Our Team — BridgeStar Strategic

Gary Leonardi

Founder & Principal

With 25+ years in the insurance industry and 15+ years in mergers & acquisitions, Gary Leonardi brings a rare combination of deep insurance expertise and sophisticated M&A acumen that forms the foundation of BridgeStar Strategic.

A seasoned C-suite executive and trusted advisor, Gary has delivered consistent year-over-year growth in revenue, profit, and market expansion at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, building and leading high-performance teams across billion-dollar global enterprises — from start-up through complete integration. His applied creativity, adaptability, and strategic command of complex challenges have earned the trust of senior-level decision-makers throughout the industry.

Gary is recognized as a national authority in his fields, having been qualified and engaged by the American Arbitration Association as an expert in both Mergers & Acquisitions and the Insurance Industry — a distinction reserved for professionals whose depth of knowledge and professional integrity meet the highest standards.

Chris

Chris has worked at AIG and for several Insurance Brokerages during the past decade, honing skills from underwriting to specialty commercial risk and claims. His experience is full circle with a focus on straightforward, effective, and efficient handling of clients.

Bradley

Brad has more than 25 years of experience in the Benefits area. He began his career as a start-up and expanded a diverse clientele over the years, gaining the understanding and expertise required to deliver product/rate details in a broad array of markets and with a multitude of insurance carriers.

Andrew

Andy has been providing retirement planning for more than 30 years. He holds credentials as a Certified Retirement Counselor and is Certified in Long Term Care designation. Andrew is the co-founder of a financial education entity and presenter of related workshops and seminars.

Mary

Mary oversees the client relations management that keeps the firm running smoothly with a goal for satisfaction levels soaring above the competition.

Peggy

Peggy handles data and research to give us the edge and critical capabilities to deliver high quality performance.

Christine

Christine is our Scheduling and Event Coordinator. She brings years of experience and a high level of communication skills to connect Gary Leonardi and Central Manhattan Agency associates with meeting agendas.

Ana

Ana has more than two decades of experience and knows the industry workings from all levels: sales to claims and all things in between. Her expertise is in personal lines P&C.

Alex

Alex is a highly trained, well experienced Executive advisor for the technology and internal communication systems with precise and effective analytical skills that help achieve efficiencies above and beyond client expectations.

C. Jeffrey

Jeff has experience with nearly every major insurance carrier for more than 20 years and brings a wealth of knowledge to our team. His forte is specialty lines, high value assets and high risk industries.

Thurman and Cassandra

Cassandra and Thurman are a family team working in the insurance industry as entrepreneurs and business owners for more than 20 years with a flair for precise and straightforward communications. Together, they promote our company's new business development action plans.

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Our team is ready to discuss your goals and explore how BridgeStar Strategic can connect you with the right opportunity.

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