Senior Management

The founder of the company is Richard J. Wira, a seasoned executive with extensive experience in all aspects of the insurance industry. Eight years ago he recognized a tremendous opportunity in this industry and formed EQUOTE, a company that combines “brick and mortar” business procedures with the revolutionary telecommunication, call center, and Web-based technologies. EQUOTE’s direct marketing business model uses technology so that it is easy for the company to interact directly with our valued customers.

In 1994 Mr. Wira founded Richard Wira and Associates, Inc. to market life insurance in the U.S. It is a brokerage general agency that represents top-tier life insurance companies in America. It markets life insurance nationally, operating in 42 states, providing life insurance products covering a broad spectrum from estate and financial planning to mortgage insurance.

Mr. Wira has over 33 years of experience in the life insurance industry with 23 of those years as Regional Director for major life insurance companies, such as Jefferson National, where he served as Regional Director for 14 years, leading to a buyout by Conseco. He served for six years as Regional Vice President of Zurich Life and set up their first office in California, leading to a merger with Kemper. He did pioneering work in selling insurance directly to the consumer when Zurich Direct, was created out of his offices in the early ‘90s.

Mr. Wira is a 30 year member of the Million Dollar Round Table, and also a Top of the Table member. He is a member of the National Association of Independent Life Insurance Brokerage Agencies, has the unique distinction of serving twice as President of the San Diego Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, and has served on the board of the California Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors.

Eight years ago he founded EQUOTE to capitalize on the rapid advances in technology that were not readily being used by an industry that could best be described as a dinosaur industry. EQUOTE’s direct marketing business model is a combination of the older traditional way of doing business and a new way that takes advantage of revolutionary telecommunications/ call center/ Internet technology.