Executive & Fiduciary Risk Insurance
From military service to legal service
Leadership carries real liability. Your coverage should reflect that — with directors and officers insurance, fiduciary liability coverage, and management liability protection reviewed alongside everything else you're protecting.
The Personal Exposure Most Leaders Don't See Coming
A board seat, an ownership stake, or a fiduciary role can create personal liability that your existing personal and business policies may not address. Decisions made in a leadership capacity — even well-intentioned ones — can expose your personal assets to claims from shareholders, employees, regulators, or beneficiaries. Executive risk insurance exists precisely because this category of exposure is distinct from property damage, general liability, or professional errors. It covers the decisions you make, not just the incidents that happen around you.
This is an area where many successful business owners and board members discover gaps only after a claim surfaces. We review executive risk exposure as part of the same assessment process we apply to your personal and commercial coverage — so nothing is evaluated in isolation.
Three Distinct Products, One Coordinated Category
Executive risk is not a single policy. It is a category of coverage that addresses different but related exposures tied to leadership roles. We structure this coverage across three named products:
- Directors and Officers (D&O) Insurance — Covers individual directors and officers against personal liability arising from decisions and actions taken in their leadership capacity. Relevant to private company boards, family business governance structures, and nonprofit board service, not only publicly traded companies. Business owners who hold board seats at outside organizations often carry more D&O exposure than they realize.
- Fiduciary Liability Insurance — Covers individuals who manage or administer employee benefit plans, retirement accounts, or trust assets against claims of mismanagement, imprudent investment decisions, or failure to act in beneficiaries' best interests. ERISA fiduciary obligations create real personal exposure for plan administrators and trustees.
- Management Liability Insurance — A broader category that may encompass D&O, employment practices liability, and other leadership-related exposures under a coordinated structure. Particularly relevant for business owners who want unified protection across multiple management roles rather than separate standalone policies.
Each of these products is offered as a named, distinct line of coverage — not bundled into a general business policy where the limits and terms may be inadequate for the actual exposure.
Reviewed Alongside Your Full Risk Picture
One of the consistent gaps we identify during risk assessments is misalignment between a client's executive risk coverage and the rest of their insurance portfolio. A business may carry a D&O policy with limits that made sense at an earlier stage of growth. A fiduciary liability policy may not account for a recently expanded benefit plan. Personal umbrella coverage may not coordinate with management liability in the way the client assumes it does.
Because we conduct a thorough risk assessment and gap analysis before recommending any coverage, executive risk is evaluated in the context of your personal insurance, commercial coverage, and any specialty lines you carry. For clients of Canterbury Capital Wealth Management, this review can also be coordinated with your wealth management, estate planning, and tax advisors — so the full picture of your financial exposure is visible to the people helping you manage it.
Ready to Have This Handled for You?
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Your Questions, Answered Clearly
Do I need directors and officers insurance if my company is privately held?
Yes. D&O insurance is not limited to publicly traded companies. Private company directors and officers face claims from shareholders, employees, creditors, and competitors. If you serve on the board of a private company, a family business, or a nonprofit, your personal assets can be exposed to claims arising from decisions made in that role.What does fiduciary liability insurance actually cover?
Fiduciary liability coverage addresses claims that a plan administrator, trustee, or investment committee member failed to act in the best interests of plan participants or beneficiaries. This includes allegations of imprudent investment selection, failure to follow plan documents, or administrative errors in managing an employee benefit plan or retirement account. ERISA imposes personal liability on fiduciaries, and this coverage is designed to respond to that specific exposure.I already have a business umbrella policy. Doesn't that cover management liability?
Generally, no. Business umbrella policies are designed to extend the limits of underlying commercial lines — general liability, commercial auto, and similar coverage. They do not typically respond to claims arising from management decisions, fiduciary obligations, or directors and officers liability. Those exposures require dedicated executive risk coverage with terms and limits appropriate to your leadership roles.I serve on a nonprofit board. Does the organization's insurance cover me personally?
It may provide some coverage, but relying solely on the organization's D&O policy carries risk. Coverage limits, exclusions, and the organization's own financial stability all affect how well you are protected. Many board members who serve on nonprofit or community boards carry their own D&O coverage or confirm through a review that the organization's policy is adequate for their specific exposure.How does Canterbury Capital review executive risk as part of a broader assessment?
We begin with a risk assessment and gap analysis that looks at your personal insurance, commercial coverage, and any specialty lines together. Executive risk is evaluated in that same process — we identify where your current policies leave leadership-related exposure unaddressed and recommend coverage structured to your actual roles and responsibilities, not a standard product off a shelf.
