Insurance
Home›Insurance›Industry & Deals›Arthur J. Gallagher names Ralph Nicoletti lead indepen…
Arthur J. Gallagher names Ralph Nicoletti lead independent director
The insurer also cut its board to eight members after David Johnson’s death and appointed John Coldman to additional committees.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has announced the passing of David Johnson, its lead independent director, and confirmed governance changes following his death.
Johnson served on Gallagher’s board since 2003 and became lead independent director in 2016. His experience included serving as chief executive officer of North America for Aryzta AG, and he sat on the Compensation, Nominating/Governance, and Risk and Compliance committees.
After Johnson’s passing, the board reduced its size to eight members and the independent directors elected Ralph Nicoletti as lead independent director, effective immediately. Nicoletti was first elected to the board in 2016 and has chaired the Audit Committee since 2019, and Gallagher appointed John Coldman to the Compensation and Nominating/Governance committees.
The company also framed the transition within a broader expansion period, including ongoing integration following its acquisition of AssuredPartners, a deal valued at roughly $13.45 billion. Gallagher reported 28% year over year first-quarter 2026 revenue growth to $4.76 billion, with net earnings of $823 million, and it completed nine integrations in the first quarter that added a combined $60 million in expected annual