FORTY Under 40:Travis Terzer

Travis Terzer, vice president, business development at CapVisor Associates, LLC.

Terzer leads strategic growth initiatives and oversees CapVisor Associates’ marketing efforts across the commercial and alternative risk transfer (ART) insurance markets. He works with insurers throughout the continental US and offshore domiciles, representing the full spectrum of the firm’s advisory services.

In addition to business development leadership, Terzer contributes to the firm’s quantitative and systems initiatives, applying his engineering and analytical background to enhance portfolio analytics, manager evaluation frameworks and client reporting infrastructure.

He is an active participant in the captive insurance industry. He has served twice as SCCIA conference committee chair and is a teaching assistant for the ICCIE investment basics for captives course. He has also spoken at multiple industry conferences on the topic of investments for captive insurance companies, with a focus on governance, portfolio construction and fiduciary best practices.

Prior to joining CapVisor in 2020, he spent three years at American International Group (AIG) as an analyst supporting the Infrastructure Services Investment Committee.

He is a registered investment adviser representative (Series 65), is currently pursuing the associate in captive insurance (ACI) designation through ICCIE, and is completing FINRA training toward his Series 7 licence.

He holds a BSc in industrial engineering from Clemson University’s College of Engineering.

Looking back at your journey over the past year, what accomplishment are you most proud of, and how has becoming a FORTY Under 40 finalist influenced your perspective on that achievement?

This past year, I’m most proud of helping strengthen our firm’s presence in the captive insurance space, not just from a business development standpoint, but by focusing on how we talk about investment governance and fiduciary responsibility. Industry engagement and more conference education and participation have positioned our firm as a resource captive boards and investment committees can rely on for clarity and discipline in investment portfolio construction, implementation and ongoing monitoring/evolvement.

Being named a finalist has put that into perspective. It’s reminded me that growth is important, but impact matters more. The real accomplishment isn’t visibility – it’s helping boards make better decisions and raising the overall standard within our niche of the industry.

“To set up portfolios for long-term investment success, not chase current market trends, is a core principle of investment practice for captives.”

What key challenge did you face in your work this year? How did you overcome it and what did it teach you about leadership at this stage of your career?

The biggest challenge this year was guiding clients through a volatile market environment without letting short-term noise drive long-term decisions. This can be said of any year but it is something our process must always emphasise: to set up portfolios for long-term investment success, not chase current market trends. This is a core principle of investment practice for captives.

We focused on reinforcing our process of disciplined asset allocation, consistent manager selection/evaluation and clear communication. That experience reinforced something important for me, that leadership at this stage isn’t about having bold predictions. It’s about providing structure, perspective and calm when others feel pressure to act.

In what ways have you tried to push innovation or rethink traditional approaches within your sector, and what impact has that had on your team or organisation?

In the captive investment space, decisions have historically leaned heavily on relationships and reputation. I’ve worked to push a more structured, data-driven evaluation process that combines quantitative evaluation with specific industry experience.

Internally, that’s meant contributing to improved systems and analytics. Externally, it’s allowed us to communicate risk and performance more clearly to our clients. The impact has been better alignment, stronger documentation and more confident decision- making.

How do you see your role evolving over the next three tp five years, and what initiatives are you most excited to pursue as you continue to grow professionally?

Over the next few years, I see my role expanding beyond business development into broader strategic leadership within the firm. I’m especially excited about further integrating analytics and technology education into the captive investment process.

I also plan to continue speaking and supporting industry education efforts. Long term, I want to help shape not just our firm’s growth, but the direction and standards of the captive investment landscape more broadly.

Many of the FORTY Under 40 winners are recognised for both business success and broader impact – how do you balance professional excellence with contributions to your community or industry landscape?

Speaking at conferences, serving in committee roles, and supporting education initiatives all reinforce the work we do every day. For me, balance comes from focusing on contributions that improve standards and transparency in the industry. If we can help captive boards make more informed decisions, that benefits both our clients and the broader community.

At the end of the day and in our little captive niche, trust drives everything in our service provider partnerships. Contributing beyond your own firm is one of the best ways to build it.

Did you get value from this story?  Sign up to our free daily newsletters and get stories like this sent straight to your inbox.