Heffernan Insurance Brokers, headquartered in California, recently elevated insurance and risk management veteran Brenda Grootendorst to the position of branch manager at its Portland, Oregon office, citing her engaged, proactive approach and creative client solutions.

With a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of Oregon and advanced post-graduate studies in casualty underwriting and counseling facets of the insurance sector, Grootendorst has been with Heffernan for the past four years. Previously, she was a principal shareholder at Fullerton & Co.

"I am excited to have Brenda lead our Heffernan team in the Portland community,” Executive Vice President Elizabeth Bishop said. “She is a seasoned insurance executive whose expertise will help assist our clients and team drive cost-effective, risk management practices."

As an employee-owned company, Heffernan Insurance Brokers was previously named the top-ranking mid-sized broker to work for nationwide by Business Insurance Magazine. Established in 1988, it operates as one of the country’s largest independent insurage brokerages.

Additionally, it cultivates a culture of giving back, with active philanthropic pursuits: in 2016, Heffernan donated more than 11 percent of its profits to charity.

Heffernan operates regional offices in San Francisco, Petaluma, Menlo Park, Los Angeles and Irvine, all in California; Phoenix and St. Louis in addition to Portland.