Jul 1, 2008 – Assurance Investment Partners purchases Arison Insurance Services

Assurance Investment Partners Purchases Arison Insurance Services
from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
LOUISVILLE, Ky., July 1, 2008 — Arison Insurance Services, Inc., has been sold to Assurance
Investment Partners (AIP). Previously an affiliate of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in
Kentucky, Arison has six offices across Kentucky and sells medical, dental, life and disability
insurance to groups and individuals.
The company will continue to operate under the Arison name and, effective today, all of the
Arison employees will be employed by AIP. Paul Anderson, who served as vice president, will
replace Tom Schifano as managing director of the agency.
“The sale of Arison Insurance will ensure our internal sales team can build on the successes of
our core business and distribution models, while allowing Arison to benefit from a management
team focused on developing an aggressive growth strategy,” said Deb Moessner, president and
general manager of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. “Long-term, I believe this transaction
could lead to additional job creation and growth within Kentucky and surrounding states.”
AIP was established by a team of insurance and merger and acquisition executives focused on
building a national insurance brokerage agency that offers a broad spectrum of insurance,
benefits, products and services. Founding partners for the firm include John Koko, a Floridabased executive who has more than 20 years of experience in revenue and operational strategy;
Dan Needham, whose expertise is focused on business growth and business development;
Christina Rashid, who leads AIP’s financial strategy and client and development activities; and
Jude Thompson, a former Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield senior executive.
While Arison was an affiliate of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, it has a system of
relationships that spans across the state. According to Thompson, a key investor with AIP,
Arison’s proven reputation in the marketplace and its understanding of the industry made the
agency an attractive investment option. “Over the next several months, we will focus on
implementing a strategy that will allow AIP to expand its reach within the Kentucky and the
surrounding states,” said Thompson. “The expertise and resources Arison brings to AIP support
this goal and further strengthen our long-term plans.”
AIP was established by insurance and merger and acquisition executives to lead an aggregation
in the insurance broker dealer industry. The four founding partners — John Koko, Daniel
Needham, Christina Rashid and Joseph “Jude” Thompson — will combine their deep domain
expertise with access to institutional capital. AIP will focus on creating a nationally branded top
50 independent agency offering a broad spectrum of insurance and benefit products and services
with growth occurring organically and through transactions.
Mystic Capital Advisors Group, LLC provided transaction advisory services to AIP. For more
information on Mystic Capital, please contact Kevin W. Smith at 704-366-2153 or visit
www.mysticcapital.com.