NASHVILLE, Tenn., July 2, 2025 — Commercial Insurance Associates (CIA), one of the nation’s largest property and casualty insurance brokers, has expanded its Employee Benefits practice area with the launch of a West Coast office led by industry veteran Bryce Eddy.
“We are Main Street; the rest of our competitors are Wall Street. With so many firms swallowed up by private equity, or becoming publicly traded firms, there’s not a lot of emphasis on client service. They’re not allowing real decisions to be made in the client’s favor,” says Eddy. “We’re client-first, risk managers first, and we’re not trying to drive our margins at the expense of our clients.”
Eddy and his six-person team, which includes seasoned employee benefits professionals Mary Valdivieso and Ryan Turnbull will be based in Los Angeles. They join CIA from Assured Partners, and will be working closely with the Nashville-based Employee Benefits group led by David Johnson, as well as focusing on talent recruitment to build out the company’s West Coast presence.
“Expanding our footprint on the West Coast is a great opportunity for us,” says Will Denbo, President of CIA. “Bryce and his team have what it takes to build out the Employee Benefits practice area we established last year, and work in collaboration with the Nashville-based Employee Benefits team. By offering both P&C and employee benefits, we can serve our clients as comprehensive risk advisors, addressing both their business risks and human capital needs.”
Eddy has spent more than 25 years in the risk management, security and insurance industries. With a focus on engaging employees and an emphasis on alternative risk, his team has been able to consistently bend the curve on rising costs. He has served on a number of insurance carrier advisory boards. In addition, Eddy is a martial arts expert and holds a fourth degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He also serves on the board of the Center for Security Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank addressing existential threats to the USA.
About Commercial Insurance Associates
Founded in 2002, Commercial Insurance Associates, LLC is an Insurance Journal Top 100 property and casualty insurance brokers in the US. With over $400 million in premium volume written, CIA’s 150 employees are committed to providing superior solutions to clients’ risk management needs. Licensed in all 50 states and currently representing select international clients, CIA’s client portfolio ranges from publicly held companies to local start-up ventures.
The company has offices in Nashville, TN, Greenville, SC, and Los Angeles, CA. https://www.com-ins.com/
