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Heavy hitters
Going the extra mile and making the difference is the calling card for Insurance Business America’s Hot 100
of 2024.
This century of insurance professionals represents a collection of pioneers shaping the future of the
industry with their innovation and excellence.
IB America features three individuals on the list, who are changing the face of insurance in their own distinctive ways.
Jacey Norberg, Risk Placement Services, area president
Dax Craig, Pie Insurance Services, co-founder and president
Chad Hall, RT Specialty, president
Secrets of success
Norberg is riding high as the past 12 months have seen the culmination of exacting standards and devising a strategy of how to achieve them. She took on the role of area president for the RPS office in Eau Claire, WI; Waukesha, WI; and Omaha, NE.
“It had been struggling for quite some time but since I took over, we just kept getting better and better. It was about continuing to develop our young talent and some of our existing talent.”
Under her direction, in the past year the branch has recorded growth levels of:
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19 percent revenue
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26 percent premiums
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15 percent new business
Over the entire four years, the corresponding figures are:
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47 percent revenue
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70 percent premiums
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223 percent new business
The key for Norberg was changing the mindset.
“We are such a big, diverse company and the legacy staff had come from a very small mom-and-pop shop. So, I’ve been teaching them about the pieces of RPS and how to access those, and what they can use them for.”
Norberg also encouraged staff to shadow her dealings with clients to learn firsthand. She explains, “I wanted to add customer value, trying to get service up to a higher standard and almost a white glove service. As soon as they were able to see it, they realized it was completely achievable. I don’t want to say it was easy. But the key was to bring everyone in on creating our vision of service. Then, it was an easier path for everyone to work together to achieve it.”
Mirroring this trajectory is Craig, who also credits his success as the culmination of a team effort.
Pie is the fastest-growing workers’ compensation insurer in the US, and is active in 38 states and Washington, DC. Over the past 12 months, the firm has:
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grown its partner agent network by almost 30 percent
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announced a $315-million Series D round of funding, making it the largest round of financing for any US-based P&C insurtech company in 2022
Dax also spearheaded a partnership with Ford Motor Credit Company to launch Ford Pro Insure, a new commercial auto insurance product powered by Pie, that delivers customized commercial auto coverage and services to small businesses with the goal of helping them reduce overall fleet costs.
“Throughout a challenging economic landscape, especially within the commercial insurance industry, the past 12 months were undeniably demanding yet equally rewarding. Looking back, I feel incredibly proud of my accomplishments as a leader,” Craig says.