J Hyatt Brown

J. Hyatt Brown chairs New York Stock Exchange-traded Brown & Brown, the sixth largest insurance brokerage in the U.S. His father, J. Adrian Brown, cofounded the company in Daytona Beach in 1939, and Hyatt became CEO in 1961.Under Hyatt, Brown & Brown grew from a local, family-owned business to a national firm with over 7,000 employees and 200 offices. Mr. Brown is a graduate of the University of Florida, 1959 B.S.B.A. Mr. Brown is currently serving on the board for International Speedway Corporation in Daytona, Verisk Analytics, Inc. in Jersey City. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1972 and subsequently re-elected. He also served as Speaker of the House from 1978 to 1980. Hyatt's son, J. Powell Brown, took over as CEO in 2007; the elder Brown remains chairman. J. Hyatt Brown owns 15% of Brown & Brown