2025 Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year:
Dan Keogh

The Business Record is proud to recognize Dan Keough as the 2025 Forty Under 40 Alum of the Year

Keough was recognized as a Forty Under 40 in 2001. Since 2012, he has been Holmes Murphy’s chairman and CEO. He is also the co-CEO and co-founder of BrokerTech Ventures, a “convener of broker-centric innovation, ideation, investment and communication for the global insurance ecosystem.” BrokerTech Ventures was named the Corteva Agriscience innovationLEADER of the Year by the Business Record in 2021.

Keough attended the University of Iowa as an undergrad, majoring in business administration, and he earned his master’s in finance from Loyola University Chicago.

In 2023, Keough helped the Business Record raise awareness about the impact of Forty Under 40 ahead of the award’s 25th anniversary. Here’s what he said in a short Q&A:

If someone who is just starting out their career or community involvement aspires to one day be a Forty Under 40, what kinds of things would you encourage them to get involved in?

Des Moines is a special place, and one in which we are fortunate to have ease of access to engage in our community, intersect with local and statewide leaders, and to share our time and resources. The earlier in your career that you can lean into giving back, volunteering, joining boards or contributing, the more advantageous if you aspire to one day become a Forty Under 40. The more closely aligned you can be with your personal passions or interests, the more meaningful your engagement will become. And, as with anything, the value you receive is a direct correlation in terms of what you contribute.

How did being part of a Forty Under 40 class make an impact on you?

Our family moved from Chicago to Des Moines in 1999, as we began building Innovative Captive Strategies within Holmes Murphy. I was young, new to Des Moines, and not yet established in our community. It was important to me to find ways to become integrated into the fabric of Des Moines — not only for professional interests, but for our family to begin building a foundation for years to come. To be selected as a Forty Under 40 in 2001 was a remarkable honor, and one in which helped me to continue to build networks, connections and community alignment. As I look back at the years of Forty Under 40 candidates recognized over the years, it’s remarkable to see the overall impact that these individuals have — and are making, in Central Iowa and beyond.

About the award: The Business Record began honoring an Alum of the Year in 2010 to recognize the contributions of previous Forty Under 40 honorees who, since being honored, continued to make a major impact through professional and personal involvement locally. Previously, the awardee has been selected from nominations submitted to the Business Record. This year, a new process involved inviting past Forty Under 40 honorees to vote for their top picks from a curated list that included two honorees from each class.