American Global Adds Key New Hires Amid North America Expansion

American Global has announced three major additions to its insurance broking and surety divisions, reinforcing its ongoing expansion across the United States and Canada. The Jericho, New York–based brokerage continues to scale its footprint by investing in seasoned industry professionals who bring specialized expertise to support its rapidly growing client roster.

As part of the firm’s “aggressive but organic” strategy to strengthen its teams, American Global said the new hires will deepen its technical capabilities in Builder’s Risk, property and engineering coverage, and surety underwriting — all crucial areas as construction activity remains strong across North America.

Carlos Rodriguez joins the company as Vice President on the national broking team, working out of the Atlanta office. Known for his extensive background in property and engineering insurance, Rodriguez has worked with complex, highly engineered risk portfolios and brings multilingual abilities that include English, Spanish and Portuguese. He will oversee new projects, advise on risk strategies, and recommend coverage solutions for both ongoing and upcoming client initiatives. His academic credentials include a Master of Science in Risk Management and Insurance from Florida State University and a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Florida International University.

Adding further depth to the broking group, industry veteran Joseph Ragusa has come aboard as Senior Broker. With 15 years of construction insurance experience across Property & Casualty, General Liability, Cyber, and Workers Compensation, Ragusa is based in New Jersey and has quickly become a strong contributor to the team. His certifications — AINS, CRIS and CPLP — reflect his technical expertise, while his background as an Account Executive underscores a strong track record in client-facing risk management.

Chief Broking Officer Mike Meisten said the additions align with the company’s long-term approach to people and growth. “In keeping with our CEO’s mantra of ‘one client at a time, one colleague at a time,’ American Global remains committed to the thoughtful expansion of our global team as our physical footprint widens. The addition of quality individuals like Carlos and Joe will ensure we maintain the highest level of service and support. I am proud to lead this team of dedicated, creative and knowledgeable insurance professionals.”

North of the border, American Global Canada continues its rapid expansion with the hiring of Benjamin O’Donnell as Vice President. Based in Montreal, O’Donnell will collaborate closely with Senior Vice President Elias Sawan and support teams across Ontario and Alberta. A respected surety underwriter with strong leadership credentials, O’Donnell is fluent in French, English and Spanish and has held senior roles at Marsh and Allianz Canada. His volunteer work with AICSEC and PennyDrops reflects his engagement in industry and youth mentorship programs. He also holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from HEC Montreal and has been named a “Rising Insurance Star Under 35” by Insurance Business Canada.

Kent Peters, President of American Global Canada, said the hiring comes at precisely the right time. “The rapid expansion of our Canadian business has accelerated staffing needs in other locations. Having the opportunity to add someone of Ben’s caliber to our already talented team is exciting for clients and colleagues alike. His energy, charitable nature and desire to share knowledge align perfectly with our firm’s core values. We look forward to welcoming Ben to our collaborative, cross-border surety team.”

As American Global’s presence grows across North America and Europe, the broker continues to position itself as a leader in construction risk management. With offices throughout the U.S., Canada, and Italy, the firm supports contractors, developers and owners at every phase of construction projects, aiming to deliver comprehensive coverage and specialized guidance for the full spectrum of industry risks.

Originally reported by American Global.