In 2004, I made the best decision of my career by forming Sukay & Associates.  It would not be true to say that the company was established after a well thought out and planned process.  In fact, it was formed because of a friend who needed some immediate help.  The company really had its beginnings in 1997, when I hired John Biasiello at Commerce National Insurance Services, Inc.  At that time, I was the Chief Financial Officer of Commerce Bancorp Inc.  I was spending too much of my time reviewing potential acquisitions for Commerce National Insurance Services.  

John and I had an immediate connection.  John’s insurance operational experience allowed us to acquire an additional 18 insurance agencies and allowed me to serve in an oversight role.  In 2000, I left the bank to become the CFO of Rosenbluth International, a corporate travel firm based in Philadelphia.  The parallels between the two industries surprised me.  Rosenbluth was sold in October 2003 and I began to assess my future. My first conclusion was that I would not work with or for anyone that I didn’t respect.  The second decision was that whatever I ended up doing, it would be done ethically and would not ever be purely for the financial gain.

Shortly thereafter my friend asked for help selling his agency.  I assumed I would help him sell his agency and then find another position.  However, the client encouraged me to continue the firm and help others in the same manner as I had helped him.  I was unconvinced.  John Biasiello then became more convinced that we had the skills and the ethics to make the business successful.  I agreed to give it a try.  Before we began, John and I sat down and made two important decisions that served as the founding principles of Sukay & Associates.

The first one was that we would never do anything that wasn’t in the best interest of our client, regardless of the financial impact to the firm.  We were tested early and often, but I’m proud to say that our record is unblemished.  The second premise was that we would remain a small boutique firm.  We would be personally involved in every transaction at every phase.  We have been very selective of our clients.  We feel like that this personal involvement has helped us maximize the value for our clients.

The firm has now reached the same position that John Biasiello and I were in during 1997.  John now serves as the President of Sukay & Associates and is actively involved in every transaction.  I now serve in an oversight role.  We are proud that we have been engaged by so many agencies from the largest agencies in the country to smaller agencies that needed our advice.   As long as Sukay & Associates exists, it will remain committed to its two founding principles.