Leadership
Founder & Principal
James I. Krantz, CPCU
Founder & Principal
Jim is Founder & Principal of York International.
Jim is an accomplished insurance professional and passionate advocate for a wide range of clients offering broad risk management guidance and insurance advice. Jim enjoys business development and is an enthusiastic mentor to many of the firm’s sales professionals.
Jim started his career with Paul Krantz & Co. and, in 1985 in collaboration with his father, formed York International. Jim participates in many charitable endeavors including being a Board Member of the Sid Jacobson JCC. Jim holds the designation of Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and graduated from Syracuse University with a BA in Economics.
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Robert J. Kestenbaum
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Robert is Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of York International.
He leads the company with a commitment to create an environment that fosters great performance and positive morale. Robert is a leader in the region’s business community and is extremely proud of the recognition he helped champion when York International received the distinguished Business Council of Westchester’s Hall of Fame award.
Prior to joining the Company in 1997, Robert was Managing Director at Alexander & Alexander serving in various leadership positions including running their Connecticut, New Jersey and Long Island, NY offices.
Robert currently serves on the Board of the Business Council of Westchester and the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, NY. Robert graduated from American University with a BS in Finance.
President & Chief Strategy Officer
Michael A. Bodack
President & Chief Strategy Officer
Michael is President & Chief Strategy Officer of York International.
Michael joined York International when the company he founded, Sequoia Financial Partners, merged with York in 2009. Michael is also actively involved in the recruitment and development of the future revenue drivers and leaders of the company.
Michael’s passion is around creating strategic plans to help clients reduce cost and achieve better outcomes. With long established local insurance industry connections, Michael is well positioned to help clients construct the most efficient insurance programs.
Michael is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Papermill Playhouse and also is a member of and has held various leadership roles in the Young President Organization (YPO), and currently serves on the Northeast Regional Executive Committee. Michael was also named one of The Business Council of Westchester’s “Rising Stars 40 Under 40” in 2010. He has earned his CLU, CHFC, REBC and RHU designations from The American College. Michael graduated with a BA in Political Science from Tufts University. He currently lives in Millburn, NJ with his wife and 2 sons.
Managing Director
Head of Property & Casualty
Stephen P. DeMatteo, ARM
Managing Director
Head of Property & Casualty
Steve is a Managing Director and a member of the company’s Management Committee. Steve joined York International in 2005.
Steve leads the P&C practice, a group of professionals delivering advice and advocacy in the areas of property, casualty and management/professional liability to a broad range of commercial and personal lines clients. Specialties include risk identification, assessment and mitigation, coverage design, market placement and complex claims resolution.
Steve is a key member of the Company’s worldwide partnership with Assurex Global, sits on the advisory boards of a number of insurance companies and is a frequent speaker on topics of insurance coverage, emerging risks, risk management trends and alternative risk finance.
Steve was previously with global broker, Marsh. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors of the Big I of Westchester County. Steve earned the ARM industry designation and graduated with a BS in Finance from Fairfield University.
Director of Finance & Human Resources
Brian Goldenberg, CPA & SPHR
Director of Finance & Human Resources
Brian Goldenberg is the Director of Finance & Human Resources and a member of the Company’s Management Committee. Brian joined York International in 2006.
Brian manages all aspects of the organization that are not insurance related, including finance, accounting, and human resources.
Brian is an active member of the NY/NJ ESOP Association, the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). He has earned his Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Senior Professional Human Resources (SPHR) designations. Brian received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Tulane University.
Chief Administrative Officer
Myles Block
Chief Administrative Officer
Myles Block is the Chief Administrative Officer and a member of the Company’s Management Committee. Myles joined York International in 2018.
Myles manages the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), I.T. functions, and general office administration.
Myles has been in the insurance industry for over 20 years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Sales
Senior Vice President
Andrew Krantz, ARM
Senior Vice President
Andrew is a Senior Vice President and a member of the York International sales team, having joined the Company in 2010.
Andrew seeks to provide practical, business-oriented risk management advice that helps his clients and their businesses prosper. He specializes in real estate owners and developers, venture capitalists, lawyers, financial institutions and the manufacturing/distribution industries. Andrew serves a mentor for developing producers.
Andrew began his career as an intern at CRC Insurance Services while in college. Upon graduation, Andrew worked at AON Risk Services on the global property brokerage desk in Chicago.
Andrew has distinguished himself in the field being award 2018 Power Broker in Real Estate, from Risk & Insurance Magazine and 2012 Wunderkind (30 under 30) from Westchester Magazine. Andrew graduated with a BS in Organizational Behavior and Economics from Northwestern University.
Senior Vice President
Kevin Marbury, CPCU
Senior Vice President
Kevin is a Vice President and a member of the York International sales team having joined the Company in 2013.
Working with the sales team, Kevin’s success is attributable to the straightforward advice he provides clients through our risk assessment and gap analysis process, marketing and structuring of insurance and building effective risk management programs.
Kevin has a wide range of personal & commercial expertise, including working with clients in the real estate (commercial, residential, condos/co-ops, mixed portfolio) and related contracting fields, manufacturing, hospitality, staffing and technology industries.
Kevin’s has been recognized by the Business Council of Westchester being named as a winner of their “40 under 40”. Kevin has earned the CPCU and ARM industry designations. He is a graduate of Le Moyne College with a BA in Business Management.
Senior Vice President
Edward Reyman
Senior Vice President
Ed is a Senior Vice President and a member of the York International sales team, having joined the Company 2013.
Building close relationships with his clients, Ed studies and presents his clients with proven solutions based on the identification, assessment, and mitigation of their risks in a practical and cost effective manner.
Ed’s clients include high net worth individuals, real estate owners and managers, investment firms, importers/distributors, restaurants, professional service firms and nonprofits. Ed believes service is paramount to a long lasting relationship.
Ed earned the CAPI (Certified Advisor of Personal Insurance) designation from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Ed graduated with his BA in business and marketing from Towson University.
Senior Sales Consultant
Gil Fishman
Senior Sales Consultant
Gil is a senior member of the York International sales team, having joined the Company in 2002.
His specialization is in P&C and employee benefits for a wide range of commercial and non-profit clients. He is a diligent and passionate individual who seeks to look beyond insurance to deliver solutions to minimize risk and positively impact the bottom line of organizations.
Trained as an accountant, early in his career he was COO for an $80 Million wholesale/retail footwear business before transitioning to the insurance industry.
Gil works closely with area chapters of the CEO leadership development organization, Vistage. He is a past recipient of their Honorary Vistage Achievement award. Gil is very active on local non-profit boards. Gil has the CBWA industry designation and is a graduate from the City College of New York-Baruch School.
Commercial
Executive Vice President
Angie Castella
Executive Vice President
Angie is an Executive Vice President, a P&C client executive at York International and a leader of the residential real estate team.
Angie has deep insurance structure, placement and claims advocacy expertise advising clients in the residential real estate industry. She specializes in condos, co-ops, multi-family rentals, shopping centers and office buildings.
Angie is passionate about helping her clients solve their problems and meet their insurance needs. With a thorough review of insurance and risk management, she focuses on providing the broadest and most cost effective insurance programs. Her strong standing relationships with top insurance companies help her always get the job done. In her daily work with clients, Angie loves to educate and make her clients smart risk managers and insurance consumers.
Angie’s foundation and technical expertise was formed first as an underwriter before transitioning to the brokerage side of the P&C industry, joining York International in 2000.
Executive Vice President
Carey O'Connor, CPCU
Executive Vice President
Carey is an Executive Vice President, a P&C Client Executive and a senior member of the sales and placement team at York International.
Carey’s career has been focused on structuring large P&C insurance programs for the real estate and hotel industries and today Carey leads the placement and servicing team for York’s most complex clients.
Carey joined the Company in 2001 and was previously with global brokers, Frank B. Hall/Aon and Willis where he was part of the risk management practice team serving national accounts.
Carey has earned the CPCU and ARM industry designations. He earned his MBA from Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business and his undergraduate degree form Tulane University.
Vice President
Stephen Bedosky, CPCU & RPLU
Vice President
Steve is a Vice President and leads the Professional and Management Liability Practice at York International, having joined the Company in 2006.
Under Steve’s guidance, York has developed specialties addressing risk issues for law firms, staffing agencies, accounting firms, professional service and investment management funds. Steve’s client roster ranges from entrepreneurial start-up to large private, public and non-profit organizations. Steve coordinates the coverage assessment, structure and placement of insurance and is deeply involved in his client’s claims.
Steve firmly believes that every client is unique, and deserves a policy customized to their services and concerns. Regardless of whether a client needs coverage tailored to fit a new client contract, is exploring expanding into a new territory, or is assessing their personal risk tolerance, Steve stands ready to assist companies in protecting their balance sheet.
Steve graduated with a BA in history and religious studies from Denison University. Since joining York, Steve has earned his CPCU and RPLU designations, which are seen as the highest designations an insurance professional can achieve in commercial and professional insurance.
Senior Vice President
Sophie Bird, CPCU
Senior Vice President
Sophie is a Senior Vice President, a P&C client executive and a senior member of the residential real estate team at York International.
Sophie specializes in commercial real estate insurance. She partners with property managers, real estate owners and developers to help identify their exposures, and educate them on how to utilize insurance and other means of risk transfer to reduce costs and protect their business.
Sophie has been with York for her entire career, starting as a college intern before joining the company full time in 2008. Sophie has earned the CPCU industry designation and graduated with a BA in economics and psychology from Bucknell University.
Senior Vice President
Director, Claims & Risk Services
Neil Valsangkar
Senior Vice President
Director, Claims & Risk Services
Neil joined York International in 2019. He is currently a Senior Vice President and serves as York’s Director of Claims & Risk Services.
In this role, Neil manages a team of claim professionals handling matters arising under all coverage lines including but not limited to general liability, property, directors & officers, errors & omissions, cyber, crime, and employment practices liability. Neil provides advice to clients on policy wording, defense and settlement strategies, and coverage issues. He also provides recommendations to c-suite level clients in connection with risk mitigation practices including contractual risk transfer. Neil also manages York’s outsourced OSHA, worker’s compensation, and safety specialists.
Prior to York, he was a Partner at an insurance coverage law firm in NYC. His practice involved insurance coverage litigation and alternative dispute resolution, claims monitoring, counseling and risk analysis, insurance related transactions, and direct insurance defense.
Senior Vice President
Melissa Morle
Senior Vice President
Melissa is a Senior Vice President and Commercial Lines Team Leader at York International. Melissa’s expertise is in hospitality and real estate division.
Melissa’s group focuses on Property and Casualty and Executive Liability. Her team handles a diverse array of accounts which includes law firms, manufacturers, distributors, hotels, restaurants, staffing agencies, commercial and residential buildings.
Prior to joining York in 2011 Melissa worked in the banking industry.
Melissa graduated with a dual BS degree in finance and accounting from St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Vice President
Sam Kestenbaum, CPCU
Vice President
Sam Kestenbaum heads up the Commercial Lines New Business and Marketing department for York International.
Sam joined York in 2013 after spending the previous 3 years as an underwriter at Greater NY Mutual Insurance Company where he worked his way to Senior Underwriter for the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania territories. A fourth-generation insurance professional, Sam’s passion for the business and helping his clients is evident to all who know him.
Sam graduated Cum Laude from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Communication. He also achieved his Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation in 2014.
Group Benefits
Benefits Practice Leader
Senior Vice President
Wendy Brighton, MBA, SHRM-SCP
Benefits Practice Leader
Senior Vice President
Wendy is the Senior Vice President, Benefits Practice Leader for York International’s Employee Benefits division. She has more than 25 years’ experience in all facets of the insurance, employee benefits, human resources, and healthcare industry.
With an exceptional client services career, Wendy brings decades of face-to-face benefits expertise to mid and large size organizations. Highly knowledgeable in all facets of the benefits business, she can clearly and succinctly explain employee health benefits and cost effective benefits plans solutions. Her knowledge of cost containment strategies, funding analysis and compliance are invaluable as is her expertise in funding arrangements and creative plan strategies.
Wendy is a collaborative leader whose primary focus is providing her team with the knowledge and skills to ensure extraordinary service to York’s clients. She believes in developing and coaching employees, building positive relationships, “leading by example,” modeling values and ethics and providing functional expertise. Her extensive industry experience and knowledge places her in a unique position to provide her team (as well as York’s clients) with exceptional services that fulfills all their benefits needs.
Wendy is a graduate of Stonehill College, Easton, MA with a BA in Health Administration and from Suffolk University Sawyer School of Management in Boston with an MBA in Information Systems. She also recently earned the Society for Resource Management Senior Certified Professional designation.
Senior Benefit Consultant
Vice President
Dan Zambardino
Senior Benefit Consultant
Vice President
Dan is a Vice President and Senior Benefits Consultant at York International.
Dan manages a comprehensive book in the mid to large size market taking a strategic-thinking approach in an effort to achieve his clients' goals. Dan possesses a broad range of subject matter expertise in the areas of medical, dental and ancillary benefit administration across all funding arrangements.
Dan is recognized for his ability to implement change while making the complicated understandable so that his clients can concentrate on the growth and success of their business while relying on him to get the job done.
Dan joined York International in 2019. He attended Ithaca College & Cornell University and has a bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University .
Assistant Vice President / Benefits Consultant
Ira Cohen
Assistant Vice President / Benefits Consultant
As a Benefit Consultant with York International, Ira is driven by a passion and desire to deliver the most competitive, innovative and cost-efficient benefit programs for his valued clients. He begins by learning the client’s business objectives, cultural, talent management and benefit plan goals—then, applies analysis to the benefits program to assess its effectiveness in meeting each goal. Ira possesses a strong command of industry solutions and knowledge. Utilizing a strategic approach, Ira pairs his expertise with an uncommon attention to detail and analysis that work in concert to deliver results that surpass clients’ expectations. Ira has a knack of explain the difficult and making it easy to understand and prides himself on being able to meticulously work through complex issues to the satisfaction of the client.
Ira has worked in the insurance industry for over 30 years and has extensive experience working with different employers. It is very clear to his clients that Ira has a passion for delivering “white glove” service and there is never an issue too big or too small that he is not ready to take on.
Ira is a graduate of Baruch College where he received a degree in Marketing Management and holds a Life/Accident & Health license in the state of New York.
Assistant Vice President / Benefits Consultant
Desiree O'Neil
Assistant Vice President / Benefits Consultant
As a Benefits Consultant at York International, Desiree works collaboratively with her clients to oversee, analyze and design competitive employee benefits programs. She has an expanded knowledge base with a heightened focus on benefit design and financial detail. Desiree begins by learning the client’s business objectives, cultural, talent management and benefit plan goals; then applies analysis to the benefits program to assess its effectiveness in meeting each goal. Desiree possesses a strong command of industry solutions and knowledge.
Desiree is a Benefits Consultant with 20+ years of experience. She is well versed in fully insured, self-insured and level-funded plans. With all clients, her objective is to provide solutions and consistent client satisfaction throughout every aspect of her consultant role. She works effortlessly to establish a solid consultant/client relationship and believes this insight helps her have a better understanding of client culture. These relationships help her deliver a higher quality client service experience.
Desiree is a graduate of Stony Brook University where she received a degree in English. She holds a Life & Health Producer license in the state of New York.
Benefits Consultant
Andrew Darrow
Benefits Consultant
As a Benefits Consultant at York International, Andrew works with clients to develop and maintain the most competitive and cost-efficient benefits package possible. Andrew works closely with his clients to obtain their objectives and goals. Andrew feverishly negotiates renewals for clients, and is also in charge of benchmarking, contribution modeling, plan alternatives, alternative funding arrangements, employee communications, and compliance updates.
Andrew has 15+ years of insurance industry experience. He has worked at top-tier insurance carriers along with several nationally recognized brokers. He has experience managing clients in multiple states while adhering to local laws and regulations. Andrew has a deep knowledge of cost-containment for both fully insured and self-funded arrangements.
Andrew is a graduate of the University at Albany, where he received a degree in Business Administration. He holds a Life & Health broker license in multiple states.
Personal
Personal Lines Practice Leader
Senior Vice President
Carl Schmid
Personal Lines Practice Leader
Senior Vice President
Carl is a Senior Vice President and is the Personal Lines Practice Leader, joining York International in 2015.
Carl's career has been exclusively focused on serving the personal risk and insurance needs of high net worth clients. Carl and his team cater to successful people, who require guidance, expertise, and timely attention. Carl’s team has the capability to insure complicated risks beyond the borders of the U.S. and the capacity to assist a family starting on their first home.
Prior to York, Carl was in a similar leadership role at the Mogil Organization in New York City. Carl graduated with a dual BS degree in finance and marketing from Boston College.
Life & Annuities
Senior Consultant
Blake Buden
Senior Consultant
Blake is a life, disability and long term care Client Executive at York International.
Blake works with clients to provide long term financial planning. Along with the traditional individual coverages, Blake specializes in supplemental retirement income planning along with Medicare supplement plans. York’s large volume placed and Blake’s connections to more than a dozen life/disability/long term care insurers allows for him to design and structure cost effective programs to meet your individual needs.
Blake was previously with The Hartford, and joined York International in 2011. Blake graduated with his BS in Business Administration from Eastern Connecticut State University.