Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) is a nonprofit trade association based in Washington. Its members are commercial insurance and employee benefits brokerages, and many rank among the largest in the industry. Brokerage executives typically call the group simply The Council.

Website: ciab.com

Head office address: 701 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20004

Founded: 1913, Cincinnati, Ohio

Company type: nonprofit trade association

Regions served: United States, with member firms based internationally

History of The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers

The group’s roots go back to 1913, when insurance agents formed the National Association of Casualty & Surety Agents and gathered in Cincinnati to talk through emerging state rules. Members met the following year at The Greenbrier in West Virginia for their first annual gathering. That meeting grew into what is now the Insurance Leadership Forum.

• 1913: the National Association of Casualty & Surety Agents forms in Cincinnati and lays the groundwork for the modern trade group
• 1933: the National Association of Insurance Brokers (NAIB) forms to represent large commercial brokerages
• 1993: the association renames itself The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers
• 1998: NAIB merges into The Council after years of brokerage mergers reduce the need for two separate groups
• 2004: The Council launches Leader’s Edge, its magazine and content platform

The 1998 merger streamlined broker representation, giving The Council a single presence on commercial broker issues in Washington.

What does CIAB do for its members?

CIAB organizes its work around four main areas: government affairs, professional development, market intelligence, and the Council Foundation’s talent programs. On the advocacy side, The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers backs its work with CouncilPAC, its political action committee, which supports relationships with lawmakers.

• advocacy on Capitol Hill and with federal regulators on licensing, commissions, and healthcare rules
• leadership forums and working groups organized by role, covering positions from chief financial officers to legal counsel
• professional development programs, including the Professional Employee Benefits Consultant designation built with The Institutes
• It’s All About Risk, an onboarding program for brokers who are new to the industry

These programs give member firms a shared way to train new brokers and track policy changes. Executives use them to stay current without building the same resources in-house.

Market intelligence and industry resources

The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers has run a quarterly commercial P&C market survey since 1999. The survey tracks premium and rate trends across account sizes and lines of business.

• the quarterly P&C Market Survey, which tracks premium trends by account size and coverage line
• Leader’s Edge, the group’s magazine and podcast platform, covering legislative, legal, and technology topics in the brokerage business
• past research projects with outside partners, such as a 2023 one-time survey with McKinsey on prescription drug benefits

Member firms use this data to benchmark their own growth against the broader commercial brokerage market.

The Council Foundation

The Council Foundation is the Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers’ philanthropic arm, and it operates as its own registered nonprofit. It relies on tax-deductible contributions from individual donors, corporations, and other foundations, separate from the dues that fund the parent association.

• an internship program that places students at member firms across the country
• yearly scholarships that member firms can nominate their top interns for
• an apprenticeship program for early-career brokers entering the industry

These programs give member firms a steady pipeline of new brokerage talent. Check the news section below for CIAB’s latest member and program updates.