The Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (Big "I") has promoted three longtime staff to senior roles as two of its most experienced executives prepare to leave.
Kevin Brandt will become chief operating officer and Janine Silvola chief financial officer on November 1. The two jobs are currently held by one person: Steve Cocke, who has served as both COO and CFO. Cocke will leave on October 30 after nearly 23 years to take another position within the industry.
Aimee Branham will become president of Big I Advantage, the association's for-profit subsidiary, at the end of the year. She will succeed Mark Wolf, who is retiring at the end of 2026 after 20 years with the association.
"These promotions reflect the depth of experience and leadership we have built within the Big 'I,'" said Charles Symington, the association's president and CEO. He said all three understood the association's members, operations and strategic priorities, and would bring both continuity and a fresh perspective.
Brandt has spent 23 years at the Big "I" in roles including IT and data management. He most recently helped lead a technology modernization project to streamline the digital experience for members and partners. He will also continue to lead Trusted Choice, the association's digital marketing program.
Branham, currently senior vice president of Big I Advantage, has been with the association for 24 years. She will lead the subsidiary's errors and omissions, retirement and Big "I" Alliance market access programs, and has worked closely with its member, carrier and vendor relationships.
Silvola has been director of finance for more than five years, covering accounting for both the nonprofit association and its for-profit operations. She played a key role in moving the association's accounting onto a new technology platform, and has led budgeting, year-end audits and tax filings.
Cocke has overseen the association's finances and staff operations, and advised Symington along with the executive and finance committees. Wolf has run the for-profit operations, including the launch of Big "I" Alliance, which expanded members' access to markets. He has also overseen the E&O and retirement programs and held a leadership role with Big "I" Reinsurance Company.
Symington said Cocke's financial stewardship had positioned the association for the future, and that Wolf had been instrumental in growing many of the programs and benefits it provides to independent agents.
For most member agencies, the change at Big I Advantage matters most. The subsidiary runs programs that agents use directly, including errors and omissions coverage and access to carriers through Big "I" Alliance. Market access through an association is especially valuable to smaller agencies that lack the volume to win carrier appointments on their own.
Branham's 24 years with the association point to continuity rather than a change of direction. The more important question for members will be how the for-profit arm adapts to a changing agency system.
The Big "I"'s own research this year found AI use among independent agencies had tripled since 2024, while concerns about carriers' commitment to the market eased as conditions softened.
The association, founded in 1896, represents more than 25,000 agency locations, according to its website.
