George "Chip" Van Dusen IV, President - Chief Executive Officer
Co-principal and 50% owner, George “Chip” Van Dusen, IV is the President and CEO of DBS.
Chip joined DBS in 1989 and currently serves our industry in many ways, specifically as a current Board Member of Finseca (formerly AALU/GAMA) and its current Chair of the Government Affairs Committee, current Board Member and Corporate Officer of LifeMark Reinsurance Company, past Chairman and current member of NAILBA, and a past President of the Minneapolis Association of NAIFA. In addition, Chip currently serves on several carrier and Industry Field Advisory Councils and is an active member of LIFE, Inc., a national life brokerage study group.
Chip lives in the Minneapolis area with his wife Renee, and two sons Jacob and Tyler. He enjoys giving back to the community in a number of ways, particularly coaching his oldest son’s hockey team for a number of years.
Victoria "Tori" Van Dusen-Roos, Chief Operations Officer
Co-principal and 50% owner, Victoria “Tori” Van Dusen-Roos, joined DBS in 1993 and currently serves as its Chief Operations Officer. In this role, Tori is responsible for overseeing its Director of Operations, Director of Finance, Director of IT, Chief Underwriter and Director of HR.
Tori stays very active in the industry and currently sits on the Field Advisory Councils of several insurance companies as well as The Leaders Group, a Broker-Dealer. She is the 2021 NAILBA Chairman’s Award recipient, a member of NAILBA’s Executive Board where she serves as treasurer, and on the NAILBA Foundation Board of Directors as its current Grants Committee Chair. She is a current LIBRA Insurance Partners Board Member and is also a past Board Member of LifeMark Partners, past President of LIFE, Inc., and has served on numerous NAILBA committees over the course of her career.
Tori lives in Shorewood, Minnesota with her husband Greg and two beautiful children, Parker and Piper. Most of her spare time is spent with her family but she still finds time for her monthly cooking club, summer golf league, boating, dining with friends and gardening around the house.
History of the Firm
DBS was founded in 1969 by George Van Dusen III as a brokerage wholesaler representing multiple carriers serving the upper Midwest. Our goal was to provide a single outlet for insurance advisors to supplement the products provided by their primary carriers. Over time we developed a number of business relationships with national and regional distribution systems and by 1989 had become a national organization with licenses in all 50 states.
The National Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies, NAILBA, was formed in 1980. DBS was at the organizing meeting and has been active in NAILBA activities ever since. George Van Dusen III served on its Board for six years and was its 1992-93 Chairman. George also received NAILBA’s highest honor as the 2008 Douglas Mooers Award recipient.
Through its membership in LIMRA, DBS helps this industry association evaluate brokerage industry direction and adds to LIMRA’s insurance brokerage database.
DBS encourages and pays for its employees to participate in industry education programs. Many Case Managers have completed or are currently enrolled in the LOMA program and the NAILBA Certified Case Manager program. In addition, all of our Case Design Analysts and Sales Team members are enrolled in or have completed the CLU, ChFC, or CFP programs. Many members of our Underwriting Team are actively pursuing industry education.
Our founder, George Van Dusen III served many years on the Executive Board of Directors of ACORD, the organization that is setting global standards for insurance. The firm’s principals and other members of the firm maintain memberships and are active in NAILBA, NAIFA, FPA, FSP, ACORD, LIMRA, AALU, and LifeMark Partners.
