About Us

    For over a century, our agency (formerly Insurance Underwriters Limited, IUL) has served clients throughout the New Orleans Metro area and across the Gulf South with comprehensive risk management solutions designed to protect against the unexpected. As a locally based firm, we understand the unique challenges facing businesses in our region. 

    We go beyond traditional insurance by taking the time to understand your industry and what matters most to your organization. Our relationship-focused, one-on-one approach ensures you have the insights needed to make informed decisions about risk mitigation while maintaining your peace of mind. 

    Drawing from extensive experience with organizations of all sizes—from local enterprises to global corporations—we recognize that every business faces distinct challenges. We carefully assess your specific circumstances, evaluate your risk tolerance, and develop a customized strategy that combines risk transfer, retention, reduction, and elimination to meet your organization's exact needs. 

    Meet Our Team

    Sean Francioni

    Managing Partner
    Sean Francioni

    Sean provides strategic leadership and vision for the Metairie office, guiding the team's success and dedication to superior client service. A Southeastern Louisiana University graduate with a degree in business management, Sean combines his academic background with a commitment to fostering growth and delivering exceptional results for clients and team members alike. He enjoys spending time with family, outdoor activities, sports, and cooking. 

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    Chip Brockhaus

    Risk Consultant
    Chip Brockhaus

    Chip brings clients nearly four decades of comprehensive experience in insurance, risk management, and bonds. He specializes in discovering, preparing, and effectively marketing each client's compelling business story while ensuring their risk programs remain strategically aligned with business objectives. His extensive expertise spans risk assessment and analysis, claims management and advocacy, audit advocacy, loss control and safety programs, contractual risk transfer, and captives and alternative risk financing. He holds multiple industry certifications, including Certified Risk Manager (CRM), Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC), and Certified Marine Insurance Professional (CMIP), along with his designation as a Louisiana Civil Law Notary. Chip is deeply committed to his community, actively serving at St. Timothy Church in Mandeville. 

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    Paul Geraci

    Risk Consultant
    Paul Geraci

    Paul brings over 35 years of experience serving construction and trade contractors, service stations, manufacturing, machine shops, and public levee districts in the greater New Orleans area. Paul earned a position on the President’s Agents Advisory Council with Siebels Bruce Group, Inc. as agency principal, received a top sales award from the Fireman’s Fund Insurance in addition to establishing an exclusive garage liability program with Gulf Insurance endorsed by the Automotive Service Association. This extensive background and proven track record of developing specialized programs has proven invaluable in his current focus on the emerging vertical of Levee Districts. Paul enjoys fishing, hunting, boating, and outdoor camping. 

    Chad Kropp

    Risk Consultant
    Chad Kropp

    Chad provides comprehensive insurance solutions for large property, construction, trucking and hauling services, and home elevation and house lifting services. With expertise across these specialized industry sectors, he understands the unique risks and coverage needs that each business faces. As a Louisiana State University alum with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, Chad leverages strong analytical and relationship-building skills to deliver tailored insurance programs that protect clients' operations and assets. Chad enjoys playing golf, attending sporting events, and traveling. 

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    EXPERT EDUCATION

    Events and Webinars

    Employee Benefits

    Q3 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.

    September 9, 2025 at 01:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    IMage reading Alera Group Webinar

    Employee Benefits

    Navigating Medicare: Educational Virtual Seminar

    Navigate Medicare options to ensure you feel confident in your post-65 healthcare coverage.

    September 10, 2025 at 12:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    webinar

    Employee Benefits

    New Era, New Options: Understanding the Employee Benefit Impact of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) and Direct Primary Care

    With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the employee benefits landscape is shifting. This webinar brings together legislative insight and real-world application to help employers and advisors make informed decisions in a changing regulatory environment.

    September 25, 2025 at 02:00 pm CT | Virtual

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    Webinar

    Quote from Koren Douglas

    I was fortunate to meet you at the USACE Industry Day at UNO last week. I am sure you hear this often in your profession, but building a small business has its challenges. Recently, I have been navigating the procurement of bonding and insurance for my company, Anerok. Last week you introduced me to Jill Tucker of IUL. The introduction proved extremely beneficial as Jill contracted me by the end of the day to begin the procurement of bonding for my company. Seven days after the “Industry Day” event, I had bonding. I am beyond excited as this enables my company, Anerok, to pursue opportunities that otherwise would have been out of reach.
    Koren Douglas Owner Anerok LLC

    Quote from Lisa Ryals

    We have trusted IUL with our insurance and bonding for years, very knowledgeable and efficient.
    Lisa Ryals Ryals Construction

    Quote from Alex Hernandez

    Jill has been our surety partner since inception and was an integral part of our growth. She is our trusted business advisor and source for market intelligence, project opportunities, professional referrals, and much more.
    Alex Hernandez Managing Partner and CEO Hernandez Consulting & Construction

    Quote from Chris Combs

    Jeff Kropp has been a vital asset to the continued growth and success of C M Combs Construction. He applies his vast knowledge and tireless efforts to the pursuit of his client’s success.
    Chris Combs Owner C M Combs Construction, LLC

    Quote from Debbie Simeon

    IUL bond department is the best! Their staff is very knowledgeable and has always gone above and beyond to assist us with everything we need. It is a pleasure working with them!
    Debbie Simeon Office Manager RWB Contracting, LLC

    THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

    Insights

    Property and Casualty

    Alera Group’s 2025 Property and Casualty Market Update

    Alera Group’s 2025 Property and Casualty Market Update, designed as a bridge between Alera Group’s annual Market Outlooks — provides insight into pricing, coverage availability, market capacity and underwriting trends for the balance of 2025.

    August 1, 2025

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    Employee Benefits

    Legal Alert: IRS Issues Affordability Percentage Adjustment for 2026

    The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has released Rev. Proc. 2025-25, which contains the inflation adjusted amounts for 2026 used to determine whether employer-sponsored coverage is “affordable” for purposes of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer shared responsibility provisions and premium tax credit program.

    July 23, 2025

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    Employee Benefits

    Legal Alert: Enforcement of the HIPAA Reproductive Health Care Privacy Rule Vacated Nationwide

    On June 18, 2025, a federal district court in Texas vacated a significant portion of the HIPAA Privacy Rule to Support Reproductive Health Care Privacy (“Final Rule”), which was implemented on April 24, 2024, on a nationwide basis. The Final Rule, which was implemented in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (effectively overturning Roe v. Wade), was intended to protect the ability of individuals to receive reproductive health care when the care is provided lawfully under the circumstances without risk of an individual’s identity or health information being disclosed for purposes of state criminal, civil or administrative investigations (or for imposing liability related to lawfully providing or obtaining reproductive healthcare).

    July 21, 2025

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    Employee Benefits

    Legal Alert: Employee Benefits Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    On July 3, 2025, Congress passed a reconciliation bill (the “Reconciliation Act”) previously named the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but subsequently redesignated “An Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. Con. Res. 14.”

    July 8, 2025

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      Alera Group, Inc. is aware that there are persons fraudulently impersonating our company by using fake internet domains that appear to look like our legitimate services. If you are contacted by someone claiming to work for Alera Group, or any of our partners, please carefully review the email address and domain. If you have a relationship with our company, please contact us directly and not through any information that is provided in such an email. Please be extremely careful in responding to such emails with personal and financial information, sharing passwords, or any other information of value. Alera Group, or any of our partners, will never send ACH instructions via email and thus we strongly recommend that you verify the authenticity of each wire transfer request by calling your Alera Group contact using the number you have previously called.