Alan Jay Kaufman is Group Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of H.W. Kaufman Group. A visionary leader, Mr. Kaufman returned the company to private family ownership in 1996. Since then, he has been the driving force behind Kaufman’s explosive growth and record profitability worldwide.

After recognizing a gap in industry professional development, Mr. Kaufman established Kaufman Institute, an online and classroom hub dedicated to expanding the knowledge and skill of Kaufman professionals and the industry overall.

He has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the Distinguished Alumni Award from Michigan State University, Lifetime Achievement recognition from Insurance Business America, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the Boy Scouts of America. In 2019, City of Hope recognized Mr. Kaufman’s significant philanthropic efforts with the National Insurance Industry Council (NIIC) Spirit of Life® Award. He was also honored by American Agent & Broker magazine as one of the Top 25 Living Legends in Insurance.

Among his many philanthropic commitments to colleges and universities, Mr. Kaufman endowed a professorship in insurance within the Eli Broad College of Business at Michigan State University. The endowment actively engages students in insurance and risk management, highlighting the numerous opportunities offered by a career in the insurance profession.

His active board memberships span several organizations including, Business Leaders for Michigan, Detroit Zoological Society, Detroit Economic Club; St. John’s University School of Insurance, Risk Management and Actuarial Science in New York City, and Walsh College (Detroit). Mr. Kaufman is also President of the United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit.

A graduate of Michigan State University with a B.A. in finance, accounting and insurance, Mr. Kaufman also holds a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School and studied international law at the London School of Economics.