Our People
David Martin, President
damartin@premiumgroupinc.com
David Martin has served as President of The Premium Group, Inc. since 1993. Together with his team, he developed a highly successful client-centered model for providing professional liability insurance to physicians. David has been a principal and a manager in many entrepreneurial ventures in health care during the past 25 years.
Rudy LaKosh, COO
rjlakosh@premiumgroupinc.com
Rudy has been with PGI for 6 years. He came from the hospitality industry where he held corporate positions with upscale operations. Rudy’s background in hospitality has brought an enhanced focus on customer service and client satisfaction to the team at PGI. His acquired relationships with physicians and medical professional liability insurance carriers have opened new opportunities for improved solutions for medical facilities, physician groups, medical associations and individual doctors. Rudy has lived in Illinois, Wisconsin, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Florida before moving to Ohio 27 years ago. Outside interests include outdoor activities including golf and fishing.
Laurie Advent, Associate Vice President
lbadvent@premiumgroupinc.com
Laurie Advent joined The Premium Group in March of 2006. She obtained her Property and Casualty License when she made a career change in 1998. She has over ten years experience in various insurance specialties, including commercial lines, personal lines and mortgage protection. She feels that professional liability insurance is her preference to date considering all the challenges doctors face in today’s market.
She is a native to the Cleveland area and had lived in California for a couple of years previously. She is married with two children and enjoys reading and crossword puzzles in her spare time.
Mike Axel, Vice President
msaxel@premiumgroupinc.com
A lifelong resident of Cleveland, Mike has had nearly 25 years of experience in the insurance industry, including over 8 years in medical professional liability with PGI. During his time with PGI, he implemented and managed a comprehensive telemarketing and follow-up system for physicians and medical groups. He now manages large accounts in our renewal department.
Mike's earlier career included a number of years with Allstate and Nationwide Insurance developing marketing systems and managing producers and CSR’s.
Tim Bialowas, Director, Regional Sales
trbialowas@premiumgroupinc.com
Tim Bialowas has worked in the medical field for 15 years. He is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and his extensive background includes work in direct patient care, medical equipment sales and education. He has been a part-time adjunct faculty professor at Cuyahoga Community College for 2 years where his experience helped him educate clients on informed decisions by presenting all available options. He lives in Strongsville with his wife Stacey and son Trey where he coaches for the Strongsville Football League and assists in coaching basketball and baseball in his spare time. He is also a United States Navy veteran who served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
Jon Hardacre, Vice President
jlhardacre@premiumgroupinc.com
Jon L. Hardacre is a lifelong Clevelander and a graduate of Hawken School and The Ohio State University. Prior to joining The Premium Group in 1998, he was a sales professional and underwriter in the financial and insurance industries. He is a graduate of the Westfield Insurance TAPP Program. His Medical Professional Liability Insurance career began in 1997. During his ten year tenure with the Premium Group, Jon has focused on new and renewal business and prides himself on exemplary customer service.
In his free time, he enjoys playing golf and family vacations. Jon is an avid Buckeye fan and enjoys most professional and collegiate sports.
Deborah James, Associate Vice President
dljames@premiumgroupinc.com
Debbie has been with the Premium Group since 1999, and became a licensed agent in 2000. She grew up in Akron, OH and is a graduate of the University of Akron. Debbie has focused on the renewal side of our agency and has seen many changes in the insurance industry over the last 10 years. She strives to provide great customer service to our clients daily. Outside of the office, she and her husband enjoy biking and hiking in the Summit County Metro Parks. They both also volunteer for the Summit County Humane Society.
Sylwia Sierko, Director, National Sales
ssierko@premiumgroupinc.com
Sylwia Sierko joined The Premium Group in 2001 shortly after graduating from Ursuline College. Sylwia is a part of the new sales team at PGI where she is the Director of national sales. She holds her insurance license in all 50 states. Outside of the office she loves spending time with her husband and dog. Her hobbies include swimming and walking.
Gabriela Skurkova, Account Supervisor, Client Services
gskurkova@premiumgroupinc.com
Gabriela Skurkova received her undergrad degree from The Slovak Technical University and her Graduate degree from University of Matej Bel. She has been an Account Supervisor and Client Services Representative with the Premium Group for 5 years on the renewal team. In Gabriela Skurkova’s spare time she likes to spend time with her daughter and enjoys most extreme sports.
Gayle Turk, Vice President
gbturk@premiumgroupinc.com
Gayle has been a licensed agent for the Premium Group since October 24, 1994. In these 14 years, she has seen several new carriers come to Ohio and some also leave the state. During the hard and soft markets, she has helped many physicians maintain their coverage.
She grew up in Solon and still resides here with her husband, Jon and two children: Rachel (7) and Andrew (4). She graduated from Kent State University in 1988, and then returned to work in Solon after graduation.
Sandra Winchester, Insurance and Claims Administrator
srwinchester@premiumgroupinc.com
Sandra Winchester, grew up in the Cleveland area is married and has two grown children. After several jobs in various insurance agencies she landed at The Premium Group, Inc. in 1995. Her main focus during the early years was claims and licensing. In the last few years her primary job has been assisting the New Business Sales Team. Her experience and long term expertise is critical in facilitating the application and underwriting processes for the entire PGI Sales and Renewal team.
Steve Danford, Director of Insurance Innovation
spdanford@premiumgroupinc.com
Steve Danford comes to us as a recent graduate from John Carroll University where he majored in Finance. In addition to concentrating on website development, Steve has been involved in the new business side of our agency. He is eager to learn more about the industry and expand upon his current roll. Originally from Akron, OH, Steve currently resides in Beachwood.