Dan Horton

Chief Executive Officer, Horton

Chicago, IL, Orland Park, IL, South Bend, IN, Waukesha, WI

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Dan Horton serves as the Chief Executive Officer of The Horton Group, one of the largest brokers in the Greater Chicago metro area.

In these roles, Dan is responsible for all insurance sales and client service operations throughout the organization. Dan brings with him over 15 years of insurance experience, working in all areas of the business – a variety of service, sales, and operations roles over the past decade.

Soon after joining Horton, Dan moved into a sales role in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin branch and quickly earned a promotion by becoming a Vice President in Horton’s Risk Advisory Solutions department. By 2013, Dan was named Construction Practice Group Leader, doubling the agency’s revenue, all while building a team dedicated to the sales and service of one of the agency’s largest practices. In 2014, Dan spearheaded the agency’s rebranding as Chief Marketing Officer where he oversaw strategic marketing, brand awareness, sales enablement and joined the executive leadership team. Over those years, the agency doubled in size, and by 2016, there was a need to bring all the departments together, and Dan was promoted to Chief Sales Officer.

In his role as President and Chief Sales Officer, Dan is responsible for accelerating the agency’s innovation and ensuring the execution of what our clients need from us.

“Our clients will continue to drive us, and it is most important that we continue to lead them to their highest level of performance,” stated Dan.

His passion for deploying new and innovative ways to service clients while also inspiring, energizing and connections with employees and customers helps project Horton onto its next chapter.

Dan believes that business owners should consider insurance, risk management, and employee benefits as an asset and an investment as critical as any other in their portfolio. Many business owners are unaware how the broader economic, political, demographical and legal trends can impact the success of their risk management and employee benefit plans. Some CEOs of mid-sized businesses find themselves facing challenges that are similar to those of Fortune 1000 firms, but often without the experience or resources to properly address them.

“Too often, as any business’s operations increase in complexity, a substantial loss at one location or a change in legislation can have a devastating impact on the entire organization,” said Dan. “Our teams evaluate the risks of our clients on both a macro and micro level. We leverage our benefits and insurance insight and knowledge of broad economic trends to deliver a plan that will allow for growth and long-term sustainability.”

Before joining Horton, Dan had a successful aviation career, working as a Pilot and First Officer for Midwest Connect Airlines and Flight Instructor and Director of Operations for Brett Aviation. “Very quickly in my career, I had to make a crucial decision – to remain a pilot or to move into business and leadership. Both were passions, but I saw the immense opportunity in the business. There is such an enormous opportunity that lies ahead for us. I couldn’t be happier to lead this company.”

Dan is a licensed commercial pilot and holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Professional Flight Technology from Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN in addition to a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Business. He is a licensed Property & Casualty Producer also accredited with Certificate of General Insurance, Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS) and Certified Risk Managers (CRM).

In his spare time, Dan enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, and hockey.

Fact File:

Education

Bachelors of Science Professional Flight Technology, Purdue University – Lafayette, IN
Masters in Business Administration, University of Wisconsin – Madison, WI

Professional Designations & Licensing

Certificate of General Insurance
Construction Risk and Insurance Specialist (CRIS)
Certified Risk Managers (CRM)

Professional Background

Horton Group, 2005 to present

Chief Executive Officer
President
Chief Sales Officer
Chief Marketing Officer
Construction Practice Group Leader
Vice President
Sales Executive

Midwest Connect Airlines, Pilot (First Officer), 2004-2005
Brett Aviation, Flight Instructor and Director of Operations, 2003-2004

Professional Recognition

Guest speaker at law firm of Baker & McKenzie for conference on Chinese-Related Arbitration and Litigation
Guest Speaker for Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c. on India & Czech Republic Insurance Marketplace
Guest Speaker for Holland & Knight on “Doing Business in China – Risk Management and Insurance”
Guest Speaker for World Trade Center of Wisconsin “Entering the Global Marketplace”
Guest Speaker for Illinois Procurement Institute “Global Supply Chain Risk Management”
Guest Speaker for Assurex’s 2017 Branding & Marketing Conference

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