Management

Leon Lewin, abacus.net president, is an insurance industry innovator and visionary. Beginning in South Africa in the 1970s, Leon built a successful insurance brokerage by creating the country’s first automated insurance office with a software program he designed--all while he was in his early 20s. His company grew rapidly and was soon acquired by the Alexander Howden Group of London in 1974.

Immigrating to the United States in the early 80s, Leon founded Abacus Insurance Brokers in Los Angeles in 1982. Abacus was a traditional insurance brokerage house and it drew praise for the quality of its products and customer service. Ever the forward-thinker, however, Leon saw the potential power and opportunities of the Internet and founded abacus.net in 1998, becoming one of the first companies to fully automate and manage programs online.

Abacus.net focuses exclusively on high volume transactional programs. Brokers have instant access to programs and can bundle coverages from different carriers in a single integrated quote. The proprietary software, designed in tandem with Leon's two sons, Darren and Kevin, enables brokers to quote, process payments, order coverages and issue policies in minutes, and all in real time. Abacus.net programs are available in all 50 states and are currently used by more than 2,000 insurance offices, representing over 5,000 insurance professionals.

The abacus.net business model, under the guidance and drive of its president, has consistently kept company overhead low with savings passed on to clients. The result is that abacus.net has become one of the most admired and respected online program managers in the industry. Leon's current vision is to substantially expand the high-volume programs available through abaus.net and significantly increase the size of the company's broker network.

Leon lives in Los Angeles with his wife, and near his two sons and five grandchildren.

Darren Lewin joined abacus.net in 1996 to help launch a revolutionary online insurance platform that would enable insurance brokers and agents to easily access, write and sell specialized insurance products.

By 1999, abacus.net was offering retail brokers real-time, online access to specialty insurance products. Today, brokers in all 50 states have access to programs from top-tiered carriers, and can process payments, order coverage and issue policies in minutes through a completely automated internet-based system. Because of Darren's efforts, together with his brother Kevin, abacus.net's proprietary software program was a finalist in A.M. Best's 2002 "E-Fusion" contest, which scouts for the best use of technology in the insurance industry.

Prior to joining abacus.net, Darren was a CPA in the New York and Los Angeles offices of Deloitte & Touche. He was primarily responsible for audits and analysis of management controls and procedures. Many of his clients were in the entertainment and insurance industries.

As vice-president of program development, Darren's responsibilities at abacus.net include expanding product lines and partnering with insurance carriers to underwrite specialty coverages. Darren’s experience on the financial side of the entertainment industry steered abacus.net towards an entertainment niche. Abacus.net now insures more productions than any other market source, and is a significant force in other entertainment areas such as events and floaters, as well as non-entertainment areas.

Darren frequently contributes articles and is quoted on industry issues in such insurance trade publications as Rough Notes, Insurance Journal, AM Best and American Agent & Broker.

Personal

Darren has a passion for the guitar. He resides in Los Angeles, where he is easily able to indulge his love for water activities with his wife and two young sons.

Education / Designations

• University of California, San Diego, B.A., Quantitative Economics (Honors Curriculum) -1992
• Certified Management Accountant - 1995
• Certified Public Accountant - 1996
• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter - 2001

Kevin Lewin, vice president of technology at Los Angeles-based abacus.net, was instrumental in the design, development and implementation of Abacus' groundbreaking proprietary and industry recognized insurance software platform, www.abacus.net.

The abacus.net program management engine, introduced in 1999 and continually refined and advanced since then under Kevin’s leadership, distributes specialty insurance programs online to a nationwide network of retail insurance brokers. By using abacus.net, insurance brokers and agents easily access insurance programs in real time, and sell customized insurance products to their clients. Because of Kevin's leadership and proficiency in software innovations and deep understanding of the insurance transaction, what once took days to transact, now takes minutes.

The abacus.net platform was a finalist in A.M. Best's 2002 "E-Fusion" contest, which highlights cutting-edge developments in technology for the insurance industry. Kevin manages the company's IT division, which adds new, fully automated, online insurance programs to abacus.net each year.

Personal

Kevin plays drums and surfs. He resides in Los Angeles with his wife and three children.

Education / Designations

• University of California, San Diego, B.A., Quantitative Economics (Honors Curriculum) -1993
• Certified Public Accountant - 1997
• Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter - 2001