When Ames & Gough announced in January that Matthew B. Gough (pictured) would assume the role of chief executive officer, the move marked less a break from the past than a deliberate evolution of a long-planned leadership strategy.
For the Washington, DC-based specialty insurance brokerage, the transition signals confidence in its growth trajectory and a doubling down on its independence.
“Our top priority is to remain independent for the foreseeable future,” Gough told Insurance Business in a recent interview. “There’s a big difference between being a specialist and a generalist, and we’ve always been intentional about staying in our lane.”
Founded in 1992 by Marshall Ames and Gary Gough, the brokerage has built its reputation as a specialist serving architects, engineers, law firms, associations, and nonprofits. It now employs nearly 70 professionals and serves clients in 45 states. Gough said that national reach, combined with a focused vertical strategy, has allowed the firm to grow without diluting its expertise.
Gough, who joined the firm in 2001 and served as president since 2020, has stepped into the CEO role as Thomas Marchetti becomes president, taking responsibility for day-to-day operations. The decision reflects what Gough describes as a return to first principles of succession planning.
“When I first became president, an executive coach told me, ‘Your first job is to find your successor,’” Gough said in a recent interview. That advice stayed with him, even as the COVID-19 pandemic upended carefully laid plans.
Originally, Gough envisioned his presidency as a period focused heavily on strategic vision: where the firm wanted to be in five years. But when the pandemic hit just months after he took the role, priorities shifted overnight. Like many leaders, he found himself deeply involved in day-to-day operations, navigating uncertainty for employees and clients alike.
“As we continued to grow, it became clear there was a real need for both a president and a CEO role,” Gough said.
Growth, however, is not pursued at any cost. Gough emphasized that intentional investment, whether in talent or technology, and a culture built on long-standing relationships. The firm’s average employee tenure exceeds 20 years, a statistic Gough cites as evidence of its people-first philosophy.
That culture is being tested by broader industry trends. For Gough, consolidation remains both a challenge and an opportunity, particularly when clients are affected by broker ownership changes.
“Like many independent agencies, we get calls from strategic buyers on a regular basis. While it’s flattering, we see real value in staying independent,” he said. “I’ll often tell our shareholders, ‘I got a call last week, and here’s what they’re offering.’ But those decisions aren’t mine alone; we make them together. It’s been great to see everyone align around the idea of continuing to build something special here.”
The opportunity comes from the evolving risk landscape for architects and engineers. Rising claim activity, larger settlements, and social inflation are driving higher premiums and demanding more sophisticated risk strategies. “These challenges are concerning for clients,” Gough said, “but they’re also where we can bring the most value.”
Technology is another area of cautious optimism. While Ames & Gough has not rushed headlong into artificial intelligence, Gough sees thoughtful investment as essential, especially as peers adopt advanced digital tools.
Leadership development, too, remains central, echoing the founders’ long-standing commitment to mentoring talent from within. “That’s something we’ve always emphasized: mentorship, talent development, and strengthening our leadership pipeline,” said Gough. “That’s exciting for both our current operations and our long-term growth.”
Looking ahead five to ten years, the CEO intends to measure success less by headline growth metrics than by continuity of values.
“Marty Ames and Gary Goff had a simple philosophy: do business the right way,” he reflected. “It may sound cliché, but if you do what’s right for the client, everything else tends to fall into place. Communication is key in our industry, and we often tell our staff that it’s almost impossible to over-communicate with clients.
“We’re incredibly proud to still be independent; there aren’t many firms that can say that anymore. We have revenue goals, we have verticals we want to excel in, but at the end of the day, if in ten years we’re still a growing, independent, boutique firm, then I think we’ll have achieved exactly what we set out to do.”
