Robert Cohen
As a child growing up in Wichita, Kansas, Robert Cohen learned about insurance at a young age from his grandfather and father, who had been in the industry dating back to the 1930s. Looking to forge his own path, Cohen graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1984 with bachelor’s degrees in finance and risk management. Following graduation, he began his career with the Chubb Corporation, working in Dallas and New York before moving to Denver in 1986. After a brief stint in London, Cohen returned to the family business. He later moved back to Colorado to establish IMA Colorado, where he served as the president. In 2000, Cohen became chairman & CEO and renamed the company IMA Financial Group, building a new headquarters in Denver.
As chairman and CEO, Cohen has grown IMA Financial Group into the 16th-largest insurance brokerage in North America, setting a standard for purposeful growth while staying grounded in employee ownership and client-focused mentality. Cohen developed IMA’s unique capital structure, which has become a model for other privately held firms seeking long-term independence and employee ownership. IMA is consistently recognized as a top workplace, a testament to its culture of protecting assets and making a difference, and employs more than 3,000 associates. The development of IMA’s headquarters in Denver, a private commitment, helped trigger the remaining federal funding needed to complete the Union Station redevelopment project, which contributed to the transformation of downtown Denver.
Outside of IMA, Cohen has played an instrumental role in Denver’s sports scene. In 2025, he became the controlling owner of Denver Summit FC, Colorado’s new professional women’s soccer club and the National Women’s Soccer League’s 16th franchise. Cohen and Denver Summit FC are breaking ground in October 2026 on a state-of-the-art stadium at Santa Fe Yards in Denver’s urban core to open in 2028. Cohen also founded the Denver Sports Commission, helping bring major events like the MLB and NBA All-Star Games, the Women’s Final Four, and the Hockey Frozen Four to Denver, and is active in the U.S. Olympic movement as a founding member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and Chair of the Games Hospitality Committee.
Cohen has chaired Colorado’s three leading business organizations: Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, VISIT DENVER, and the Downtown Denver Partnership. He and his wife, Molly, support students as they aim to achieve their educational and life goals through Colorado LiftED and Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver). Cohen was a Founding Board Member of Colorado LiftED and a past chair of the MSU Denver Foundation Board and the MSU Denver Board of Trustees.
Among the accolades Cohen has received are induction into the MSU Denver Hall of Fame, VISIT Denver Tourism Hall of Fame, the Insurance Business Hall of Fame, and the Denver Business Journal’s (DBJ) 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame. He has been named the DBJ’s Corporate Citizen of the Year, the 9News Leader of the Year, and ColoradoBiz’s Most Admired CEO.
As chairman and CEO, Cohen has grown IMA Financial Group into the 16th-largest insurance brokerage in North America, setting a standard for purposeful growth while staying grounded in employee ownership and client-focused mentality. Cohen developed IMA’s unique capital structure, which has become a model for other privately held firms seeking long-term independence and employee ownership. IMA is consistently recognized as a top workplace, a testament to its culture of protecting assets and making a difference, and employs more than 3,000 associates. The development of IMA’s headquarters in Denver, a private commitment, helped trigger the remaining federal funding needed to complete the Union Station redevelopment project, which contributed to the transformation of downtown Denver.
Outside of IMA, Cohen has played an instrumental role in Denver’s sports scene. In 2025, he became the controlling owner of Denver Summit FC, Colorado’s new professional women’s soccer club and the National Women’s Soccer League’s 16th franchise. Cohen and Denver Summit FC are breaking ground in October 2026 on a state-of-the-art stadium at Santa Fe Yards in Denver’s urban core to open in 2028. Cohen also founded the Denver Sports Commission, helping bring major events like the MLB and NBA All-Star Games, the Women’s Final Four, and the Hockey Frozen Four to Denver, and is active in the U.S. Olympic movement as a founding member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Foundation and Chair of the Games Hospitality Committee.
Cohen has chaired Colorado’s three leading business organizations: Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, VISIT DENVER, and the Downtown Denver Partnership. He and his wife, Molly, support students as they aim to achieve their educational and life goals through Colorado LiftED and Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver). Cohen was a Founding Board Member of Colorado LiftED and a past chair of the MSU Denver Foundation Board and the MSU Denver Board of Trustees.
Among the accolades Cohen has received are induction into the MSU Denver Hall of Fame, VISIT Denver Tourism Hall of Fame, the Insurance Business Hall of Fame, and the Denver Business Journal’s (DBJ) 40 Under 40 Hall of Fame. He has been named the DBJ’s Corporate Citizen of the Year, the 9News Leader of the Year, and ColoradoBiz’s Most Admired CEO.