Amid intense competition among managing general agents, Breckenridge Insurance has been named one of Insurance Business’s 5-Star MGA Awardees this year. In this interview, Trevor Pierce, president of the company’s brokerage and binding division, describes the fundamental elements that enable Breckenridge to succeed in the space.
He says the company helps its clients find solutions through its team’s knowledge and expertise.
“When we’re submitting business to our markets, we already have all the answers for them. We already are spelling out what the objectives are, what the hurdles are in finding a solution for a risk,” said Pierce.
Aside from being a proactive problem solver, Breckenridge brings greater value to the market through a wide range of specialised brokerage and branding products. The division, led by Pierce, works closely with the programs division, which offers several niche products to agents.
“We’re in the process of launching our new brand in which our programs division will be under the Breckenridge banner. That’s going to allow us to collaborate even more closely and bring that depth and breadth of products to the table for our agents,” said Pierce.
Caring for its people is another key factor in the company’s success. In the new environment brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, Breckenridge supports its employees by providing the resources and tools they need to perform their work well.
“Thankfully, when we had to make that transition overnight to working remotely, we already had a mentality of [doing] what it takes to get the job done and [being] available to [our] clients,” he said.
Success as a broker also requires excellent communication and consistently staying in touch with agents and carrier partners.
“My first rule of thumb, and it sounds cliché and very basic, [is to] pick up the phone,” he said. “I mean, that is the most important tool we have in working and building relationships with our carriers in a world of email and texting and tech platforms … Pick up the phone, talk to your agents, talk to your underwriters, because that’s where you can build relationships and figure out how to how to get deals done.”
