Alliant snaps up NFP veteran for real estate specialty

Alliant Insurance Services has announced the addition of Gary Pestana to its team as managing director within Alliant Specialty’s Real Estate & Hospitality specialty vertical.

Operating out of Charlotte, NC, Pestana brings over three decades of experience to his role, and will offer strategic risk management services to real estate owners, operators, and developers across the nation.

Pestana’s career spans more than 30 years, during which he specialized in crafting risk management programs for both public and private real estate entities. His expertise covers environmental, property, liability, and construction insurance, with his professional journey beginning in engineering and environmental consulting.

Before joining Alliant, Pestana held the position of managing director – real estate at NFP from March 2019 to March 2024.

His tenure in the insurance industry also includes roles as executive vice president – real estate at JLT Specialty USA from August 2015 to March 2019 and senior vice president – real estate & environmental at Marsh Risk and Insurance Services from April 2004 to August 2015.

Pestana’s foundational experience in the field began at IT Corporation, where he served as a business line manager from 1992 to 2002.

He also holds an MBA in corporate finance and strategy from the Drucker School of Management and a BA in Geology from Humboldt State University.

“Gary will focus on growing the real estate team and providing strategic advice to owners and developers in the Mid-Atlantic US and nationwide,” Alliant Specialty executive vice president Micheal Heid said.

Pestana’s addition is just the latest in a string of high-profile appointments for Alliant. Last week, the broker announced the appointment of Peter McGoldrick as senior vice president within its Alliant Specialty division.

In March, Alliant also moved to bolster its surety operations in New York with the appointment of Lou Spina as senior vice president within its Alliant Specialty division.

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