Don Hurzeler

Author

Don Hurzeler [pronounced HERS LER] was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Palos Verdes Estates, California, where he grew up loving surfing and other sports. He attended Palos Verdes High School, Chapman University and then Northwestern Kellogg School of Business and Harvard for graduate work. As an undergrad, Don earned NCAA Division Two All-American honors and is a member of Chapman University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
Don had a 40 year career in the insurance industry, where he never missed a paycheck, saved his money and retired at the age of 61. During his long career, he started at the bottom as an hourly clerk and made his way to President/CEO of Zurich Middle Markets Insurance. He worked in numerous cities including San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, New York City, Zurich and London. In New York City, he lived at 45 Wall Street and was one of the first to move into an apartment in New York’s Financial District. Hey, Gil - we are old enough to remember when no one lived in the Wall Street area and it was desolate at night. I bet some of the millennials who live there now would be petrified in the darkness of a 70s financial district night.
Don has written numerous books and articles. His latest book, Suddenly Retired: A Roadmap for What Comes Next, has been a best seller on Amazon and has put him in direct touch with a lot of folks who are trying to figure out their retirement. He started out writing one liners for comedians and columnists…at the age of 12. Some of his jokes ended up being used by Bob Hope. He’s also been a keynote speaker for decades and a frequent radio guest and owns Kua Bay Publishing. All of Don’s books will be listed in the show notes.
Don has been married to Linda Hurzeler for over 50 years. The couple has 2 grown children and 5 grand-children. When not in Hawaii, they’re traveling the world. Wow, they’ve been to over 100 countries. Don and Linda are professional photographers and co-owners of a high-end landscape photography company called Lava Light Gallery. You must check out their photographs on their site DonHurzeler.com.
Don says he loved living in NYC, however, “Kailua-Kona, Hawaii is mo betta due to weather, ocean conditions, 4.5% sales tax and my house tax of less than $3000 per year because I am over 60 and live here full time. However, I miss the culture, excitement and great healthcare and shopping options we had in NYC. Everything is a bit of a trade off and we could be happy anywhere.”
Don’s interests include photography, writing, travel, surfing, snorkeling and rocks.