Exclusive: Burns & Wilcox elevates Steen, Briscoe, Siegel, Willis and Dorman to new roles

By James Thaler

April 3 - Burns & Wilcox has made a series of promotions of longtime company veterans, with Bonnie Steen named regional vice president, William Briscoe, Chris Siegel and Berri Willis elevated to vice president, and Justin Dorman tapped as managing director in the firm’s Charleston office.

A spokesperson for Burns & Wilcox confirmed the promotions in a statement to E&S Insurer.

Steen has been with the family-owned wholesaler for 18 years and has been serving as vice president and managing director for the Burns & Wilcox offices in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Ruston, Louisiana.

In Steen’s new role she will now oversee Burns & Wilcox throughout Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama and will continue reporting to Blaise D’Antoni, executive vice president for the company’s Eastern region.

Briscoe, who is taking on the additional title of vice president, has been with Burns & Wilcox for nearly 13 years and will continue serving as managing director for the Burns & Wilcox offices in Oxford, Mississippi and Birmingham, Alabama, now reporting to Steen.

Siegel’s promotion to vice president comes after a decade with the company and will give additional oversight of Burns & Wilcox’s Florida operations.

He previously held the role of associate vice president and managing director for the Burns & Wilcox offices in Orlando and South Florida and in the new post, Burns & Wilcox’s other offices across the state will now report to Siegel.

Willis’ tenure with Burns & Wilcox spans more than 17 years and in her new role as vice president she will retain responsibility for the company’s offices across the Carolinas.

Justin Dorman has also been promoted to associate managing director in Charleston, South Carolina, reporting to Willis. He has been with Burns & Wilcox for more than 10 years and will take on the day-to-day leadership of that office.

“Each of these leaders are longstanding Burns & Wilcox colleagues who have taken on additional responsibility as their careers have grown with our company,” Danny Kaufman, Burns & Wilcox’s president, said in a statement.

“They have been instrumental in our success and we look forward to their ongoing leadership in elevating our industry leading position,” Kaufman added.