In today’s business world, being a leader is a challenge on top of facing hurdles on a daily basis. To overcome these hurdles, one must have key elements, such as the right attitude, ability, and accountability, to successfully translate into a result-driven team and organization.
Implementing these elements in her work and keeping the continuous learning approach, Amy Brown has defined herself as a charismatic leader who cares about her team, employees, and people.
As the Regional Director of Operations and Commercial Lines at AssuredPartners, Amy regularly and proactively collaborates with every department and sector of the agency, which helps her fine-tune her abilities.
Amy’s career has been exciting, and she kept climbing the corporate ladder learning new skills and understanding various situation and being taught by her mentors. She says, “I would be remiss if I also didn’t give credit where credit is due, with extraordinary mentors helping me along the way. I’m thankful to have met those along my journey, and I look forward to learning from those I have yet to meet.”
We reached out to Amy and discussed her professional journey and her plans for the future.
Below are the highlights of the interview:
Brief our audience about your journey as a leader until your current position at AssuredPartners. What challenges have you had to overcome to reach where you are today?
Overall, I’ve had a typical journey in my professional and leadership path. I entered the insurance industry a few years after college. It has changed me for the better – the people, the knowledge acquired, the uniqueness of every situation, and most importantly, the chance of limitless professional growth. The expression ‘hard work pays off’ is not a cliche; it’s reality. Showing up isn’t enough if you want growth.
My experience with leadership has been a progression. I started as an Operations Leader with a smaller team, but it quickly expanded after being a part of this team with a specific niche in the industry. AssuredPartners also played a significant role in the timing of our team’s expansion with their unprecedented growth in the industry.
The challenges of leading a team that is growing exponentially are the same as other industries – finding qualified candidates, ongoing training, and producing quality products and services. Now in a Director role, I can connect with a larger platform at AssuredPartners to learn more and offer more.
Tell us something more about AssuredPartners and its mission and vision.
Simply put, Assured Partners puts people first. We are leaders in our industry because of that concept. The mission statement of AssuredPartners is not only something that defines us but, when put into action, is something that emanates from us.
Passion + Respect + Integrity + Diligence + Expertise = PRIDE
We take pride in what we do each day. I enjoy telling the story of my insurance journey to others as it is relatable for many and, more importantly, why I choose this every day. People relate to those conversations, and it can create a spark in the individual and team.
Enlighten us on how you have impacted the Insurance industry through your expertise in the market.
There must be a team attitude for success in our business. Our local team embodies this, and I’ve not only been a part of it from the beginning but helped build it. This starts from the very first interview I have with potential candidates. During this process, I’m not only trying to find a great candidate but also thinking about how I can set them up for success in our agency and industry. I am the first person candidates meet who can explain first-hand the possibilities and opportunities with our elite team. People want to make a difference and be a part of something unique.
Describe in detail the values and the work culture that drives AssuredPartners.
AssuredPartners encourages employee engagement at every level: nationally, regionally, and locally. It is sometimes forgotten that we are such a large organization. Leadership at every level has an open door, and they regularly demonstrate their care for the employees. This often translates into support with professional development, education, training, and encouraging team-building events. AssuredPartners is an organization that doesn’t shy away from change and continually seeks to improve teams and individuals.
Undeniably, technology is playing a significant role in almost every sector. How are you leveraging technological advancements to make your solutions resourceful?
Our team, in particular, within AssuredPartners, is undoubtedly a data-driven team. We use the strengths of individuals, systems, and software to dovetail strategy and solutions to clients. It is essential to be adaptable to provide the best outcome for the agency and clients alike. Big data is no doubt the buzzword in most industries these days, but interpreting data and strategizing are still critical components in helping clients. To accomplish this, we invest to be able to provide these solutions. We use the software during recruiting, training, and professional development, all the way to every level of client services. Finally, we are also in the process of rolling out the best available systems in our industry across the country and automating as many workflows as possible so the team can truly focus on the client.
What change would you like to bring to your industry if given a chance?
Continue to change the narrative. Historically, the narrative may have been pushy sales, mundane service work, no creativity, working on an island to service a client, etc. Being in the industry for almost two decades, I have experienced the opposite of this old-school thinking. Insurance is essential because it touches every human in one way or another and is a challenging, innovative, and rewarding industry. There is still work to be done in changing the narrative, but there have been tremendous strides in the right direction. It’s important to remember that a positive experience from an influential client goes a long way for our team and the industry. I look forward to being a part of this continuous change.
What, according to you, could be the next significant change in your sector? How are AssuredPartners preparing to be a part of that change?
We hope to have a wave of people excited about insurance and the opportunities within the industry. It starts with creating a culture across the sector focusing on insurance’s significant impacts. AssuredPartners has been ahead of the curve regarding its culture. With established programs for development paths, this feeling has also tangibly reached our clients. When we partner with our clients, we have a unique opportunity to be risk managers and agents. This opens to door to bringing additional talent familiar and excited about specific types of business.
Where do you envision yourself in the long run, and what are your future goals for AssuredPartners?
Operations will continue to be my focus. I’ve recently transitioned to focusing on large accounts; my main goal is to help make the operations of servicing and retaining these accounts a success within our region. We will implement resources within our teams so they can provide high-level, consistent service for these clients, who are leaders in their fields. With success at the regional level, spreading the same concept across all platforms at AssuredPartners would be a long-term goal.
What would be your advice to budding leaders who aspire to venture into the Insurance sector?
Two main pieces of advice: Be flexible with where the opportunities may first arise. The second is education, education, education. We need people willing to learn the business, knowledge, and expertise with coverage and strategy. Someone can go extremely far in this business with coverage expertise and a learning strategy to see the big picture.
