Get to Know Your Insurance Recruiting Team

Whether you’re looking for help in property and casualty, managed care, employee benefits, or financial services, these are the incredible recruiting experts who are ready to jump into action for your company. Martin Grant Associates, Inc. is one of the oldest and most experienced insurance placement firms in the country. Our 56 years in the business has resulted in a reputation for forming strong client relationships and placing quality candidates on a national scale. We look forward to connecting with you.

Barry Davis
Founding Recruiter, Emeritus
CPC

Barry has been a recruiter in the insurance industry since 1985 and really, you can’t beat that kind of specialized knowledge. He continues to lend his expertise and mentorship skills to the Martin Grant team as an emeritus recruiter.

Connect with Barry
Barry@martingrantassociates.com
617-357-5380
LinkedIn

Diana Gazzolo
Principal & Lead Recruiter
CPC, CIPC

Diana is a seasoned headhunter who specializes in all levels of underwriting, claims, and brokerage recruiting. You won’t find a more qualified—or merry—recruiter out there. She can find a needle in a haystack given the right tools and access, making her an invaluable asset in today’s competitive hiring market. After more than thirty years of headhunting, Diana excels at thinking outside the box to ensure her clients get the outcome they’re looking for. In fact, she often feels like an investor in her clients’ business, devoted to finding a solution. Many of the candidates she has placed in the course of her career are now the executives of brokers and carriers.

After years of working side by side with them, she can’t help but think that insurance workers are the salt of the earth. Be it claims, underwriting, loss control, or sales, they a have one thing in common: they genuinely want to help their customer, it is in their DNA.

Outside of her work at Martin Grant, Diana is also a founding member of the Pinnacle Society, an elite group of leading recruiters who have the heart and love for the industries they are in. She also spends her free time riding a motorcycle with a group of 90 women, all over the age of 50. The group is committed to fundraising for small charities with a mission to help women and children that often lack national support.

Connect with Diana
Diana@martingrantassociates.com
617-357-5380
LinkedIn

Juliet Kelsey-Holmes
Principal & Lead Recruiter
CPC

As Martin Grant’s head of the Employee Benefits and Financial Services divisions, Juliet is accomplished in recruiting for all levels of niche insurance specialties. She rises to meet the challenge of her clients’ difficult to fill job openings with zeal and encourages passive candidates to enter the hiring market and take interviews with her client companies. Juliet holds a reputation of placing the right candidate with the right role, which has earned her the trust of both candidates and employers in the employee benefits, property & casualty, and financial sectors.

Not only has Juliet succeeded in building her division from the ground up in the last 24 years, expanding to a national practice just ten years ago, she has also nurtured the talents of other recruiters on the team. Her own achievements are heightened by her delight in mentoring and witnessing the success of three other talented women. She is grateful to Martin Grant for teaching her successful recruiting and giving her the rare opportunity to build strong relationships in the insurance and financial services industry.

When she isn’t connecting with clients or insurance professionals, Juliet is enjoying outdoor adventures in Maine—everything from skiing to hiking, biking, running, boating, and beyond! She loves traveling and exploring new places with her family and this year’s adventures will take them to SoCal, VA/DC, St. John, Mohegan Island, and Yellowstone National Park. Next year, who knows!

Connect with Juliet
Juliet@martingrantassociates.com
617-470-8381
LinkedIn

Sarah Murphy
Recruiter
CPC

Sarah has focused her recruiting skills on the life & health insurance, employee benefits, and financial services sectors so that each of her clients is getting only the most specialized and knowledgeable help in their hiring process. She is an expert match maker, piecing together job placements that satisfy and energize both the candidates and her client companies. Over the past seven years, Sarah has supported the growth of Martin Grant’s national employee benefits and financial services division.

She revels in her ability to be an open resource for her clients and in finding solutions for even the most challenging job openings they bring to her. This appreciation for a good challenge and the creativity it requires comes from being a part of an inspiring team that has challenged Sarah and spurred her growth as a recruiter.

With a love of the beautiful Maine coastline, Sarah takes every opportunity to get outdoors. She delights in spending time on the water or hiking in the woods and mountains of Maine with her family.

Connect with Sarah
Sarah@martingrantassociates.com
617-682-8575
LinkedIn

Joshann Palagi
Recruiter

Joshann works exclusively in property & casualty insurance recruiting, alongside her colleague, Diana Gazzolo. She is driven to find top talent and leverage their experience to shape new and exciting opportunities on an individually tailored level. Both her professional training as a Clinical Social Worker and her experience working abroad across cultures and organizations defines her unique skillset and approach to developing healthy relationships with both clients and candidates. This recipe greatly enhances her ability to team up with Martin Grant’s clients and find them the best candidates for long lasting and mutually beneficial partnerships.

As the most recent addition to the MGA Team, Joshann continues to master her role, taking to heart Martin Grant’s rejection of the “one size fits all” recruiting approach. Already, she takes great pride in working with like-minded individuals who are truly passionate about the recruiting services we provide and why. She enjoys getting to know candidates beyond their resume and ensuring that both the short and long terms goals of both parties are met.

Joshann’s greatest pride and joy is her family: her husband and three children. Together they enjoy a very active lifestyle. Living and experiencing life through her children’s eyes recharges Joshann’s batteries and always keeps her focused on what truly matters in life.

Connect with Joshann
Joshann@martingrantassociates.com
617-357-5380
LinkedIn

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