Celebrating 25 Years of Success: ATLAS Risk Solutions

This year, Atlas Risk Solutions (ARS) is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Founder and Managing Director, Edgar D. Nunes, is proud to have set himself apart from his competitors for such a long time. In a world where many insurance brokers don’t make it, you need to be authentic and consistent in the level of service you provide to your customers. Nunes believes that that is exactly what sets ARS apart from its competitors. The insurance broker provides red carpet service to its customers at all times. “We do not let the customer wait.”

TEXT NEPHTALIE DEMEI

The Beginning: “It was just me and my desk”
Edgar D. Nunes started the company in 1991. “It was just me and my desk”, he says, “And I was determined to do better than the existing insurance brokers on the island.” At the time the market looked very different from now. There were many large and medium sized insurance brokers he had to compete with, and he realized he had to be creative and come up with something different. In 1993, ARS became the first independent insurance broker in Curacao to mediate and sell mortgages. They also started providing insurance for boats and yachts.

In three years time, Nunes acquired a decent portfolio that allowed him to move to a larger office and have five staff members on his payroll. This was good, but he wanted more. At the time, the company’s policy was to serve anyone in need of advisory services. In other words, they were not selective in the clients they provided their services to.

Three years later, in 1997, he had doubled the amount of employees to ten. Nunes proudly recounts the first remodeling expansion of the same building Atlas Risk Solutions still resides in. Today, Atlas employs 12 highly skilled staff members providing firstclass service and optimum results for all customers.

Rebranding Atlas for the 21st Century
The company started out as an insurance broker, but over the years the firm rebranded to ‘risk solutions’ as this is a better reflection of what is provided to it’s customers namely “solutions” and not just insurance products.’, . As an independent insurance broker, ARS analyses primary risks and determines the risks to which each client is exposed. ARS is known among customers to do this in a thorough and fair manner, while always keeping the client’s best interest in mind and thus providing the best coverage at the best possible price at all times.

Nunes explained that part of their success depends on the working relationships with insurance companies. “It is important that they understand the vision of ARS to be able to react accordingly in order to provide and maintain the high quality of service that ARS guarantees to its customers.” As a result of this, paperwork must be done not only quickly, but also properly and in the best interest of the client.

While Atlas Risk Solutions is based in Curacao, Sint Maarten, Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, they also have international clients. This is a different market and serves customers outside of the islands. The company is currently working on further expansion of its services and products in the global insurance market through innovative online tools and its correspondent partner, Arthur J. Gallagher Group, the 4th largest insurance broker in the world.

Recently, Atlas sold a surprising 75% of its private client portfolio to a competitor. The company chose to go forward with this difficult decision in order to be able to provide premium service to a higher segment of the, mostly corporate, market. For Nunes, saying goodbye to clients who had been with the company for many years was a difficult and in some cases an emotional decision. However, Nunes decided to make the call for rather essential reasons. He explains: “We wanted to be one step ahead of the developments that are taking place worldwide. It’s only a matter of time before car, travel, home, liability, accident and other simple risk insurance become available online. We decided to focus our resources, energy and knowledge on that part of the market that cannot be serviced online.” He continues to explain that ARS will be bringing tools to the market that will enable a quick and partly automated service. This tool will bridge the gap that non-operative time creates, like nights and weekends.

Nunes is extremely proud of the exceptionally skilled and motivated team that runs Atlas Risk Solutions. But how do you keep your team motivated? “By hiring only talented and motivated people and by getting all noses pointing in the same direction. Decisions are not imposed, but discussed, analyzed, documented and updated.” According to Nunes, the key answer to that question is to know the ‘Why’ of your company and making sure that each and every staff member understands it. Everyone is expected to be present at all monthly and quarterly meetings, and once a year, management presents a strategic plan, giving updates of where the company stands and where it wants to go, whilst involving and soliciting input from team members in the choices that are made for the next three to five years.

Looking Back, Moving Forward
As an entrepreneur, you go through a huge amount of hurdles. It might seem simple to some, but it is hard work. Everyday and always. Nunes says it was tough back when he started and it still is today. “Everyday brings difficult decisions that have to be taken. Having a company you built from scratch equals being emotionally attached to it and always going that extra mile to keep it going and growing.”

Nunes is concerned about the gap that will emerge in the world of risk management after the people of his generation, the baby boomers, are gone. So, when his son asked him what he should study, Nunes encouraged him to study Risk Management. Whether his son will be taking over the company or not, only time will tell. The glimmer in his eyes when talking about that possibility says it all. When you build a company from nothing you want to make sure it’s taken care of by someone you know will maintain the quality and who will hopefully carry it to the next level.

For now, Nunes plans to keep expanding Atlas Risk Solutions together with his committed team always guarding the best interests of his customers, as Atlas Risk Solution always has and always will.