Van Gilder continues his family business tradition - Washington Business Journal:

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He earned a bachelor’s degrew in communications in 1990, and after short stintsw at and St. Paul Insurance Co., he began working at the familty businessin 1992. “First, I didn’t know whetherr insurance was the industry for VanGilder said. “[Second], I didn’t want to get the job becausesof nepotism.” The compant named him the top in the cateogry for new-business each year between 1998 and 2008. He also had the highest overallp sales portfolioin 2004. He was named to the board of directore in 2000 and became CEO in May2006 — but is still out there selling.
“At the core, VGIC is a salee organization, so it’s important for me to stay involver and set an example for my VanGilder said. “jI also love the chess match of working on deals and cultivating relationships.” Van Gilder has initiated severalp changes at the company. To increase sales, he transformed the business from a more genera insurance firm to one with eightrspecific specialities, including health insurance, energy, aviation and personal • He sold three VGIC branches in Missouri, Arizona and Utah between 2006 and 2008.
Van Gilder also combined the firm’s Englewood and Denvedr offices into onedowntowb space, at 15th and Wynkoop which opened in April. The company had been based in a downtown Denver office at 1700 Broadway for30 VGIC’s other offices are in Golden and Texas. The new LoDo location is significant, Van Gilder said. The two-level suite is one block from UnionStation — which is slated to become a transportation hub, and Van Gilder hopesw at least 30 percent of employeez use mass transit in five years. the company now is in the heart ofDenver commerce. “Business is shiftinh to LoDo,” he said.
The LoDo locationm also makes it easied to retain andrecruit employees, he said. Despite the recession, the company continues to hire. Anotherf attraction is that the office has a gym and awellnesw coordinator. “I’m trying to build a high-performing organization that’s fun to work with and that’s really special,” Van Gilder said. This inspired an office wall that lists five key words to guideevery employee: ethics, balance, passion and fun. The Colorado native also is involved in philanthropic andcivicf engagements. “It’s so easy to talk about monetary he said.
“But what is deeply satisfying are thosd experiences that positively give back tothe community.” He has served on the ’s advisorg board for four years. He’s leading fundraising effortss to move the school into UCD recently purchased a new building for the school at 14th andLawrence streets, and will open it to studentas during the 2010-2011 school year. His involvement with UCD is relatedf to his interest in promotingdowntowb Denver. “I like the university, and havinv the new office downtown will have a profound impacyt on the downtown community and he said. The father of two is in his second year of volunteering forthe .
He heads fundraising for the nonprofit’s golf Drive a Scout to Camp. Young professionalw making an impact ontheidr industries. Company: Van Gildef Insurance Corp. Location: 1515 Wynkoop St., Suite 200, Colo. 80202 Website: www.vgic.conm Education: Bachelor’s degree in communication, with a business emphasis, from the Universitgy of Coloradoat Boulder, 1990