corporate employers, primarily Fortune 1000 companies. Founded in 1985, the Pennsylvania-based firm earns commissions from rated insurance carriers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Blue Bell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Insurance Brokerage Commissions: SRIS operates as an insurance broker representing multiple financially rated insurance carriers. Revenue is generated through commissions paid by insurance carriers for placing employee benefit coverage for corporate clients. The company structures and administers employee benefit plans including group accident, group life, and disability insurance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Special Risk Insurance Services (SRIS) is an insurance brokerage firm representing multiple financially rated insurance carriers to structure, negotiate, and administer employee benefit plans for corporate clients. The firm places group accident, group life, group disability, and supplementary consumer-driven insurance coverage, leveraging aggregated business block purchasing power to deliver broad coverage at competitive, guaranteed cost.

Product overview

Special Risk Insurance Services is an insurance brokerage firm, not a technology platform. The company offers a unified suite of employee benefit insurance products organized into four core categories: Group Accident Coverage (including BTA, AD&D), Group Life Insurance (Basic, Supplemental, Retiree, Executive Life), Group Disability Insurance (Long Term, Short Term, Statutory, Executive, Individual Disability, FML), and Consumer Driven Products (Critical Illness, Homeowners, Long-Term Care, Auto, Pet Insurance, Pre-Paid Legal). These products are provided as consulting/brokerage services to help employers structure comprehensive employee benefits programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Group Accident Coverage Comprehensive accident insurance coverage placed for corporate clients, including Business Travel Accident Insurance (BTA), Basic Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), Voluntary AD&D, and a package approach to group accident protection. Designed for employers structuring employee benefit programs.
• Group Life Insurance Employee life insurance brokerage including Basic Life, Supplemental Life, Retiree Life, and Executive Life coverage options for corporate clients. Includes guaranteed premium outcomes documented in client engagements (e.g., multi-year rate locks).
• Group Disability Insurance Disability insurance brokerage covering Long Term Disability, Short Term Disability, Statutory Disability, Executive Disability, Individual Disability, and FML Medical Leave for corporate clients structuring employee benefit programs.
• Consumer Driven Products Supplementary insurance brokerage offerings including Critical Illness, Homeowners, Long-Term Care, Auto, Pet Insurance, and Pre-Paid Legal plans, providing employers with additional voluntary benefit options for employee packages.

Quantifiable outcome

• $35 million+ in client cost savings over 3 years
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AirS uretyminorOthersSRIS partners with AirS urety to offer peace of mind travel insurance services to clients. The partnership provides travel assistance and out-of-country medical benefits through AirS urety's platform, with SRIS acting as a broker (broker ID: 9427792). This partnership supports SRIS's Corporate Duty of Care obligations for clients with international travel needs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hub International: North American insurance brokerage with significant employee benefits and commercial lines practices. Comparable to SRIS as a benefits broker serving mid-market and large employers, though Hub operates across geographies and product lines.
• Lockton: Largest privately held insurance brokerage with a strong employee benefits and large-account specialty. Comparable to SRIS as a private, broker-led benefits firm focused on corporate clients, though Lockton operates globally with much deeper resources.
• Marsh McLennan: Global professional services firm with Marsh (insurance brokerage) and Mercer (employee benefits consulting). Comparable to SRIS as a benefits intermediary for corporate clients, but operates at global scale with consulting-driven delivery.
• Brown & Brown: Public insurance brokerage with national employee benefits and specialty risk practices. Comparable to SRIS in its brokerage model and benefits focus, but at a vastly larger scale and with broader product breadth.
• Arthur J. Gallagher: Global insurance brokerage with substantial employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations. Comparable to SRIS as a benefits broker serving corporate clients, but Gallagher offers a far broader portfolio and global delivery.
• USI Insurance Services: Top-10 U.S. insurance brokerage with a large employee benefits practice serving middle-market and Fortune 1000 accounts. Comparable to SRIS as a scaled benefits broker with similar client profile, but operates as a much larger diversified platform.

Emerging players

• Alera Group: Growing national insurance brokerage formed through aggregation of regional benefits-focused firms. Comparable to SRIS as a benefits-focused brokerage targeting mid-market and large accounts, often explicitly aggregating firms like SRIS.

Direct peers

• Holmes Murphy: Independent insurance brokerage specializing in employee benefits, risk management, and property/casualty for mid-market and large firms. Comparable to SRIS in its specialty-brokerage model and Fortune 1000 client orientation.
• NFP (National Financial Partners): Insurance broker and consultant with strong employee benefits practice serving mid-market and large employers. Comparable to SRIS because both broker group benefits for corporate clients and target specialty/complex coverage placements.
• OneDigital: Benefits-focused insurance brokerage and advisory firm serving mid-market and large employers. Comparable to SRIS because both concentrate on group employee benefits (health, life, disability, voluntary) for corporate clients and compete for the same Fortune 1000 RFPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SpecialRiskInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpecialRisk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/specialriskinc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Special Risk Insurance Services