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PRMA Round Tables

PRMA marked it's first birthday with productive sessions among industry peers.  The sessions, held prior to the commencement of the Pure Leadership Forum in Las Vegas, were the beginning of PRMA forming confidential peer groups with a vision to pair members from across the country wisely to share with and support each other.  The roundtable peer discussion groups will be highlighted at the annual PRMA Summit November 2nd and 3rd in Atlanta.   

I had the opportunity to co-faciliate the Roundtable for Agency Owners along with Gil Lai of NFP P&C Private Client Group in Morristown, N.J.  As a group, we took a deep dive into how the structure and operations of an agency can contribute to success in serving HNW clients.  It was a useful and robust discussion to help grow business and improve client retention.
Present at the Roundtable for Agency Owners were Carrie Babij, Desert Insurance (La Quinta, Calif.); Mike Wardenburg, Costello & Sons (San Rafael, Calif.); Steven Pincus, Dewitt Stern, (New York City); Dudley Wooley, Ross & Yerger (Jackson, Miss.); and Christopher Cay, Cay Insurance Services (Savannah, Ga.). 

Our group took up topics including agency management systems, where referral sources come from, how to pay producers and referral sources, support staff issues, and perpetuation and family relationships.  We all agreed that the format was just right for all of us to help and learn from each other.

The PRMA event also held a Producers Roundtable and a Managers Roundtable, featuring similar groups of insurance professionals with much to share in the high-net-worth space. Susan Ogrodnik-Smith, Hub International (Mass.), facilitator of the Managers Roundtable, reported that the diverse geographic representation of agents helped bring forth many interesting perspectives about servicing clients who are domiciled in more than one state.
Managers Roundtable participants included Peter Gibb, Starkweather and Shepley (R.I.); Tammy Eubanks, Senn Dunn Insurance (N.C.); Julie Rison, Rutherford (Va.); Joe Clark, Willis (Penn.); Adam Kendall, Associated Bank (Minn.); Colleen Bab, Cook Meran (N.Y.).

The Producers Roundtable facilitated by Pam Flaherty of NFP (Chicago, Ill.) was a down-to-brass-tacks discussion of best practices, client trends, carriers, referral partners, team talent and marketing ideas. Participating were Sherry Soileau, BankCorp South (Baton Rouge, La.); Patrick Brownfield, Hub (Jackson, Wyo.); Randy Morreale, Neefus Stype Agency (Aquebogue, N.Y.); Todd Triano, NEBCO (Greenwich, Conn.); Jordan Bryan, Ross & Yerger (Jackson, Miss.); and Karen Reyes, Bouchard Insurance (Clearwater, Fla.).

We could never have achieved a better cross section of professionals dealing with high-net-worth insurance in the United States.  The success of the event was apparent and sets the framework for similar discussions at our upcoming annual summit.
We really are better and stronger as group than standing alone! 

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