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
Joe Kolok, CPCU
Executive Vice President
Joe is Executive Vice President of Simkiss & Block and has been at the firm since 1994 after graduating from LaSalle University in Philadelphia with a degree in Finance and Marketing. Joe has had numerous positions within the firm starting in the accounting department to his current role of managing the day to day operations of the firm. Joe holds a Chartered Property Casualty (CPCU) designation from the American Institute for Charted Property Casualty Underwriters.
Joe and his wife Yvonne have been married for 18 years and live in Mount Royal, NJ. Joe is an avid runner and has run over 100 marathons, including the Boston Marathon 7 times and has run a marathon on every continent.
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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
Property and Casualty
Unlocking Our 2026 P&C Market Outlook: High Level & Field Level Insights for Clients
Join Alera Group’s EVP and Property and Casualty Practice Leader Justin Foa for a high-level overview of the key findings from the 2026 Property and Casualty Market Outlook.
January 20, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
Foundations – Understanding the Multigenerational Workforce
In our three-part webinar series, Designing Benefits That Work – A Data-Driven, Multigenerational Focus, we’ll explore multigenerational workforce insights, debunk generational myths, share early- and late-career planning strategies, review legal and compliance trends and provide actionable tools and resources.
January 21, 2026 at 10:00 am CT | Virtual
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Employee Benefits
The 2026 Market Reality: Why Costs Feel Uncontrollable — and Where Leaders Still Have Leverage
A clear map of where leaders can act in 2026 and how to prioritize decisions that move cost and outcomes.
January 22, 2026 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual
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THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Insights
Employee Benefits
IRS Releases Guidance Related to Recent HSA Changes
The IRS recently released Notice 2026-5, which provides guidance and answers to common questions related to the expanded availability of health savings accounts (“HSA”) under the Reconciliation Act (previously named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) passed into law earlier this year.
December 30, 2025
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Property and Casualty
Are you prepared for 2026? Property and Casualty Trends Uncovered
The sixth annual Property and Casualty Market Outlook from Alera Group sets the stage for how organizations can recalibrate their risk strategies in 2026. Built on thousands of data points — including a nationwide survey of insurance company partners and wholesale intermediaries — this report delivers actionable insights for insurance buyers, risk managers and business leaders.
December 17, 2025
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Employee Benefits
Legal Alert: Agencies Clarify How Certain Fertility Benefits May be Treated as Excepted Benefits
This alert is of interest to all employers that offer fertility benefits or may be interested in offering fertility benefits in the future.
November 4, 2025
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Top 5 Insurance Surprises Businesses Face in Q4 — and How to Prevent Them
As year-end approaches, many organizations focus on closing out financials and planning for the year ahead. It’s also the time when insurance programs often reveal unexpected challenges, some avoidable, others the result of shifting market conditions or overlooked details.
October 30, 2025
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