After two decades in the business, Michael Brodzinski (pictured) sees risk in construction as a human issue, not just a technical one.
Brodzinski’s path into insurance began with steel-toed boots and hard hats. In 2005, fresh into the industry at Zurich, he found himself touring job sites and standing atop the Golden Gate Bridge during a renovation project. That visceral exposure to construction’s complexities defined his career trajectory.
“That’s when I realized that if I was going to be in the insurance industry and make a career out of it, I was going to do construction,” said Brodzinski, now a senior vice president at Alliant Insurance Services. “Working with people, helping people, creating the environment where we all live, work, and play, that’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
After five years underwriting professional liability at Zurich, Brodzinski moved to the broking side. His current national role at Alliant places him at the heart of the firm’s 725-person construction team, where he specializes in professional liability, focusing on design errors, construction management mistakes, and the costly ripple effects they can cause.
“I’m fortunate to work on some of the largest infrastructure projects in the country,” he said. “NFL stadiums, data centres, high-speed rail, billion-dollar hospital builds, even the World Trade Center redevelopment in a past role.”
The scale of such projects has shifted dramatically. Where $250 million once marked a large build, Brodzinski now regularly works on ventures in the $1 billion to $20 billion range. The implications for insurance are enormous.
“It flips the traditional limits upside down,” he said. “It’s not just about rising rates. The sheer cost of securing enough coverage is a different conversation now.”
Construction’s risk landscape has been reshaped by changes in project delivery, from design-bid-build to design-build and integrated project delivery (IPD) models. These new frameworks alter how risk is distributed across owners, contractors, and designers.
At the same time, Brodzinski sees a growing role for technology. AI, drones, and telematics now help identify potential risks earlier in the project lifecycle, but they also raise new legal and regulatory questions.
“A design error is a breach of the standard of care. As technology evolves, so might the definition of that standard,” he said, “But these tools support better decision-making and collaboration.”
Collaboration is a key theme. He argues that as projects grow in size and complexity, alignment between contracts and insurance is essential to avoid adversarial relationships when things go wrong.
“Project sponsors, for instance, are letting billion-dollar projects with outdated risk management strategies,” Brodzinski said. “What worked in the past doesn’t necessarily work in the future.”
While labor shortages aren’t the primary driver of project delays in his niche, Brodzinski acknowledges their long-term impact.
“Who is going to build all these projects?” he asked. “We’re going to need a bigger push into skilled trades.”
Automation and AI are helping fill those gaps, but Brodzinski believes mentoring and training remain critical. He sees himself as both a mentor and a product of strong mentorship.
“If it wasn’t for the people who guided me early on, I wouldn’t be here. I try to pay that forward,” he said.
His day-to-day reflects the demands of a national role: client meetings, carrier negotiations, insurance program design, and constant collaboration with colleagues across the US.
“If it were 1998 and Alliant had to pay by the minute for cell phone use, I’d blow the budget,” he said. “But I love it. Every day is different.”
Looking ahead, Brodzinski sees more complexity, more collaboration, and a higher bar for risk management. “The future of construction insurance isn’t just about policies,” he said. “It’s about people, partnerships, and preparedness.”
