Driving Success: How Linda Picha Supports Brokers at Distinguished
Distinguished is committed to ensuring the success of our brokers. In our Real Estate & Hospitality Umbrella insurance division, a team of seasoned experts stands ready to assist you. Hear what Linda Picha, one of our Umbrella Regional Sales Executives, has to say about how she helps Distinguished brokers build their book of business in the video below.
If you haven’t already watched Linda’s introduction video, make sure to check it out here!
Hello, I’m Linda Picha from Distinguished Programs, part of the Umbrella unit and your Regional Sales Executive.
Can you tell us about Distinguished’s Real Estate & Hospitality programs?
Distinguished, our real estate umbrella program, we offer the lead umbrella all the way up to $130 million in limits. Our definition of real estate is very broad. Covers apartments, condos, mixed-use, office, warehouse, enclosed malls, strip malls. And we pretty much run the gamut, including a mix of any of those types of real estate. Our hotel resort and casino umbrella, we offer the lead all the way up to $150 million. Hotels, resorts, and casinos, we see a lot of amenities. Limited service to hotel rooms with spas. They have golf courses, marine operations. So we do see the gamut.
How does Distinguished tailor it’s services to meet the unique needs of each broker and client?
Our coverage is very robust. We offer coverage like assault and battery on our hotel resort and casino umbrella. There’s no exclusion for legionella. There’s sexual abuse and molestation, some coverage for that and others.
What sets Distinguished apart from other companies offering similar product solutions?
We have been doing this a long time. We have stability and we offer high limits. Instead of building your own towers, we have direct access to underwriters. So you get a chance. It’s not just an email submit. You get a chance to engage with our underwriters and executive sales reps like myself. We streamline the process and we engage early. So with that, and we’re able to do one location or multiple in large portfolios.
Give an example of how you solved a significant problem for a broker.
We solve problems every single day. One in particular that comes to mind, a recent success. It was an emergent acquisition. They were acquiring a 41-story high-rise in downtown Chicago. They needed it quickly. We cleared it through as a rush. Notice on the claim examples that there was a structural claim. It was testing done by a structural engineering firm, originally denial. And then we dug in a little bit further, partnered with our agent, and they engaged with the insured, the seller, to find out a little bit more about the claim. And turns out 100% of it was subrogated. It was just during the testing process. We were able to offer a quote in seven days, close the deal, and offered $50 million in limits.
About Distinguished Programs
Distinguished Programs is a leading national insurance Program Manager providing specialized insurance programs to brokers and agents with specific expertise in Fine Art and Collectibles, Environmental and Construction Professional, Executive Lines, Inland Marine, Real Estate & Builder’s Risk, Community Associations, Surety, Hotels, and Restaurants. Property and Liability products are distributed through a national network of agents and brokers. Serving the same core markets and partnering with the most stable and reputable carriers, Distinguished’s high-limit Umbrella programs remain the clear choice in its area of specialty for superior coverage, competitive pricing, and attentive service. Through thoughtful innovation, stemming back to 1995, Distinguished Programs fosters growth and opportunities for its brokers, carriers, and employees.
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