Dereszynski returns to lead Brown & Brown Empire State

SYRACUSE  —  Brown & Brown Empire State reintroduced Nick Dereszynski as its president this morning, marking his return after a year in Seattle.

Dereszynski, who was at Syracuse–based Brown & Brown Empire State from 2005 to 2011, moved to Seattle last year to become regional vice president for the insurance agency’s parent, Brown & Brown Inc. (NYSE: BRO). He will now fill both the roles of regional vice president for the parent company and president of the Syracuse firm.

The move became official Aug. 1. However, Dereszynski has been travelling between Syracuse and Seattle for the last month.

Dereszynski will bring a renewed emphasis on recruiting employees to Brown & Brown Empire State, he said today during a press conference. However, he does not have any specific hiring targets, he added.

“That means if we can, over the next six to 12 months, find a handful of people that we think fit our criteria and fit our culture, then we’ll hire that handful of people,” he said. “If we can find 25 people that we feel like we can provide opportunities for growth, career development, and they fit our culture, then we’ll hire 25 new people at Brown & Brown Empire State.”

Mergers and acquisitions will also be on the agency’s plate, Dereszynski said, although he did not offer any specifics. And he expects the company to “vigorously” market itself throughout the upstate market.

Brown & Brown Empire State currently has 95 employees, according to Dereszynski. Nearly all of them — 85 — work in its Syracuse headquarters at 500 Plum St. Its remaining employees are split between offices in Endicott and Clifton Park.

The Syracuse–based agency generated about $20 million in revenue in 2011, and Dereszynski projects 5 percent growth in 2012.

Dereszynski replaces Linda Taylor as president of Brown & Brown Empire State. Taylor is returning to Brown & Brown Inc.’s Buffalo office, where she worked as executive vice president and profit-center leader before moving to Syracuse.

The shuffle comes because Brown & Brown Inc. wanted to find the “right person” to lead Brown & Brown Empire State, according to Dereszynski.

Contact Seltzer at rseltzer@cnybj.com