Incorporated in 1962, Philadelphia Insurance Companies has become a strong leader with the niche insurance
markets; a leadership which has continued to spread into community outreach programs.
James J. Maguire Sr. is Chairman and Founder of Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corporation,
a corporation with assets in excess of $3 billion. In 1980 Mr. Maguire formed the company,
publicly traded under the name, Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corp., which today owns four
subsidiaries – Maguire Insurance Agency, Inc., an insurance marketing company licensed in all
states; Philadelphia Insurance Company, approved to write surplus lines insurance in 40 states;
Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Company, its flagship company, licensed to write property and
casualty insurance in all states; and Liberty American Insurance Group, a holding company for
two personal lines insurance companies domiciled in Florida with licenses in 10 additional states.
In total, the insurance companies have 42 offices and over 1300 employees in all
major markets across the U.S. from Maine to Hawaii . Collectively and individually, they are
rated A+ (superior) by A.M. Best Company, the principal U.S. rating agency for insurance
companies. Only 5% of the 3,350 U.S. insurance companies enjoy this superior rating.
Prior to establishing Philadelphia Consolidated Holding Corporation and only a year and
a half after his graduation from Saint Joseph's University with a Bachelor of Science
degree, Mr. Maguire founded Maguire Insurance Agency, Inc. as a sole proprietorship in
1960. The company was incorporated in 1962. He worked for Metropolitan Life Insurance
Company for only 18 months before starting his own company. Early in his career, he
showed a flair for niche marketing when he learned sign language to market life insurance
to the deaf community in the Delaware Valley.
Mr. Maguire, a Korean War veteran, is a member of the Board of Managers for
Beneficial Savings Bank and a past manger of the Board of Directors and Executive
Committee for Pennsylvania Insurance Federation. He was the first lay Chairman of
the Board of Cabrini College and past Vice Chairman of the Board of Saint Joseph's
University where he chaired the capital campaign which built the University's Chapel
dedicated in 1992.
Under Mr. Maguire's leadership, his company was active in Philadelphia Futures, a
mentoring program for underprivileged intercity high school students. This
participation funded five students who attended Saint Joseph 's University. Other
major non-profit programs which he and his company support and sponsor include the
Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Germantown , Mercy Vocational High School where
they underwrite the business education program and participate in the school's co-op
program, and St. Vincent 's Shelter in Germantown , a soup kitchen and summer camp
for underprivileged children. Also, he and his family are major fundraisers for
St. Vincent's Thanksgiving morning 5-mile "Turkey Trot" which has been run consecutively
for the past decade.
Mr. Maguire and his wife, Frances, have been residents of Chestnut Hill,
Pennyslvania, for the past 34 years. They are very proud of their 8 children,
all of whom are college graduates. Two of their children graduated from Villanova
University, one from Pennsylvania State, one from the University of Pennyslvania,
one from Cabrini College, and three from Saint Joseph's University. Additionally,
three of their children are executives in the Philadelphia Insurance Companies,
with the oldest son assuming the position of President and CEO October 2002.
