LOS ANGELES, CA — Business by LA Times Studios has named Bryson Financial CEO Trent Bryson to its 2026 list of Private Equity and M&A Business Visionaries, an honor recognizing the leaders and advisors shaping middle-market liquidity, corporate turnarounds, and enterprise transformation over the past 24 months. The recognition reflects a conviction that has guided Bryson for years: insurance, benefits, and capital should be underwritten like a deal, not renewed like a subscription.

Under Trent’s leadership, that idea has become a practice. Bryson’s Performance Edge model ties the firm’s compensation to lowering client spend rather than to a percentage of premium, which puts the firm on the same side of the table as the sponsor. Its diligence process benchmarks a target’s coverage against today’s market rather than historical cost, so post-close budgets reflect reality. And its lifecycle approach works with portfolio management teams from acquisition through exit, treating risk and benefits as levers for enterprise value rather than fixed line items.

That philosophy extends across everything Bryson does. From property and casualty and employee benefits to retirement plans, life insurance, and wealth management, the firm brings the same discipline to each engagement: invite competition, measure what matters, and align incentives with the client’s outcome.

Now one of the largest independently owned agencies in the country and celebrating more than 50 years in business, Bryson serves private equity sponsors and lower- to middle-market companies with enterprise values from $5 million to $5 billion. The LA Times recognition is a milestone, but the work continues: helping deal teams see risk earlier, spend smarter, and protect the value they’re building.

To learn how Bryson partners with private equity firms, visit brysonfinancial.com/private-equity.