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Joseph Venezio, Executive VP & COO at Northeastern Insurance, Named a 40 Under 40 Honoree in the Albany Business Review Class of 2026!

We are thrilled to announce that Joseph Venezio, Executive Vice President & COO at Northeastern Insurance, has been named a 40 Under 40 Honoree in the Albany Business Review Class of 2026! This recognition celebrates his exceptional leadership, business achievements, and impact on the Capital Region community.

Joseph has been a driving force behind the growth and success of Northeastern Insurance since its founding in 2013. Joining shortly after the agency’s launch, Joseph brought a background in banking and leadership, combining financial expertise with a people-first mindset. What began as a two-person startup with no clients has grown into a premier agency managing over $45 million in premium, 22,000+ policies, 13,000+ clients, and a team of 36 employees.

As Executive Vice President & COO, Joseph remains deeply involved in every strategic, operational, and revenue-driving aspect of the organization. Beyond his executive responsibilities, he remains the agency’s top producer, managing the largest individual book of business- $8.7 million in premium across 4,550 policies and 2,800+ clients- accounting for roughly 20% of the agency’s total. His consistent year-over-year performance is exceptional, with personal growth of more than $1,047,841 in 2023, $623,737 in 2024, and over $708,655 in 2025. Many agencies in the region do not achieve this level of growth across their entire organization in a single year. His leadership has fueled record-breaking growth, with Northeastern Insurance achieving its strongest year in 2025, adding over $7 million in total agency premium.

Joseph’s success is rooted in building trust-based relationships with clients and a broad referral network of financial professionals, realtors, and business partners. He has guided the agency to earn appointments with more than 25 top-tier insurance carriers, maintain top sales rankings nationally, and expand licensure across multiple states, enabling Northeastern Insurance to serve clients with multi-state exposures.

In an aging industry, Joseph has fostered the development of a younger, high-performing team, launched the agency’s first Summer Internship Program, and overseen rapid office expansions to support growth. Supporting this growth, he has overseen multiple office expansions, including the agency’s largest in June 2024, which more than doubled its space by adding 4,000 sq. ft to the existing 3,300 sq. ft.- marking the third expansion in six years. His community involvement is equally impressive, from Volunteer Week initiatives to ongoing fundraising for local charities, breast cancer awareness programs, and Toys for Tots.

Joseph’s leadership and excellence have been consistently recognized across the region and industry. He and Northeastern Insurance have earned multiple accolades, including Daily Gazette Best of the Best (2022–2025) for both Best Insurance Agent and Best Insurance Agency, and Times Union Best of the Best (2024–2025) for Best Insurance Agent. The agency has been named an ABR Best Places to Work six times (2019–2023, 2025), and he received the Million Dollar Man Award in 2023 for growing his personal book of business by over $1 million in a single year.

Joseph is not only an exceptional business leader, but a standard-setter for what modern leadership in the insurance industry should look like. His career reflects a rare combination of elite individual performance, strategic vision, and genuine care for people. While many leaders excel in one area, Joseph consistently delivers results across all of them: driving record-breaking growth, developing future leaders, strengthening community ties, and building a culture rooted in integrity, accountability, and service. Through his efforts, Northeastern Insurance continues to thrive, innovate, and set new standards for excellence in the insurance industry.