Mike McDaniel founded Fortress Risk Consultants in 2012 with a vision to bring clarity, precision, and confidence to the commercial real estate closing process. With more than 25 years of combined experience in insurance and banking, he leads Fortress with a deep understanding of how risk, coverage, and credit intersect to shape successful transactions.
Before founding Fortress, Mike spent 15 years with national and regional insurance brokerage firms including Wells Fargo Insurance Services, Wachovia Insurance Services, and Hamilton Dorsey Alston Company. As a Client Executive, he managed all aspects of risk strategy — from coverage design and placement to claims management and loss prevention — for clients ranging from large national portfolios to regional enterprises. His expertise lies in finding risk-based solutions to complex insurance challenges that consider more than just insurance requirements.
Earlier in his career, Mike spent over a decade in banking, performing complex financial analysis and credit modeling for large corporate borrowers in the areas of mergers, acquisitions, and loan workouts. This foundation gives him unique insight into how insurance costs and exposures affect deal economics and long-term asset performance.
Mike holds a B.A. from the University of the South (Sewanee) and an MBA from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business. He is an active member of the Mortgage Bankers Association and the Society of Risk Management Consultants.
