Newly Announced Insurance Career Opportunities This Week
In addition to launching a new name and logo this month, Rogers Gray also has two new positions it is looking to fill via The Agency Checklists Job Board. The 113 year old agency is looking for a new Director of Employee Benefits to help develop and execute that agency’s strategies to help ensure “…a superior client experience, ongoing education of the team and our clients on the current and emerging industry trends and challenges, and scalability of the department to support a rapidly growing faction of RogersGray.”
The agency also is looking for a new Account Manager, Business Insurance with Property Experience. Among the qualifications the agency is looking for in the right applicant is 3 – 5 years of progressively more responsible work experience , as well as at least 3 years of successful commercial service experience in a high-quality customer contact center environment with responsibility for building excellent customer relationships.
If either of these positions sound interesting to you, Click here to review further details of these positions including benefits offered or to apply directly through our secure site.
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Now on to our weekly round-up of the latest announcements, press releases and notices on career and company news of interest to our community…Have an announcement you would like to share? Contact us here.
Appointments
Liberty Mutual Unit Appoints David T. Perez Chief Underwriting Officer, North America
Liberty Mutual Insurance has appointed David Perez Chief Underwriting Officer, North America, for Global Risk Solutions (GRS), Liberty Mutual’s global commercial and specialty lines (re)insurer, which provides a full range of innovative traditional insurance, specialty and reinsurance risk solutions to businesses around the world.
In this new role, Perez will partner with underwriting leaders in GRS’s North American businesses to drive underwriting strategy and operations to maximize the value Liberty Mutual brings to brokers and customers. He will also oversee training and development of the underwriting community. Perez has been with Liberty Mutual since 2012, most recently as Executive Vice President of National Insurance Specialty.
“I’m tremendously pleased to appoint David to this critical new position,” notes James Slaughter, Chief Underwriting Officer, GRS. “Beyond successfully managing underwriting at Liberty, he has shown himself as an exceptional innovator and transformation agent, and will bring these skills to a key new role serving all of our operations in North America.”
Risk Strategies Appoints Industry Veteran Edward J. Flanagan as Managing Director, Northeast Regional Leader
Succeeds John Scroope, who moves up to National Director of Retail Operations
Risk Strategies a privately held, rapidly growing national insurance brokerage and risk management firm, today announced the appointment of Edward J. Flanagan, a veteran broker and experienced sales leader, as New England Regional Operations Leader. Flanagan will succeed John Scroope, who has been promoted to the newly created role, National Director of Retail Operations.
An industry veteran with 30 years of experience in the insurance brokerage business, Flanagan comes to Risk Strategies from Arthur J. Gallagher, where he worked as a producer focused on clients in the technology, life sciences, financial services and healthcare industries.
“The rapid growth of Risk Strategies is both exciting and challenging, requiring that we continuously evolve our structure to keep pace,” said John Mina, Risk Strategies’ President. “With John moving up to oversee national retail operations, we saw Ed’s experience as a perfect fit for our New England region’s needs.”
In his prior role, Flanagan led a high technology practice, served as liaison to the Worldwide Broker Network and sales leader, where he was responsible for recruiting, hiring and developing new producers across both the property and casualty and employee benefits practices. He was also a member of the operating committee, helping to develop and manage strategies for growing branch revenue and profitability.
“I’m thrilled to join an organization that is in such a dynamic growth phase,” said Flanagan. “I believe my hands-on experience working with clients, developing sales teams and managing operations will translate well to this position and help our regional offices achieve even greater results.”
Like his predecessor, Flanagan, an Arlington resident and graduate of Stonehill College, will oversee both the firm’s New England region operations and its Boston headquarters office. Scroope, who joined Risk Strategies in October of 2017, will continue to be based in Boston as his operational oversight shifts to the national level.
In his new role, Scroope will coordinate with the company’s regional operations leaders to drive organic growth in those territories, as well as to facilitate the integration of acquired organizations into regional and national operations.
SAN Group Hires Stephanie Lynch as Agency Development Field Specialist
Lynch will support members located in Eastern NY and Western MA
Satellite Agency Network Group, Inc. (SAN) is pleased to announce that Stephanie Lynch has recently joined the leading alliance of independent insurance agencies in the northeast as Agency Development Field Specialist. In this role, Lynch will be directly responsible for agency development and consulting services of SAN member agencies in Eastern New York and Western Massachusetts, with a focus on agency growth and development opportunities.
Lynch comes to SAN with over 10 years of experience in the insurance industry, along with a strong grasp on the New York and Massachusetts markets. She started her insurance career working for a major auto insurance carrier and most recently, for a large commercial carrier.
“I am thrilled to be part of the SAN team. My entire career has been spent in the insurance industry and I look forward to working one-on-one with member agents to achieve greater levels of success,” says Lynch.
Jeff Holmes, Senior Vice President of Agency Operations & Development at SAN states, “We are very excited to welcome Stephanie to our SAN field teams. With a proven track record of establishing and maintaining positive relationships to achieve new business growth, Stephanie’s expertise is well suited to support our members.”
Lynch will work closely with Don Eaton, SAN Regional Vice President of that same region. Together, they will be a resource for agencies facing start-up challenges, growing personal and commercial lines, technology adoption and usage, as well as new business and retention strategies.
A New York native, Lynch attended California State University Northridge and is working towards her AINS designation.
Paul Gendron named Regional Stop Loss Sales Director at Unum Group
Paul Gendron has been named a stop loss account executive for employee benefits provider Unum. Supporting the Northeast region of the country, his territory includes New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine. In his role, Paul will help self-insured employers limit exposure to losses while designing effective health and benefits plans. Paul has nearly a decade of experience in the stop loss industry. He will be based in Unum’s Boston sales office.
Promotions
The Hartford Names Lori Rodden Chief Human Resources Officer
The Hartford has appointed Lori Rodden as chief human resources officer, effective Oct. 1. She succeeds Marty Gervasi, who is retiring after nine years with The Hartford. Rodden will report to Chairman and CEO Christopher Swift. Gervasi will remain with the company into early 2020 in an advisory role.
“Lori brings vast experience across human resources and was instrumental in the organizational design and integration of our recent acquisitions of Aetna’s U.S. group life and disability business and The Navigators Group,” said Swift. “She is an accomplished executive who is well-positioned to lead the human capital strategy at an exciting time of rapid technological innovation and demographic change for the industry.”
Swift added, “We are grateful to Marty, who led and executed a multi-year cultural transformation, which included the creation of a vision statement, the expansion of our diversity and inclusion strategies and outcomes, as well as the modernization of our benefits policies and processes. She leaves a strong legacy of attracting and retaining top talent, and our human resources organization has benefited from her exceptional leadership.”
Rodden will oversee all human-resources functions for approximately 19,000 employees, including talent management, compensation, benefits, and diversity and inclusion. She has more than 20 years of experience with The Hartford, during which time she served in roles of increasing responsibility. Most recently, Rodden was the lead HR business partner for Property & Casualty, Group Benefits, Claims and Actuarial. Previously, she was the HR lead for Middle Market, Large Commercial, Sales & Distribution and Underwriting. Prior to joining The Hartford in 1997, she served in human resources positions for Ames Department Stores and Barnett Bank of Tampa. Rodden holds a bachelor of science in business with a concentration in HR Management from Binghamton University.
Gervasi has led human resources since May 2012 after serving as human resources lead for the company’s Commercial Markets division. Prior to joining The Hartford in 2010, she held human resources leadership roles with Saudi Basic Industries Corporation and General Electric Corporation.
New Member News
Welcome to the newest Renaissance Alliance Florida Member!
Renaissance Alliance is pleased to extend a warm welcome to The Insurance Guy, a Coral Gables-based independent insurance agency, that is the newest member to join our Alliance.
The Insurance Guy has been in operation since 2004. Paul Morris is the agency founder and President. The full-service property and casualty agency covers all of Florida with a full complement of personal and business insurance products and services. In addition, the agency has particular expertise in serving in Real Estate professionals, including Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, Title Companies and Property Investors.
Paul says that his agency is excited about the potential of accelerated growth. in addition to the prospect of increased markets and enhanced commissions, the agency joined the Alliance for back room support and the ability to tap into an experienced team handling market submissions. He says that, “Membership in the Alliance will allow our agency team to focus on what we do best: providing our clients with the most competitive insurance products, knowledgeable guidance and fast, friendly service.”
In making the announcement, Renaissance Alliance Executive Chairman Kevin R. Callahan says that “We’re delighted to welcome our fifth new agency member in Florida.” He notes that membership is a mark of distinction because it entails passing rigorous due diligence to meet the Alliance’s standards professionalism, service, innovation, and commitment to growth.
Oscar Miniet, Florida’s Regional Executive Vice President of Renaissance Alliance says that “We’re proud to have such an upstanding new member agency to increase our bench strength in the state.” He notes that membership allows agencies to maintain full independence while leveraging the power of large numbers to accelerate growth at a rate well beyond their competitors.
Statewide Insurance Opens in Walpole, MA
Massachusetts agency is newest addition to Satellite Agency Network (SAN) Group
Satellite Agency Network (SAN) Group, Inc., the leading alliance of independent insurance agencies in the Northeast, is pleased to announce that Statewide Insurance has joined the alliance after recently opening in Walpole, Massachusetts.
Statewide Insurance provides all lines of personal and commercial coverages to local clients in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The agency is owned by Denise Berube, who was previously an exclusive agent and agency owner. She states, “As a newly-formed independent agency, joining SAN allows us to feature a broader range of insurance products and services that better meet the growing needs of our clients. We are thrilled to be able to provide our clients with more choices than ever before.”
“Denise has a clear goal for her agency: to provide appropriate and affordable solutions to her client’s insurance needs,” says Frank Waters, SAN Chief Operating Officer. “The dedication and expertise among Denise and her team give this agency tremendous potential to do well.”
Outside the office, Berube volunteers with SNORT – Short Noses Only Rescue Team – an all-volunteer animal rescue based in the Northeast, fostering dogs who have been displaced, assisting in rehabilitation, and helping to place them in their forever home.
Company News
Travelers Institute Launches Every Second Matters℠ Fall Tour to Combat Distracted Driving
“Today’s younger generations may be one of our greatest assets, not only in speaking up and helping change social norms around distracted driving but also in leveraging new technologies to help prevent it,” said Joan Woodward, Executive Vice President, Public Policy and President of the Travelers Institute. “Using features that block phone notifications while driving, for example, could go a long way in avoiding the temptation to take your eyes off the road.”
According to recent surveys of distracted driving behavior in eight markets around the country, Travelers found that college-age drivers use communication-blocking technology like “Do Not Disturb” more than any other age group. In the greater Los Angeles area, for example, 47% of drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 said they use this technology, compared to 29% of respondents overall.
At each Every Second Matters symposium, the Travelers Institute will share instructions for using features like “Do Not Disturb,” as well as other techniques to help drivers stay focused behind the wheel. This information, as well as new data from the 2019 Travelers Risk Index, is included in the report Every Second Matters: A conversation starter on reducing distracted driving risk, which explores recent trends in motor vehicle collisions and provides safe driving tips.
“It’s important to remember that phone use is only one potential cause of distraction for drivers and diverting your eyes from the road for any reason can have life-altering consequences” said Michael Klein, President of Personal Insurance at Travelers. “We all have an opportunity to do better for ourselves and for each other by keeping our attention on the road ahead.”
James Anderson, Director of the RAND Institute for Civil Justice, who will speak at the Carnegie Mellon program, said, “Automated technologies available in vehicles today are already changing the conversation around driver attention. As they continue to develop, it is imperative that we address every angle of roadway safety, and we’re appreciative of the opportunity to join the Travelers Institute to do just that.”
The following Every Second Matters events will take place this fall at universities across the United States:
Thursday, Sept. 12 – California State University, Fullerton, California
Monday, Sept. 23 – Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts
Tuesday, Sept. 24 – University of New Haven, West Haven, Connecticut
Tuesday, Oct. 1 – Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts
Wednesday, Oct. 2 – University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Wednesday, Oct. 2 – Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, Connecticut
Tuesday, Oct. 8 – Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa
Tuesday, Oct. 15 – University of North Texas, Denton, Texas
Wednesday, Oct. 16 – George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
Thursday, Nov. 21 – Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
As part of these events, the Travelers Institute will continue to host its Careers with Impact program, which visits universities around the country to highlight how, through a career at Travelers, students can help achieve meaningful change on pressing public policy issues, such as distracted driving.
For more information on the company’s Every Second Matters initiative or to register for an upcoming event, please visit the Travelers Institute website.
Progressive Drafts Baker Mayfield
Progressive welcomes record-setting Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield to its team. With this marketing partnership, Mayfield and his new wife, Emily Wilkinson, will become the newest members of Progressive’s acclaimed “network” of marketing campaigns and characters.
“From our first meeting with Baker months ago, we saw something special with him and set out to showcase his story, and our brand, in a different light. To that end, we tossed out the typical ‘athlete-as-spokesperson’ model and took a more modern, content-rich and episodic approach that’s characteristic of today’s network shows,” said Jeff Charney, Progressive’s Chief Marketing Officer. “There’s no glorified pro-athlete persona or hard-sell messaging, just highly relatable, everyday (and quite funny) moments between Baker, Emily … and their rather unique 68,000-seat ‘stadium home.'”
The Mayfields
Quickly becoming a household name to sports fans across the country after breaking the single-season record for the most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback, Mayfield’s connection to Progressive felt natural, beyond him being a real-life customer.
“I was drawn to Progressive because it’s a high-energy, winning team. They thrive on accomplishing what’s never been done before and what others say can’t be done,” said Mayfield. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, who began his college football career as a walk-on at Texas Tech and repeated for a second walk-on at Oklahoma, hasn’t followed a traditional path. “My life story and process have been different from others, so I felt right at home with Progressive because their journey has been a little different, as well. Emily and I both feel like it’s okay to be unique, prove doubters wrong, and be proud of it. We think it’ll be fun for people to tune in throughout the season to see how the whole story unfolds.”
Progressive’s season-long series doesn’t follow the traditional model of making a group of ads and then releasing them in any order. This “season within a season,” episodic content campaign will unfold gradually, as the Mayfields provide glimpses of funny and uniquely relatable “homeowners moments,” like mowing the grass or fixing plumbing and electrical problems, as they settle into their new and unusual “stadium home.”
“These interconnected, 30-second, bite-sized episodes will build throughout the football season. And while we’re not going to give away any spoilers, we can say that we doubled-down on the authenticity of Baker’s personality and the current life stage he and Emily are in,” Charney said. “Having been in the spotlight for most of his life, Baker is a natural in front of the camera, and our unscripted, improv-based approach captured a side of him and Emily that has yet to be seen.”
While each episode focuses on storytelling and character-building, the broader campaign highlights two key life moments that Baker and Emily have recently experienced: getting married and buying a home. Progressive understands life moments like these and offers a range of auto and home insurance options like HomeQuoteExplorer (HQX), which lets customers quickly compare and purchase homeowners insurance.
This first-ever “season within a season,” episodic content series is the latest in Progressive’s award-winning “network” of campaigns and characters. Others include the long-running Superstore campaign featuring Flo, the parent-leeching Baby Man and Rebel characters, the animated talking Box voiced by SNL alum Chris Parnell, the mythical half-man, half-motorcycle Motaur character, and the “we all become our parents” Parentamorphosis troupe.
The Progressive and Baker Mayfield family journey will officially “kick-off” on September 5, 2019, with the start of the NFL season and will run on both national television and digital channels.
