Steve E. Germundson, AAI

Quality Management Consultant ; OPTIS Partners, LLC

After earning a B.A. in Economics from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., Steve acquired his Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) designation from the Insurance Institute of America. He co-founded NSIA, Inc., a Minneapolis-based independent insurance agency focusing on small- to middle-market commercial and personal lines insurance throughout the Upper Midwest. Responsible for the firm's financial management and its acquisition activity, Steve developed personal experience in the financial and operational aspects of the insurance distribution system while leading NSIA in the purchase of nine insurance businesses in Wisconsin and Minnesota over the course of four years.

From 1987 through 1994, Steve served as a partner and consultant of Hales & Company, Inc., a Chicago-based investment bank specializing in the insurance industry. At Hales, he provided a broad spectrum of professional services, from errors & omissions loss control to business planning and succession-ownership planning.

In 1998, Steve served as owner and CEO of The Germundson Company, an operational and financial consulting practice focused on the insurance distribution system. He developed an E&O consulting program for a state association, consulted with a captive E&O carrier, and was engaged in numerous operational and financial assignments with independent agents. After amassing nearly 20 years of experience in the insurance distribution industry, Steve brought his business into and co-founded OPTIS Partners, LLC with Tim Cunningham in 2002. At OPTIS, Steve specializes in the areas of agency workflow/errors & omissions loss control, strategic planning and ownership succession planning.