Al has been involved with computers since working as a systems analyst for the world´s largest insurance company. As a member of the New Business Computer Systems Testing Unit, he oversaw the evolution to the IBM 360 System from the 1401. His experience as a tester gives him a comprehensive background in vulnerabilities and system inadequacies.

Dissatisfied with the public education system, Al returned to school to earn a B.S. in education. He was a founding member of the parentâs group that started St. Paul Open School.

As an educator, his projects ranged from teaching Basic to elementary school children to organizing and implementing environmental education classes for the teachers in public schools. He was a teacher at BSC Laboratory School, Director of the State of Minnesota Residential Youth Conservation Corps Program and Director of the Inter-District Alternative School Project.

Al returned to the insurance business when he joined Northwestern Mutual where he developed a specialty in business insurance. He moved to Sentry Insurance as a Life and Health Specialist. While at Sentry, he entered the property/casualty side of insurance as a sales representative.

He developed specialties in risk management and preventive liability planning. His professional education includes designations of CLU, FLMI and CPCU. While at Sentry, he decided that he could best serve his clients as an independent broker rather than an insurance company employee. He then moved to an agency that later became a part of Arthur J. Gallagher & Company.

Currently, Al is National Practice Leader of the GOLD Crew, an information risk management group of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.