After more than a decade with Hillstone Restaurant Group, I’ve gained a front-row view of what makes hospitality businesses thrive, and what keeps leaders awake at night. From balancing margins against rising costs, to managing high standards of service in dynamic environments, to ensuring staff and guest safety, the restaurant business is a daily exercise in risk management.

Now, as I begin the next chapter of my career at HUB International, I see how my hospitality experience gives me a unique vantage point when it comes to property and casualty insurance for restaurants and hospitality businesses.

Risk Management Lessons from the Hospitality Floor

Working in hospitality sharpened my understanding of how risks show up in ways an insurance policy alone can’t solve:

• Safety and liability: One slip-and-fall or foodborne illness can affect more than financials—it can impact brand reputation.
• Property exposures: From kitchens to rooftops, restaurants operate in complex environments filled with fire, water, and equipment risks.
• Staffing challenges: Recruiting, training, and retaining talent in a high-turnover industry introduces ongoing exposures that many insurers underestimate.
• Consistency across locations: Multi-unit operations face the challenge of standardizing safety and compliance measures while adapting to different state and municipal regulations.

I’ve lived those challenges, not just studied them—and that perspective will shape the way I work with clients. My goal is to help operators minimize risk before losses happen, align coverage with real-world exposures, and ultimately protect both their balance sheets and their brands.

Why HUB International

HUB combines the scale of a national brokerage with the insight of local advisors. For restaurant and hospitality leaders, that means:

• Access to benchmarking data on property, liability, and workers’ compensation
• Specialized programs designed for restaurants, hotels, and franchise operators
• Advanced analytics to help you predict and contain risk costs over time
• A dedicated team who understands that insurance should support—not slow down—your operations

Beyond Property & Casualty

Of course, risk management doesn’t end with property and casualty coverage. At HUB, we also support employers and individuals through:

• Employee benefits consulting to help attract and retain talent in a competitive labor market
• Group retirement planning to give employees long-term security
• Personal insurance and wealth management services to protect leaders, families, and assets

Looking Ahead

As I transition from running restaurants to advising them, I’m eager to bring a hospitality-first mindset to insurance and risk management conversations. The high standards, attention to detail, and operational insights I learned at Hillstone will guide me in helping clients protect what they’ve built, and position their businesses for sustainable growth.

If you’re in the restaurant or hospitality industry and want to compare notes, or simply explore how to make your insurance strategy work harder for you, I’d love to connect.

P.S. While much of my perspective comes from the restaurant and hospitality world, my experience also overlaps with the construction and real estate sectors—industries that share many of the same challenges around safety, compliance, and property risk. If you’re leading a business in construction or real estate, I’d be glad to share insights on how HUB’s risk management strategies can strengthen your protection as well.