Declaration of Independents

Scott B. West

CEO
Pathfinder/LL&D Insurance Group
Houston, Texas

After three decades in insurance, Scott West—a native Texan, agency owner and cattle rancher—feels strongly that insurance companies serving the independent channel should communicate their goals more effectively with the agency force.

What would your carrier communication plan look like?

I would [annually] discuss consistency in pricing, communicate frequently and in detail with agents, provide opportunities for agent training and set a budget for long-term media marketing. Some companies do some of this but lose focus and change direction—without letting their sales force know why or where they should go next.

Biggest career mistake?

In the 1980s, my firm acquired an equity interest in an agency owned by a savings and loan. I asked a company marketing partner to run the operations for an equity interest. Over two years, we worked 16-hour days, made the agency profitable and eliminated E&O issues. Later, we discovered the agency was the only profitable part of the operation. Regulators took over the savings and loan, and we sold our interest. It was a lot of work for little compensation. But during those years working with my partner, we fell in love.

More on Scott

After earning his degree in geology and business, West joined his realtor parents for six months to help out their fledgling personal lines agency, which they started mostly to sell homeowners insurance to real estate clients.

“That temporary stop became a career,” West says. “I found it a lot more interesting than doing reservoir analysis. Fortunately, my geology background is helpful with our customers in geophysics and the oil and gas industry.”