The Chairman of the Arthur J Gallagher group, Robert E Gallagher, 83, has died after a brief illness.

Described by President and CEO (and nephew) Patrick Gallagher as “the centre of the heart and soul of this company”, Mr Gallagher served in various roles at the Illinois-based company’s headquarters for more than 60 years, helping to grow it from a small Chicago agency to the fourth-largest brokerage in the world.

He says his uncle was a true leader and an inspiration to his peers and the two generations of professionals who followed him into the company. “Bob’s wit, intuition and knowledge of our industry were unparalleled.”

Mr Gallagher joined his father’s insurance agency in 1947 after graduating from Cornell, working alongside brothers John and Jim. He was known in the industry as a visionary and consummate insurance broker and was instrumental in building the company into a global enterprise.

He became President and CEO in 1963 and Chairman in 1990, while continuing to serve as CEO until 1995.

He was actively involved in the insurance industry throughout his career and served as Director and President of the Insurance Institute of America. In 2001 he was named Insurance Industry Charitable Fund Man of the Year.