About Us
Who we are
Simkiss & Block is a full-service insurance brokerage, risk management consultant, and loyal partner. Since our founding in 1964, our philosophy of providing custom risk and benefits solutions has held firm. We develop effective strategies by immersing ourselves in understanding the fundamentals of our clients’ businesses, turning over stone after stone to identify the true risks at hand – even those outside our clients’ walls. Our global reach is made possible by the relationships we’ve built over 50+ years and the power of our team’s collective expertise. We’re forever at your attention, and we’re committed to protecting your future, together.
Our mission
Today’s risk and employee benefits challenges are more than that–they are business challenges. Our mission is to confront them head on for our clients and help them grow confidently into tomorrow. As a team, we pledge to serve our clients morning, night, weekday, and weekend, because we believe risk management and business success takes care and attention. Your risks aren’t beholden to a time clock, so neither are we.
Globally activated, client focused.
Our partnership with the Worldwide Broker Network allows us to offer our clients unrivaled service all around the globe. Benefits include:
- Extensive cross-border collaboration
- Combined purchasing power
- Accessing to leading insurance executives
- Information management technology
Meet Our Team
Brian Block, CPCU, AFSB
Managing Partner
Brian is Managing Partner of Simkiss & Block. Brian’s responsibilities include overseeing all day to day management of the firm, maintaining relationships with and quality of service for many of the organization’s top clients, developing new client relationships and fostering constructive partnerships with insurers.
Brian holds a BSBA in Finance from Villanova University as well as the Chartered Property Casualty (CPCU) designation from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB) designation from the Insurance Institute of America. Brian plays a leadership role in numerous charitable and community organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and South Jersey and as a founding partner of Social Venture Partners Philadelphia. Brian and his wife, Maureen, and their two children make their home in Villanova, PA.
ConnectDavid Cagliola
President, Employee Benefits
David began his career at Prudential Insurance Company in the marketing and operations area of the group benefits division. Upon leaving Prudential he transitioned to the consulting side of the industry where he joined a regional firm as a benefits advisor. In 1997, David co-founded Radnor Benefits Group, which was acquired by Simkiss & Block in 2018. He continues to lead this practice as President of Employee Benefits for Simkiss & Block today.
David is very active in the benefits industry and has taught healthcare economics at Penn State University. He has served as the President of the Philadelphia Association of Health Underwriters, board member of the Pennsylvania Association of Health Underwriters, and Regional Membership and Chapter Leadership Chairs for the National Association of Health Underwriters. David frequently speaks at local, regional, and national conferences as an expert on healthcare reform and employer sponsored health plans. David also meets regularly with elected officials and government regulators in both Harrisburg and Washington to serve as a voice for employers facing the ever-changing environment of healthcare.
David is active in the local community and currently serves on the board of Good Samaritan Services, a not-for-profit human services organization serving the homeless community in Chester and Lancaster counties. He has BBA from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and has achieved the PPACA Certification from the National Association of Health Underwriters.
ConnectVicky Cagliola
Director of ACA Administration and Compliance
Vicky works with sponsors of employee benefit plans to help them recognize and fulfill their compliance responsibilities under the Affordable Care Act, Internal Revenue Code, ERISA and other federal, state and local legislation.
Vicky joined Simkiss & Block in 2015 and leads the compliance services function for the company. In her role, Vicky empowers employers with the knowledge and tools to achieve a wide array of compliance objectives.
Vicky has over 25 years of work experience including positions in corporate finance, operations and compliance. Over the course of her career, Vicky has developed a knack for bringing fresh ideas and inventive processes to the table to address business problems.
Vicky is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. She earned her BBA in Accounting from the Fox School of Business at Temple University and her MBA in Management from Penn State University. Vicky is a member of the board of the Greater Philadelphia Association of Health Underwriters where she serves as Legislative Chair.
ConnectDan Dunigan, CPCU, AFSB
Vice President, Surety
As Vice President of Surety, Dan’s responsibilities include overseeing the day to day management of Simkiss & Block’s surety department, assuring the firm that client and surety company needs are met, while maintaining client and surety company relationships and developing new ones. Dan holds a BSBA in Finance and Marketing from LaSalle University as well as the Chartered Property Casualty (CPCU) designation from the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters and the Associate in Fidelity and Surety Bonding (AFSB) designation from the Insurance Institute of America.
Dan is an active parent volunteer in several organizations, including North Penn Aquatic Club, Knights & Maidens Water Polo, and is currently President of the Bux-Mont Summer Swimming & Diving League. Additionally, Dan is active in his local community and is currently Chairman of the Lansdale Parking Authority, and previously he was a councilman for Lansdale Borough. Dan and his wife, Christine (Chris), and their two children make their home in Lansdale, PA.
ConnectResources
Our Solutions
We service the full spectrum of risk management and employee benefits with our client partners. We believe customized solutions are the best and only way to protect your success – learn more about how we can help here.
Corporate Risk
As a leading privately held brokerage firm, Simkiss & Block represents clients of various sizes, from privately held businesses through Fortune 500 firms. Our national and global geographic reach and broad carrier representation offer us top-level relationships and a level of service in the marketplace which most of our peers cannot match.
The insurance program you purchase may be your most tangible representation of risk management, but we believe sound, organization-wide practices and processes are key to lowering your overall risk. This year-round focus is something our clients have come to appreciate from us, and we stand behind it.
Employee Benefits
Employee benefits are an important part of any business. It is key to provide benefits to your employees that strike the balance between being cost effective and being competitive with employers in your area and industry. We understand benefits can represent a significant cost – and we work with our clients to provide choices and the most competitive programs available. Often times we can save our clients substantial amounts on their benefits costs simply by performing a comprehensive review.
Our experienced and dedicated benefits professionals can assist in the evaluation, design, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of your employee benefits programs.
Surety Bonds
We maintain strong and deep relationships with the largest surety companies in the world. Combined, our global reach and dedication to client success has allowed us to develop valuable partnerships with many national companies, strengthening the level of service we can provide our clients. Ongoing communication is at the core of our approach towards structuring surety programs.
Our clients are our partners. We believe it’s not only a sustainable way to do business, but a strategy to ensure the best possible surety programs.
Private Client Insurance
Personal risk management is often considered an afterthought by brokers. We treat it as a core part of your business because it deserves to be. Business owners and other executives need to respond to the demands of stockholders, clients, and employees, and so typically lack the time to properly review their own personal needs.
Our team acts as personal risk managers, delivering the best products in the marketplace from first-class insurers. We focus on analyzing your risk and structuring coverage to meet your specific needs.
Private Equity Risk
When it comes to private equity consulting, we have a comprehensive program to assist our clients. We take the necessary steps to fully understand the aspects of risks, even those hidden outside of plain sight.
Thanks in part to our reputation for client service, we are recognized among the leading privately held brokerage firms nationwide. Helping our clients through both the renewal process and ongoing risk management practices are equally important.
Community Works Program
We're committed to giving back to the communities in which we work and live. Our philanthropic arm volunteers and contributes to several charitable organizations every year. Making an impact is our passion.
A culture of confidence
To deliver world-class risk and benefits solutions for our clients, we operate as a large, fully cohesive team, operating in a Culture of Confidence. Our trust in this approach is built on confidence in our people, confidence in our knowledge, and confidence that these two combined produce optimal outcomes for our clients.
Business Insurance Best Places to Work 2020 Award
The trust our clients have in our team is the same trust our team has in each other. We have been consistently recognized for our workplace culture, and we’re proud of it.
EXPERT EDUCATION
Events and Webinars
Employee Benefits
HIPAA Privacy and Security Overview
Join our compliance experts for an overview of HIPAA’s Privacy and Security Rules. During this webinar, we'll review the different types of entities subject to HIPAA, take an in-depth look at protected health information (PHI), individual rights under HIPAA and what to do when there is a breach of PHI.
April 11, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Balancing Cost and Care: Could a Captive solution be the right fit for you?
In this session, our experts will discuss how Captive solutions work and what you need to consider for your own group’s needs.
April 17, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Q2 2025 Quarterly Compliance Webinar
Alera Group's quarterly employee benefits compliance roundup will help you stay current on the latest national regulatory developments impacting employers.
May 6, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Property and Casualty
5 Steps to a Lower Workers’ Compensation Mod
Understanding how your Workers' Compensation Insurance premium is calculated can help you manage costs more effectively. One of the primary factors in determining your premium is your experience modification factor — the number that reflects your company’s claims history and directly determines what you pay.
March 13, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Getting the Most From Your Voluntary Benefit Offerings
Join Alera Group on Thursday, March 20, as we present the next in our Engage series of webinars, "Maximizing Impact: The Value of Voluntary Benefits for Today’s Workforce."
March 6, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Building Connections To Support Employee Mental Health
Mental Health Awareness Month begins in May, but to emphasize mental wellbeing as a year-round priority, Alera Group is getting an early start on distributing our new Mental Health Awareness Toolkit. Designed and refined by our Wellbeing team, the Toolkit is an employer resource to help you and your employees adopt healthy activities, build social connections and erode stigmas that have long hampered discussion of mental health.
March 4, 2025
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Weighty Matter: Obesity, GLP-1s and the Rising Cost of Healthcare
Obesity and health problems associated with it — including heart disease and stroke, high blood pressure, several types of cancer, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and more — are primary factors that must be considered as employers seek to contain healthcare costs for their employers, as well as for themselves.
February 26, 2025
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