Dan Leja, CRIS

Dan Leja is a Vice President at the Horton Group. In this role, Dan is responsible for providing Horton clients with comprehensive, cost-effective, and innovative solutions to meet their most complex, risk-related challenges and opportunities.

Dan brings a rich history to his role at the Horton Group as he is passionate about helping others and is uniquely qualified to “step into” his clients' shoes as a small business owner and entrepreneur himself.

Before Horton, Dan worked at Insureon as the Director of Construction Brokerage.  Before that position, he worked at HUB International and IAA Credit Union, where he earned his stripes as an experienced Risk & Insurance Consultant, Underwriter, and Broker, licensed to produce in all 50 states. 

Dan’s community is important to him. As a risk advisor, his community-first mindset also applies to his clients, who he does everything he can to serve their best interests in mind.

“I identify innovative solutions to coverage problems while simultaneously eliminating workplace hazards and systematic risk. This is made possible because of Horton’s comprehensive industry knowledge, especially in Construction, our exclusive partnerships, and expertise in insurance underwriting.” 

Dan views the insurance industry as “archaic, complex, and experiencing rapid change. I am a firm believer that as insurance professionals, it is our responsibility to help mitigate risk, protect the balance sheet, and reduce our customers’ costs through consultation and strategic insurance carrier placement.”

He earns his client’s trust by having exceptional communication and customer service skills. Ethics, honesty, and integrity are all sacred concepts to him as he makes sure to never over-promise, but rather over-deliver.

Looking back on his experience thus far, his favorite memory working in insurance was when he helped an international client bring its operations to the United States. 

“We worked diligently in improving the client’s risk management program and contractually shifting more risk to subcontractors. It was a great learning experience and one that I hold onto dearly as a reminder of what our clients face every day.”

Graduating in 2015, Dan attended the Katie School of Insurance & Financial Services at Illinois State University, where he received a Bachelor of Science in Finance & Insurance Services. Dan is a native Polish speaker, reader, and writer. In his time away from work, Dan enjoys staying up-to-date on stock market trends and investing within a variety of different financial sectors. He regularly volunteers with the charity organization, Feed My Starving Children, which has locations throughout the greater Chicago area.