On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jill Roth, executive vice president of Ahart Frinzi and Smith hosts a conversation with Louise “BeBe” Canter, former Big “I” president, senior vice president at USI Insurance Services, and a Woodworth Memorial Award Winner, and Angela Ripely, current Big ‘I’ chair and president of VW Brown Insurance.
February opened with agencies maintaining a strong interest in exploring and adopting artificial intelligence (AI), the launch of a ChatGPT app and a report from the Big “I” indicating that more agencies plan to expand their use of AI.
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Jennifer Becker, Big “I” executive director of research and education, is joined by Claudia St. John, founder and CEO of The Workplace Advisors. During the episode, they explore how small independent insurance agencies can compete with large corporations for talent; whether artificial intelligence (AI) is helping agencies address staffing shortages or simply adding another layer of complexity; and what agency owners…
The most successful companies understand that attracting top talent isn’t just about offering the highest salary; it’s about leveraging creative strategies and building an authentic workplace culture.
To address the talent shortage, here are five successful, replicable strategies already in motion to recruit the next wave of insurance talent in 2026 and beyond.
Agency Nation Radio highlights firsthand experiences from three insurance industry interns and Invest scholarship winners.
Jamie Behymer, director of diversity, inclusion and young agents at the Big “I,” leads initiatives that empower emerging leaders and help independent insurance agencies become more inclusive.
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we chat with Dallas Ross, agent at Timmco Insurance. Like many others, Ross was born into the insurance industry and always knew the industry was where she belonged.
On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, Peter van Aartrijk, executive vice president at Aartrijk is joined by Lee Gaudette, president of Gaudette Insurance, and his son, Peter Gaudette, commercial insurance advisor at Gaudette Insurance, and Keith Mangini, Vice President and Commercial Team Leader at InsurBanc.
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.
