HR and Staffing

Angela Ripley, president of VW Brown Insurance in Columbia, Maryland, brings two decades of agency leadership, eight acquisitions and a passion for mentorship and inclusion to the role of Big “I” chair.

Just because the economy is unpredictable doesn’t mean it’s time to pull up the drawbridge and hide. Making smart moves to drive growth, both organic and inorganic, can keep a business thriving.

Agencies can reduce friction with their carrier partners to make claims and compensation more transparent, accurate and user-friendly.

An independent agency valuation is the key to determining your agency value, and can also help you understand what levers you can pull to increase value over time.

“It’s all about embracing artificial intelligence (AI),” says young agent Audriana Misic. “Not to replace people but to make what we do more efficient and effective.”

“It takes a lot of work to do this job,” says young agent Yuliya Karpov. “This profession provides an opportunity to find harmony, to learn about yourself and what you need, then reflect and adjust accordingly.”

“The core value of lending a helping hand and never being too busy to help a producer … is everything I want in a mentor, especially as a guy that didn’t go to school for insurance,” says young agent Jackson Doyle.

“Everyone says insurance is relationship-based and sometimes that can just be a throwaway statement,” says young agent Kate Adams. “But when you’re up against a deadline, it’s six o’clock at night and you’re not going to get paid if you don’t get something done by 8 am the next day, you need relationships and connections.”