People Moves: Galaviz Succeeds Patriot Growth Founder Gardner as CEO

Pennsylvania-based insurance brokerage Patriot Growth Insurance Services announced the appointment of John Galaviz as chief executive officer.

Galaviz succeeds Matt Gardner, who founded Patriot Growth in 2019, as CEO. Gardner has left the company to pursue other opportunities, according to lead investors GI Partners and Summit Partners.

Galaviz joined Patriot in 2023 as chief financial officer and was promoted to president in 2025. He brings more than 20 years of insurance industry experience including both brokerage and carrier environments. His background includes work with private equity-backed organizations, with a focus on scaling high-growth, performance-driven platforms. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Stanford University.

“Patriot’s success is driven by the quality of our people, the strength of our partner agencies, and our unwavering commitment to clients. We have significant opportunities ahead, and I am excited to continue executing on our strategy and delivering long-term value for all our stakeholders,” said Galaviz.

Patriot has more than 2,200 employees operating in over 100 locations across 29 states.