Heffernan Portland Branch Hires Ed Lief, Vice President, Employee Benefits and Commercial Insurance

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Heffernan Insurance Brokers, one of the largest full-service, independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States, has hired Ed Lief to join its Portland, Oregon office as Vice President, Employee Benefits and Commercial Insurance.

Lief brings over 14 years of insurance and financial services experience to Heffernan. His past responsibilities incorporated marketing and delivering benefits communications and enrollment solutions, including cost-containment strategies, unique employee benefit packages, and Employee Benefit management tools and resources. At Heffernan, Lief will focus on new business development on the West Coast with specific focus in the Portland and greater Pacific Northwest region, emphasizing strategic group benefit plan design.

Lief, a graduate of the University of Kansas, is a member of NAHU, PAHU and NAIFA, and a Presidents Club Qualifier (Top 1% of agents, nationwide).

Rick Allen, Sr. Vice President and Regional Manager, remarked, "We are excited to have Ed leading our benefits team. He understands the stresses employers are under to provide their employees with a competitive benefits plan in a challenging economy. Ed is enthusiastic about the HR tools Heffernan has available to help employers manage their group benefits programs."

About Heffernan Insurance Brokers

Heffernan Insurance Brokers, formed in 1988, is one of the largest independent insurance brokerage firms in the United States. Heffernan provides insurance and financial services products to a range of businesses and individuals. Headquartered in Walnut Creek, Calif., Heffernan has offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Palo Alto, Los Angeles and Orange, Calif.; Portland, OR; St. Louis, MO and New York, NY.

Heffernan offers a full line of property, liability, group medical insurance, personal insurance and financial services. The company provides insurance products and services to individuals, as well as to a diverse group of companies within a variety of industries including construction, manufacturing, property owners, nonprofits, and technology.

Heffernan Insurance Brokers was named the Top Mid-Sized Broker in the United States to Work for in 2009 by Business Insurance Magazine. The firm has been among the Top Greater Bay Area Philanthropists since 2003 by donating more than $2.5 million to local charities.

For more information, please visit www.heffins.com or call 800.234.6787. License # 0564249.

SOURCE Heffernan Insurance Brokers