Biography
Prior to joining Cavignac in 2025, Mike spent almost twenty years working for national brokerages focused on the representation of design professionals.
Beginning his insurance career issuing certificates and learning the technical aspects of the insurance policies evolved into risk management, contract reviews, and development of complex program placements. An advocate for assessing risk and providing practical advice before discussing any procurement of insurance is foundational to his approach with firms.
As a speaker at industry associations on insurance and risk management issues, he also focuses on legislative advocacy on issues affecting the design industry. Some highlights of these legislative efforts were the direct involvement in passing of duty to defend indemnity legislation in the following states:
Washington RCW 4.24.115: Testified in House Ways and Means Committee in support for HB 1559 in 2012
California Civil Code 2782.8: Broker representative to ACEC California for passing of SB496 in 2018.
Oregon ORS 30.140: Testified three separate time in Senate Judiciary in support of SB 1575 in 2024.
Mike is a native of Portland, Oregon, and graduate of Oregon State University. Mike enjoys time with his wife and son residing in the Bay Area and traveling to see family in Central Oregon.
Matthew Slakoff
Biography
Prior to joining Cavignac in 2006, Matt spent six years as a commercial underwriter learning about the industry from the ground up. This technical expertise combined with his many years as a Risk Advisor at Cavignac has served as the foundation for his unrelenting advocacy on behalf of Cavignac’s clients, people, and purpose.
Matt specializes in the design and implementation of risk management programs for clients in the real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, and construction industries. He also developed an expertise in the analysis and placement of environmental insurance and alternative risk transfer (captives).
Matt is an active member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP), Urban Land Institute (ULI), Building Owners, and Lambda Alpha International (LAI).
Born and raised in the Bay Area, Matt graduated from UC Santa Barbara in 1997 after studying Communications and Business Economics. Today, he lives with his family in Point Loma.