A long-time champion of the American Insurance Agency System
The Massachusetts Association of Insurance Agents (MAIA)’s longtime President & CEO,Francis A. Mancini, Esq. has announced his decision to retire. The announcement released in the latest issue of the MAIA’s “The Massachusetts Agent” newsletter said that Mr. Mancini plans to retire from the association at the end of 2016. In commenting on his decision, Mr. Mancini said,
The Massachusetts insurance landscape has changed dramatically since I began my tenure with the association in 1974. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that the independent insurance agency system remains the distribution channel of choice for Massachusetts consumers. Despite the obstacles faced by independent insurance agents over the years, their resilience and professionalism have kept them the dominant leaders in an evolving marketplace.
My career in the insurance industry has been extremely rewarding, both personally and professionally. I have made and maintained many wonderful friendships with those I have met through my work with the association. “Professionally, I have had the privilege of representing Massachusetts independent insurance agents for over 36 years. I am a true believer in the men and women I represent and I remain the biggest cheerleader of the American Insurance Agency System in the Commonwealth.”
Mr. Mancini’s career with the MAIA has weathered major changes in both the Massachusetts insurance industry and the American Insurance Agency system here. Perhaps the most challenging of his career was the Commonwealth’s transition from the old “Fix and Established” system to today’s “Managed Competition.”
Mr. Mancini first joined the MAIA in 1974
Mr. Mancini has led the MAIA as President & CEO since 1994. He first joined the Association, in 1974 as the Association’s Direct of Government affairs. In 2014, Mr. Mancini was selected as the Insurance Professional of the Year by the Insurance Library Association of Boston. In a an interview with Agency Checklists in honor of his award, Mr. Mancini discussed his long career in the Massachusetts insurance industry and why he chose to stay so long at the MAIA.
As for staying with the MAIA for so much of his career, in a 2014 interview with Agency Checklists, Mr. Mancini said that it had an easy decision for him to remain for so many years with the MAIA. When asked why, he responded,
That’s easy – the people that I work for, the insurance agents, is why. They are just great people to work for. They are not just agents, but small business men and women in their communities who are active in all sorts of community and charity organizations. Agents are just down to earth people and I enjoy working for them.”
A search for Mr. Mancini’s successor begins
Now charged with the difficult task of finding Mr. Mancini’s successor, the MAIA has formed a new search committee to oversee the selection of a new President & CEO.
While it will be a bittersweet process, finding the right successor will be one of the top priorities for the association in 2016 says MAIA Chairman Lee Gaudette, President of the Gaudette Insurance Agency, Whitinsville, MA.
“The top priority of MAIA’s volunteer leadership is a successful transition. Mr. Mancini has earned his reputation as one of the best insurance association leaders in the United States. At the conclusion of his stellar career in twelve months, Frank will leave behind an organization that is strong and vibrant. This is a great opportunity for Frank’s successor to carry forward our momentum.”
Towards that end, the MAIA has retained the executive search firm Vetted Solutions to coordinate the search for a successor. The firm’s president, Jim Zaniello, will be spearheading the search and will serve as the primary contact for candidates. Here is the initial job description as offered by Vetted Solutions, on its website:
This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced executive to lead a dedicated team of professionals, and manage and grow one of the top state insurance associations in the country. MAIA represents the diverse interests of Massachusetts independent insurance agents, and is dedicated to promoting and defending the American Insurance Agency System, which is the distribution of insurance and financial services through independent insurance agents. MAIA has a staff of 30, an operating budget of $5.5 million and nearly 1,300 member agencies.
MAIA seeks an innovative, personable and visionary leader who can build on a strong legacy, increase value for members, represent the association with the state legislature and regulatory bodies, raise the visibility of the association and serve as the organization’s spokesperson. The successful candidate will have a collaborative leadership style, a strong strategic thinking ability as well as the skills to translate strategy into action, and an exceptional ability to communicate.
As the face of MAIA, the President and CEO cultivates key relations with the MAIA board and members, as well with the appropriate legislative committees, regulatory agencies and insurance industry organizations. The President and CEO provides strategic leadership to the association, spearheading efforts to increase value for members, create new non-dues revenue streams and continually improve member benefits.
Obviously, we know there are a lot of qualified Massachusetts insurance professionals, who might be very interested in working at such a great association. If any of our readers are interested in applying for the position, Mr. Zaniello can be contacted at the following email address jim.zaniello@vettedsolutions.com.
