Insurance is often a family affair. Legacy brokerages are immensely popular in local areas, attracting generations of loyal clientele. One such brokerage is Guardsman Insurance Services – a popular company with family-spirit at the helm.
Leading the way is Thomas Watson, a man dedicated to serving his clients. A third-generation insurance broker, he purchased Guardsman Insurance Services from his grandfather in 2013 and now serves as the brokerage’s vice president.
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Watson features as one of Insurance Business’s Elite Brokers of 2017. At Guardsman Insurance Services, he prides himself on finding creative, individualized solutions to every client’s needs. He described a defining characteristic of an elite broker as “dedication to your clients, co-workers and companies.”
The secret to Watson’s success is simple, he said - “Insurance is fast-paced. It’s only by staying proactive that you can deliver the peace of mind your clients expect.”
On top of his insurance career, Watson is also an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, specifically a lieutenant in the Navy. We caught up with him to find out more about the man in the uniform.
How did you get started in the insurance industry?
Insurance is the family business. I’ve grown up in and around the brokerage and it seemed like a natural fit to continue the work my grandfather started over 50 years ago.
What are the best parts of your job?
The best part of my job is the people. I am very blessed to be able to work with an outstanding team at the brokerage. Additionally, interacting with clients is the real highlight of my job. I get to work with a broad range of individuals and help meet their insurance/risk management needs.
What challenges have you faced in your role?
The biggest single challenge I’ve faced is increasing demands on the broker. Companies are expecting brokers to do more of what has traditionally been their responsibility while clients expect more value for their premium dollar. Once I was able to master the increased demands I’ve found it has only increased my ability to serve my clients’ needs in a timely and accurate manner.
What advice would you give to someone working their way up the insurance ladder?
Never be afraid to say you don’t know. Insurance is incredibly complex and it is far better to admit you don’t know something and find the answer than to guess. Clients are not expecting perfection but they are expecting honesty from their broker.
If you weren’t working in insurance, what would you be doing?
While I honestly cannot imagine not working in insurance, if I was not working in insurance I would likely have followed my original plan of becoming a parish priest.
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