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The insurance industry was not the first thought John Hohlt had when he was studying Finance at Fordham University. During the summer months of 2012, he sought opportunities in the real estate industry and eventually served as a licensed real estate agent for DSA Realty Services. After graduating, he got a leasing intern post at Weingarten Realty Investors in Houston, Texas.

It was only when one of his close friends brought up the idea of insurance that Hohlt decided to jump aboard and explore the surety bond industry. He got an underwriting position at Argo Group International Holdings and, after two years, Hohlt joined Wortham Insurance & Risk Management as a surety bond broker.

Since joining Wortham, Hohlt has been vital in securing more than $1 billion in unsecured surety credit for the firm’s clients, thanks to his extensive knowledge of both contract and commercial surety underwriting obligations. With his grasp of Bureau of Ocean Energy Management regulations, he has helped Wortham target clients with offshore surety bond needs.

In this exclusive interview with Insurance Business, Hohlt shares how Wortham differentiates itself in the industry. He also gives insights on the most pressing issues facing the offshore surety bond market.

John Hohlt: Eric Feighl, a Partner at Wortham and close friend of mine, advised that I become a surety bond underwriter given my financial background and the lack of young personnel in the surety industry. After a few years as an underwriter, I became a broker when Wortham offered me a position. I cannot stress enough the importance of the knowledge and analytical skills I obtained as an underwriter and being able to view deals from both the client’s and the insurer’s standpoint.

The rough seas of the offshore surety bond market