Partner Profile: AssuredPartners

Welcome to our Partner Profile Series. Each month, we feature insights and perspectives from HR professionals and consultants working with various clients to address today's most pressing issues.  

This month, our spotlight is on AssuredPartners. Founded in 2011 as a national partnership of leading independent property and casualty and employee benefits brokerage firms, AssuredPartners is now one of the largest brokers in the nation, with offices in 35 states and two countries. It prides itself on its in-depth knowledge, strong carrier relationships, and vast network of industry pros and resources to deliver innovative products and solutions customized to its clients' precise needs. This commitment has empowered the insurance agency to be the fastest-growing independent insurance agency in the US.  

I sat down with Kelly Hagan, Regional Vice President of Employee Benefit Operations at AssuredPartners. Kelly has been in the insurance industry for over 30 years, leading a team of insurance professionals who work alongside our clients to mitigate risk and achieve their business goals. Additionally, she serves on several national committees within AssuredPartners and in the insurance industry. Her passion is teaching those new to the insurance business and helping them realize their career goals.

Tell me a little about yourself and your role at AssuredPartners. 

I am the Regional Vice President of Employee Benefit Operations for the Midwest Region. I have been with AssuredPartners since 2013 and in the insurance business since 1991. In my role at AssuredPartners, I support the advisors and account management teams in our local offices to ensure they have the tools and resources to help our clients. Our clients need us more now than ever as they try to hire and retain employees, run their businesses, and stay compliant with the ever-growing regulatory issues surrounding employee benefits.   

While price competitiveness is important, what other value-added services or strategic insights does AssuredPartners offer to differentiate itself and ensure clients are truly protected? 

We see ourselves as a critical advisor to our clients—much like their CPAs and attorneys. Our job is to understand our clients' business goals and objectives and determine how their employee benefit plan fits into their overall business strategy. As our role with our clients has evolved, we rely more on the data to drive strategic decisions. From understanding what factors are causing costs to determining which strategies help mitigate those costs and the financial impact of decisions, data helps us formulate a clear picture. We stay in front of the changing landscape of new services and benefits. Additionally, we lead our clients through the complex maze of regulations surrounding their employee benefits program, from compliance with ERISA, HIPAA, and COBRA to the multifaceted rules of the Affordable Care Act and now the Consolidated Appropriations Act. We also support our clients with employee communications and benefit administration systems expertise.   

How does AssuredPartners leverage data and analytics to tailor insurance solutions and risk mitigation strategies for individual clients?   

In addition to looking at data from a financial perspective, we are using clinical data to impact future claims through wellness initiatives and population health management. Our health and productivity managers design client wellness strategies based on factors driving costs today and how to mitigate costs for the future. No two clients are the same, so our programs are customized to meet the clients where they are today and get them where they need to be in the future. As a firm, we pride ourselves on expertise, innovation, passion, and doing the right thing. These aren't typical traits you find in the world's largest insurance firms. But you'll find them with us because we're invested in the success of our clients—now and in the long run. 

Beyond traditional risks, what innovation solutions is AssuredPartners developing to address emerging threats like cyberattacks, climate change, or social unrest?

As a full-service brokerage firm, our employee benefits advisors work closely with their counterparts on the property and casualty side of the business. While the expertise is different, we work together to help mitigate risk for our clients across the board. In a global economy, our clients' businesses reach across the world. We assist in providing global benefits for workers coming to the US and those working abroad. We navigate the various workers' compensation rules and help mitigate the global cyber risk associated with data transmission.   

 How is AssuredPartners bridging the gap between traditional insurance and new technologies? 

There are currently five generations of employees in the workplace. What motivates these employees is very different. While Baby Boomers are focused on traditional insurance benefits and retirement planning, Millennials place workplace flexibility and mental health resources as necessary for overall job satisfaction. Gen Z and Gen X prioritize flexible work options, paid time off, and parental leave as priorities. Employers strive to offer a benefits package that satisfies all their workers. While continuing to offer traditional benefits like health and life insurance that provide financial security, employers are coupling those with non-traditional benefits like student loan repayment programs, home warranty programs, discounted gym memberships, and technologies like PTO Exchange, which allow employees to choose how to use their unused PTO to help themselves or help others. This is an exciting time to be in employee benefits as it constantly changes.     

 Follow AssuredPartners on LinkedIn or visit them at assuredpartners.com.  

Are you interested in becoming a partner? Learn more about PTO Exchange's partnership program.