Risk Management Professional with Multi-National ExperienceInternationally recognized as one of the Leading Authority's and Practitioner's of Agricultural, Heavy Construction, Manufacturing, Food & Beverage and Educational Risk Management.Nominated for Business Insurance magazine's "Risk Manager of the Year".Experienced in Agribusiness, Heavy Construction, Governmental Entities, School Boards, Colleges & Universities, Manufacturing Operations, Food & Beverage, Hospitality, Marine, Petro-Chemical Operations, etc.Teacher, Leader and Mentor for new and part-time Risk Managers.* Moderator of "RISK MANAGERS" on Linked in.* Moderator of "RETURN TO WORK ROUNDTABLE" on LinkedIn* Moderator of "RISKLIST", which is probably the oldest Risk Management discussion group on the internet.....starting back in the late 1980's.....Featured and quoted numerous times in Business Insurance, Risk & Insurance and National Underwriter publications.Specialties: I've been practicing Enterprise Risk Management before the term "ERM" was even coined....Recommendations for Mike Benishek Director, Risk Management & Insurance “I know Mike from my journalism work, which extends beyond Risk & Insurance Magazine to advocacy for workers who are especially vulnerable to work injury and difficulties with the workers comp system. Mike works with very many immigrant workers. I also know Mike from extensive listserv and similar discussions on the internet. Over these some ten years, I have learned to respect Mike's professional judgment and esteem his personal vision of reducing work injury risks for the benefit of workers. I would recommend him for leadership positions in Risk Management and HR.” Peter RousmaniereColumnist, Risk & Insurance Magazine “Mike Benishek is one of the most experienced and focused risk managers in the industry. I have had the pleasure of knowing him and working with him in this profession for over 25 years and find his skill level to be unsurpassed. He is strategic in his analyses and problem solving and always finds the best solution. I am proud to be a peer of his.” Scott Clark, Risk and Benefits Officer, Miami-Dade County Public Schools President, Risk & Insurance Management Society - 2011 “Mike Benishek is a “Poor Dumb Tomato Farmer” sort of like the late Senator Sam Ervin was “just a poor country lawyer.” Yeah, right! Mike is one of the most astute observers and practitioners on the risk management scene. I know this from encountering him on risk management discussion groups such as RiskList. As unpretentious as he is insightful, Mike also possesses a keen sense of humor and organizational skills which he leverages on behalf of the Florida RIMS organization. I would highly recommend Mike Benishek. Kevin Quinley, CPCU, ARM, AIC, Vice President, Advisory Board, Council on Litigation Management “I have known Mike for a number of years, and respect his professional knowledge and professionalism. As a hands-on risk manager, Mike has shared with his colleagues a rare combination of technical knowledge, practical approaches to risk management, and a good sense of humor.” Rick Betterley, President Betterley Risk Consultants, Inc. “Mike claims to be a Poor Dumb Tomato Farmer but is really a knowledgeable, effective and superb risk manager who understands insurance issues better than most who claim to be insurance experts. It has been a pleasure to know this man who I have never met in person but with whom I have developed a friendship over the internet.” Barry Zalma, Barry Zalma, Inc. “I have known and worked with Mike for over fifteen years. He is one of the most knowledgeable risk managers I know. His breadth of experience both on the marketing and operations side of risk management and insurance has been helpful to me over the years. His organizational and management skills are legendary. He is meticulous in detail and expects the same from others. I would highly recommend Mike as a sterling example of the best in our industry.” Chuck MagazineRisk ManagerCity of Boynton Beach “Mike is a no-nonsense type of individual. He doesn't sugar-coat the issues and has some very innovative ways of dealing with challenges.” Elizabeth GuimaraesDirector, Risk ManagementNova Southeastern University “Mike is a visionary in the realm of risk management and true professional in insurance and loss prevention. I have known him for many years and he has consistently provided unfailing advice and wise counsel on many issues I have dealt with in the broader field of enterprise risk management. His blend of knowledge and practical operational risk management expertise make him a "go-to" expert for me at all times.” James Brittle, CPCU, ARMDirector of MarketingCobbs, Allen & Hall “Mike is a leader who consistently delivers high quality outcomes. He is always well-prepared, accurate and his projects arrive on time and within budget.” Terry FlemingDirector of Risk ManagementMontgomery County President, Risk & Insurance Management Society - 2010 “Mike has served as the Registrar for the Florida RIMS Educational Conference for the past fourteen years where I have come to know and work with him. He is quite the professional and very organized in this and other activities. His sense of humor is contagious and he always looks at the bright side and in Risk Management that is a must to really succeed. Mike just enjoys life and is a pleasure to work with and you always know you'll have great success when he's involved!” Rick BroderickDirector Risk ManagementHarris Corporation “I have worked with Mike as a risk management client/insured and found Mike to be very sharp as respects insurance and risk management knowledge, and in the areas of risk assumption versus risk transfer. Mike was very detailed in his analysis of the program I had underwritten for Mike, and fully understood the loss sensitive program, and the savings associated with controlling losses versus the cost of the required LOC, and no point in my program/presentation did Mike not fully grasp the depth of the subject matter. I also found Mike to be very outgoing, and able to get along well with others, and also kept a very solid Workers Compensation loss control program in place, as well as plant safety.” Jason Tamblyn, CPCU, ARM Underwriting ManagerChartis National Accounts “I have known Mike Benishek over a long distance for many years. We have both contributed to various risk related group forums for more than 15 years, and I have also met Mike on one occasion. While I cannot comment on his work within his daily employment I am able to deduce from the responses he makes to questions on the current risk management forum, that he has very wide experience and certainly very wide knowledge of the professional subject.” I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending Mike Benishek for his risk related activity. Chris Holden, FCII FIRMVice President – Group InsuranceBarclays – London UK “Mike is a knowledgeable and very experienced risk manager. He has great organizational skills and understands the issues that confront a risk manager, particularly in the State of Florida. He is well respected by his colleagues. He is one of the Florida Risk & Insurance Management Society’s' strongest assets and someone any company would be lucky to have on their team.” Gerald CaffreyRegional Vice President, Excess Workers CompensationArch Insurance Co. BIOGRAPHYMike was the Director of Risk Management & Insurance for PTG Management Company, which is the management company for a privately held, 12,000 employee, international agribusiness conglomerate head quartered in Palmetto, Florida. Mike is responsible for the Risk Management, Insurance, Claims, Environmental and Legal exposures for the 28 international organizations that make up the conglomerate. Mike has been actively involved in Risk Management since 1974 and has experienced almost every facet of the Risk Management and Insurance professions through his extensive experience in working in the Manufacturing, Heavy Construction, Petro-Chemical, Insurance Brokerage, Insurance Carrier, and Agribusiness sectors. He was previously nominated for the Business Insurance "Risk Manager of the Year" award. Mike has been featured in numerous articles in Business Insurance, Risk & Insurance, National Underwriter, and Risk Management Magazine.You are probably most familiar with the advice and observations he offers on the Internet in the Risk and Insurance Management Society’s (RIMS) Risk Professionals Digest and International Digest discussion forums. Additionally, he is a co-moderator of the international “Risklist” Risk Management discussion forum on Yahoo, and is the moderator of “Risk Managers” on Linked-In. Mike is the former President of the Tampa Bay Chapter (two times) of the Risk and Insurance Management Society and is their Webmaster. For the past 17 years he has marketed the Florida RIMS Educational Conference which is currently in its 38th year. http://florida.rims.org He was Chairperson of the record setting 2008 Florida RIMS Educational Conference. With 681 attendees this made it the second largest Risk Management conference in North America. On a national level, Mike also served on the following National RIMS committees:* Risk Management Industry Liaison Committee* Nominating Committee* Governance Committee* External Affairs Team* Quality Insurance CongressMike is a co-creator of the RIMS “Arthur Quern Quality Award”, which he created along with Steve Wilder (Walt Disney Companies) and David Mair (U.S. Olympic Committee). Mike was the Moderator/Speaker at the San Francisco RIMS 50th Anniversary Conference for the best attended session, "Employment Practices Liability - Don't Let the Wave of the Future Get You All Wet....".Off the job, Mike is involved in the local Chamber of Commerce, having held two Chairman position’s for both the School Budget Review Committee and the Local School Issues Committee. Currently Mike is a volunteer in the Manatee County Teen Court Program; where his son Alexander is a Teen Court Attorney and his other son, Cameron is a Bailiff. Mike actively practices risk management on weekends by racing his "slightly modified" MX-5 roadster in regional autocross events, as well as instructing others in the “art and science” of autocross racing. Mike lives in Ellenton, Florida with his wife and two children.